Bettencourt gets 1st PGA Tour win in Reno

Golf Betting Lines

07/18/2010 - Reno, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Bettencourt captured his first PGA Tour win Sunday at the Reno-Tahoe Open, closing with a four-under 68 in the final round to beat Bob Heintz by one shot.

Heintz missed a three-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole with a chance to force a playoff.

Bettencourt, playing in the same group with Heintz, hit two bunkers and made a closing bogey at No. 18 -- among the easiest holes on the Montreux course.

Moments later, television cameras showed Bettencourt barely reacting as he watched Heintz's putt dip into the left side of the cup and spin out, giving him the win.

Bettencourt finished with an 11-under 277 to earn his first victory since he won twice on the developmental Nationwide Tour in 2008.

The 35-year-old from California missed the cut in 13 of his 21 starts coming into the week, but reversed his fortunes Sunday by earning a two-year tour exemption.

Heintz, who is not a tour member, shot a three-under 69 and took second place alone at 10-under 278.

John Merrick and Sweden's Mathias Gronberg both carded 69s to share third place at nine-under 279.

Tournament host and 54-hole leader Scott McCarron had a nine-over 81 and dropped into a tie for 35th place -- 10 shots behind Bettencourt.

MORE TO FOLLOW.

Wwwlelgordo Golf Betting News

<< NCAA investigating possible rules violation at South Carolina
Columbia, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NCAA is reportedly investigating South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders about possible rules violations regarding dealings with a sports agent. According to The State, Saunders is believed to b

<< McCutchen suffers shoulder sprain in Sunday's game
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen left Sunday's game against Houston with a mild sprain of his right AC joint. He sustained the injury to the top of his shoulder after making a diving catch on a

<< Holliday caps Cards' comeback in ninth for sweep of Dodgers
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Holliday's two-out, game-winning RBI single capped a five-run rally in the final two innings, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and a four-game sweep a

<< Astros designate Daigle, bring up Majewski
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros have designated pitcher Casey Daigle for assignment and purchased the contract of pitcher Gary Majewski from Triple-A Round Rock. Daigle posted a 1-1 record with an 11.32 ea

<< Joh wins playoff for first Duramed Futures title
Bloomfield, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiffany Joh birdied the fourth playoff hole Sunday to defeat Gerina Mendoza and win the ING New England Golf Classic on the Duramed Futures Tour. Joh sank an eight-foot birdie putt on the fourth ext

M's clip Angels in 10 to avoid sweep >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Lopez hit an RBI single in the top of the 10th inning, as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Angels, 2-1, to avoid a four-game sweep at Angel Stadium. Seattle snapped an eight-game skid to Los Angele

Mets avoid sweep, top Giants in 10 on Davis double >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ike Davis hit an RBI double with two outs in the top of the 10th inning, and the New York Mets beat San Francisco, 4-3, to salvage the finale of a four-game series at AT&T Park. The Giants erased a

Denorfia powers Padres past Diamondbacks >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Denorfia matched a career-high with four hits, homering twice and scoring three times to power San Diego past Arizona, 6-4, and help the Padres complete a three-game sweep at Petco Park. Denorf

Angels place Kazmir on DL >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Angels placed pitcher Scott Kazmir on the 15-day disabled list following Sunday's 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Mariners. Kazmir lands on the DL with left shoulder fatigue. The left-hander is 7-9 with a 6.92 E

Yankees' Pettitte suffers groin strain >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte was removed from his start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays with a strained left groin. He was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital and underwent an MRI. Resul

American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.