Levin grabs lead at delayed Phoenix Open

Golf Betting Lines

02/03/2012 - Scottsdale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Spencer Levin was already having a good round before he drove into the bunker at the par-four 17th hole. He was leading by several strokes and still had a good chance for birdie.

But he holed the 37-foot chip shot for eagle and took control of the Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. And by the time the second round was suspended Friday, Harrison Frazar had climbed into contention.

Levin fired an eight-under 63 on Friday to move to 14-under-par 128, while Frazar is alone in second at 11-under through 15 holes. Frost delays on both Thursday and Friday morning have set the tournament back.

Play was suspended Friday evening at 8:07 p.m. (et), and the second round will resume Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m.

John Huh shot a 66 on Friday to move to eight-under overall. He is tied for third with Webb Simpson, who completed his round of 69 as darkness fell on the course.

Kyle Stanley -- a runner-up last week at the Farmers Insurance Open after blowing a three-shot lead on the final hole -- shot a 66 on Friday and is seven strokes behind Levin in fifth. Ryan Palmer and Jason Dufner, co-leaders after the first round, are another shot back in a large group tied for sixth.

Levin, who has never won on the PGA Tour, had to finish his first round Friday morning after the frost delay. But the 27-year-old came out strong. He needed to play three holes to complete his first round and birdied the first of them on his way to a 65.

That put him within one stroke of the lead. He was in a similar position last week, when he shot an opening-round 62 to grab a share of the lead at the Farmers Insurance Open. Levin then posted a 76 in the second round and fell out of contention.

But to say he avoided a similar slip-up Friday is a bit of an understatement.

Levin posted consecutive birdies on the first two holes and the fifth -- all par-fours. After making six consecutive pars around the turn, he birdied the 12th and 13th to move to 11-under overall.

Another birdie at No. 16 led him to the 17th, where he aggressively drove his tee shot 345 yards into the bunker at the rear side of the green. He then lined up the chip shot, which bounced and skidded to a roll before curling into the cup around the left side of the flag.

The 92nd-ranked player in the world, Levin is in good position to grab his first PGA win. He came close to winning the Mayakoba Golf Classic last February, but lost in a playoff to Johnson Wagner.

Frazar shot 66 in his first round, and was in the afternoon wave Friday. He got off to a good start, with birdies on two of his first four holes, beginning from the 10th tee.

Then, three consecutive short birdie putts from No. 15 -- all around six feet -- moved him to 10-under going around the turn to the first hole, which he also birdied to get within three strokes of the lead.

Palmer was alone in front after Thursday, when he shot a 64, while Dufner grabbed a share of the lead after completing his first round on Friday.

Palmer was still in the mix after a birdie at the fifth on Friday, but he bogeyed the ninth to start a tumultuous stretch. Including No. 9, he had five bogeys and three birdies during a nine-hole run, and ended with a one-over 72 to tumble down the leaderboard.

Dufner started off poorly -- recording a bogey and double-bogey within in first seven holes -- and never recovered. He also ended with a 72.

NOTES: Levin has never held the lead at a PGA Tour event after 36 holes...Ben Crane (67), Bubba Watson (70), Bo Van Pelt (71) and Derek Lamely (70) are also tied for sixth with Palmer and Dufner...Jeff Overton withdrew from the tournament because of a left wrist injury...The cut will likely fall at even- par 142. Among those who missed it were Davis Love III and Anthony Kim (143), Angel Cabrera (145), Y.E. Yang (146), Vijay Singh and Mark Calcavecchia (151).

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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.

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