Blazers continue playoff push with win over Raptors

Basketball Betting Lines

03/14/2010 - Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nicolas Batum made 5-of-6 from three-point land, en route to 22 points, leading Portland to a 109-98 win over Toronto.

LaMarcus Aldridge also provided 22 points to go with 12 rebounds and Brandon Roy scored 20 for the Trail Blazers, who have won four straight and seven of eight overall.

Andre Miller had another solid all-around game with 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the victors.

Chris Bosh finished with 28 points and seven boards for the reeling Raptors, who went winless on a four-game road trip and have lost five straight overall. Hedo Turkoglu and Amir Johnson netted 14 and 13 points, respectively, in defeat.

Down by as many as 11 in the early going of the fourth, the Raptors whittled their deficit down to 93-91 on a Sonny Weems jumper midway through the frame.

Portland scored eight of the next 10 points to extend the margin to 101-93 on two Batum free throws with 3:16 to play.

Two Bosh free throws made it a 101-95 game, but six straight Portland points, capped by a Batum three-pointer, sealed the win for the hosts.

Roy made two late free throws in the first quarter to yield a 32-30 lead for the Blazers, who scored the first seven points of the second frame.

Another 7-0 run capped by a Marcus Camby bucket later in the stanza made it a 49-35 game, and the Blazers cruised into the locker room with a 60-49 cushion.

Toronto won the third quarter by a slim margin and headed to the fourth trailing 85-78.

Game Notes

The Blazers are currently the eighth seed in the Western Conference and hold a comfortable five-game lead on Memphis...Toronto still holds the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference but leads Chicago by just one game...Portland swept the home-and-home season series against Toronto for a second straight season...Rudy Fernandez and Camby each scored 12 points for Portland...DeMar DeRozan had 12 points, while Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon each netted 11 for the Raptors. Calderon also handed out seven assists...Portland made a season-high 12 three-pointers (12-of-20) in the game.

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American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6  

The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.

Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com.  "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.

It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis.  It's like Week 1 of the NFL.  Pre-season means nada!

We do know the 24 finalists however.

Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24.  He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway.  He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien. 

Brandon Rogers - Who?

Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition.  He should go a good distance.

Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was.  And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition.  He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice!  People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way. 

"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks.  He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes.  But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.

A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”

Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes. 

"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate.  "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past.  He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far.  Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."

Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts) 

And the others:

Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter

The girls

"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis.  "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has.  The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive.  I think she will go far."

Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.

"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams.  Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth.  "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.

Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.

Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.

Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan

MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with). 

Last two contestants will be?

1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)

2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)

2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)

MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines.