Ravens lose McNair but clinch playoff birth after win over Browns

Football Betting Lines

12/17/2006 - Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyle Boller replaced an injured Steve McNair and completed 13-of-21 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, as the Baltimore Ravens downed the Cleveland Browns 27-17 at M&T Bank Stadium.

Jamal Lewis rushed 22 times for 109 yards and a touchdown, while Demetrius Williams caught two balls for 100 yards and another score, and Todd Heap had five receptions for 58 yards for the Ravens (11-3), winners in two straight and seven of eight.

The victory gives Baltimore a postseason berth for the fourth time since arriving in the Charm City in 1996, and moves them a step closer to clinching the AFC North division title.

Derek Anderson completed 23-of-32 passes for 223 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Browns (4-10), losers of two straight and four of five, as well as all six games within the AFC North this season.

Braylon Edwards had five receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown, Joe Jurevicius caught five balls for 46 yards and one score, and Kellen Winslow made five catches for 61 yards in a losing cause.

Phil Dawson's 51-yarder on Cleveland's opening drive gave the Browns a 3-0 lead with 9:43 to go in the first quarter.

Two possessions later, McNair's right hand was stepped on by Cleveland's Andra Davis at the bottom of a pile, and the veteran quarter back went to the locker room for treatment. He would return to the sidelines shortly thereafter, but would not play for the remainder of the game. His prognosis is unknown.

After Anderson was picked off by Dawan Landry at the Ravens' 47 and returned it to the Browns' 16, Boller stepped in under center. Three plays later, Lewis scored from seven yards out, and the Ravens went on top, 7-3.

Boller led another scoring drive which spanned the end of the first and start of the second quarter. Ovie Mughelli hit the end zone on a nine-yard catch- and-run, giving the Ravens a 14-3 advantage. It was an 11-play, 85-yard drive which featured five rushes and six passes against a porous Browns defense.

Midway through the quarter, Boller botched a snap and Cleveland recovered at the Ravens' 23-yard-line. However, the Browns couldn't advance the ball and Dawson missed wide right from 47 yards out.

Baltimore took over on their own 38, and advanced to Cleveland's 25-yard-line before kicker Matt Stover was called upon. He was good from 38, and it was 17-3 with 2:39 left in the half.

Cleveland got within 17-10 when Jurevicius hauled in a three-yard pass in the left corner of the end zone with 54 seconds left before halftime. The key play on that march came as Anderson connected with Edwards for a 28-yard strike inside the five with 57 seconds to go.

Anderson brought a laser-like focus to the Browns' second possession in the third quarter, and it paid off as he hit Edwards for a 14-yard touchdown, and with 6:29 to play in the third, the game was tied at 17. The young signal- caller went 4-of-4 for 52 yards on the eight-play, 84-yard drive.

Boller worked some magic of his own on the following series, connecting with Williams for an electrifying 77-yard touchdown on a 3rd-and-10 from their own 23-yard-line, and the Ravens went back up 24-17 just over a minute later.

Mark Clayton's over-the-shoulder catch at the Browns' six set up Baltimore's final score of the day, a 22-yard field goal from Stover to make it 27-17 with 2:53 remaining.

Game Notes

The Browns are 2-12 in December games since 2004...Baltimore has won four of the last five games against Cleveland...Lewis broke off a season-high 52-yard run in the second quarter, but the Ravens failed to score on that drive...The Boller-to-Williams connection was Boller's longest TD pass of his career..Cleveland's Davis, Jurevicius and Jason Wright all left the game, as did Baltimore's McNair, Samari Rolle, and Heap due to various injuries suffered in a game which featured several brutal hits.

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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.