Dupuis scores in OT as Pens soar into second round

Hockey Betting Lines

04/24/2010 - Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pascal Dupuis scored the game-winning goal 9:56 into overtime, as the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame a three-goal deficit to close out their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with a 4-3 win over Ottawa in Game 6 at Scotiabank Place.

Jordan Staal set up the tally, fending off defenders in the far corner before slipping a pass to Dupuis, who fired a wrister from the left circle over the glove of Ottawa goaltender Pascal Leclaire.

The Senators won Game 5 in triple-overtime on a goal by Matt Carkner to stave off elimination and extend the series.

Matt Cooke tallied twice for the defending Stanley Cup champions, igniting the comeback in the second period and tying the game with 7:36 left in regulation.

Bill Guerin netted a power-play goal in the third period for Pittsburgh, while Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves. The Penguins join Philadelphia as the only teams from the East to advance to the second round.

Daniel Alfredsson and Matt Cullen both registered a goal and an assist for Ottawa, which was back in the playoffs after a one-year absence. Leclaire stopped 39 shots.

Cooke put Pittsburgh on the board at 10:56 of the middle frame, just 68 seconds after Alfredsson extended the lead to 3-0.

Mike Fisher thought he had Ottawa's fourth goal later in the period, but it was ruled that his shot crossed the goal line after the net was knocked from its moorings.

With Ottawa defenseman Anton Volchenkov off the ice for interference, Guerin positioned himself atop the left circle and one-timed an Alex Goligoski pass behind Leclaire at 7:03 of the third.

Cooke backhanded the rebound of a Mark Eaton shot from a sharp angle to tie the game at 12:24.

Cullen staked the Senators to a 1-0 lead. Alfredsson made a stretch pass from his own zone to spring Cullen on a breakaway. Fleury went for the poke check and was beaten on a wrister 5:19 into the contest.

Pittsburgh nearly tied the game with 7:20 remaining in the first period, but Leclaire kicked out Michael Rupp's bid from outside the crease. The puck came within inches of crossing the goal line, leading to a lengthy video review that upheld the original no-goal call on the ice.

Ottawa grabbed a 2-0 lead at the 1:51 mark of the second period. Fleury made a stop with the right pad on the initial shot taken by Chris Kelly, who was hauled down. Chris Neil swept the rebound over Fleury as a delayed penalty was being called.

Game Notes

It was the second career two-goal playoff game for Cooke...The Senators have lost six straight home playoff games...Pittsburgh outshot Ottawa, 18-4, in the third period...Staal had two assists...Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was held pointless after posting five goals and nine assists in the first five games...Pittsburgh has won two of the three postseason matchups with Ottawa.

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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.