Japan earns dramatic draw with England

Soccer Betting Lines

09/11/2007 - Shanghai, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aya Miyama scored four minutes into stoppage time to help Japan earn a dramatic 2-2 draw with England in Group A play in the World Cup on Tuesday.

Miyama gave Japan the lead in the 55th minute on a free-kick goal, but England's Kelly Smith scored two goals in two minutes to put England ahead. However, Miyama was given one last chance before the final whistle on a free kick from 25 yards out and she made the most of it, drilling her kick over the wall and into the left corner as the whistle blew.

The result was a crucial one for both teams after Germany's 11-0 win over Argentina on Monday. The winner of this game would have had the inside track on the second spot in the group, but now these two teams will have to battle until the final day.

England will meet the powerful Germans on Friday, while Japan will be looking for nothing less than three points against Argentina in its next match on Friday.

After a lengthy feeling-out process in the opening 15 minutes, England began to control the possession and get the better of the play.

Smith got the first sight of goal in the 15th minute and she drove a low shot toward the right corner of the net that was just wide of the post.

Japan struggled to find offense in the opening 45 minutes as star midfielder Homare Sawa had little impact on the match and the Japanese attack showed little in the way of creativity.

The Asian side did get a look at goal after 26 minutes, but Miyama's shot was lofted over the net from just outside the box.

England missed a golden chance to get on the scoreboard before halftime when a through-ball from midfield allowed Eniola Aluko to get in behind the defense. The English striker beat the offside trap, and Japanese keeper Miho Fukumoto came off her line to challenge Aluko outside the area.

The keeper got to the ball first, but slid past it, allowing Aluko an open shot at goal from outside the box. Aluko drove a shot toward the far post but it slid inches past and kept the match scoreless into halftime.

England started strongly after the restart with Karen Carney being played into the box on the right and then driving a shot that was headed for the far corner. Fukumoto came up with a diving stop to keep England off the board, but it was a dangerous chance.

Despite controlling the run of play for the majority of the game, England found itself behind after 55 minutes. Miyama sent a dipping shot over the wall from 20 yards out that England keeper Rachel Brown was late to react to.

Following the goal, England continued to put pressure on the Japanese defense. Alex Scott slid a nice pass to Carney inside the box, but she shot right at the keeper. Smith then had a shot from 25 yards out just seconds later that narrowly missed the near post.

The pressure continued to mount as Aluko's header from close range was headed out of danger from inside the six-yard box, and Carney's driven cross was nodded wide by Rachel Yankey.

The stubborn Japan defense held out until the 81st minute, when Smith did well to turn with the ball inside the box and fire a low shot past the keeper to draw England level.

The England star was not done, however, and she soon added her second goal moments later to put England in front.

Smith picked up the ball on the left and carried it down the wing before beating her defender and cutting into the box. She drove a shot on goal from a tight angle that Fukumoto stopped, but Smith was not going to be denied on the rebound and she fired a right-footed shot into the back of the net.

It looked like England had survived until the final seconds, when a questionable foul call allowed Japan one last chance before the final whistle. The free kick was in a nearly identical spot, and Miyama produced the same result, driving her shot inside the left post to save a point for Japan.

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Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament odds  
As of February 9, MySportsbook.com has released its coveted 2007 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds. “March Madness betting ” only a month away, the top ranked Florida Gators are favorite at 7-2 to win it all. The defending champs have not disappointed at all this season and currently have a 22-2 record and are undefeated (9-0) in SEC play. The Gators’ thrive off of their extremely balanced, experienced and versatile attack. All five starters started in last seasons National Championship game. What is most impressive with this group is their balance; the five starters all average between 10.7 and 13.6 PPG. The Gators have been on an absolute roll having won 15 straight by an average of 16.4 PPG.

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Other teams that the MySportsbook.com members seem to believe will win it all include the west coasts’ top team #2 UCLA (6-1), #3 OSU behind man-child Greg Oden (8-1), and #4 Wisconsin (10-1) behind their defense which has given up 70+ points only three times all season.

Below is a list of some of the favorites to win the 2007 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship lines. For the full list of teams and March Madness odds be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com. If you want to use your credit card to bet on college hoops or any other event, MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.

Arizona 20-1

Butler 20-1

Duke 30-1

Florida 7-2

Georgetown 30-1

Indiana 35-1

Kansas 15-1

Marquette 25-1

Maryland 40-1

Memphis 50-1

Nevada 50-1

UNC 9-2

OSU 8-1

Oregon 30-1

Pittsburgh 15-1

Texas 30-1

Texas A&M 18-1

UCLA 6-1

Wisconsin 10-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook betting needs.

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.