Jon_Campbell's Blog

Money grab: Capping the stuff you're not watching

By Jon_Campbell | View all Posts
Posted Wednesday, April 01, 2009 03:29 PM   5 comments

I think I may have just watched my last episode of American Idol. Even with the aide of DVR this program is becoming only slightly more bearable than having my fingernails pulled out.

 

I was expecting the talent to continually progress into at least a batch of quasi professional performers, but what I witnessed last night was just a continuation of the train wreck that doesn’t seem to have a caboose.

 

Man-bangs Lambert was the best performer once again and may spend his last week on the plus side of the payout after Pinnacle dropped him to even money this week.

 

But he was bloody awful. The screaming rendition of Play That Funky Music blistered my ears and left me once again wondering who in their right mind would purchase this guy’s music.

 

There’s no point in getting into the others. It’s just unnecessary abuse to my keyboard.  

 

I’m hoping Allison wins the competition, but the judges ripped her dress apart like Cinderella’s step sisters last night. She’s listed at +1400.

 

Somebody who has watched this show, please let me know – is it always this bad or is this an atypical season?

 

Miami heating up; still good value available

 

I have been watching a lot of tennis lately. In part because I love betting tennis and in part because an abundance of eye candy is advancing at the Sony Ericsson Open this week.

 

If you don’t follow tennis, these girls will be new to you but they’re enough to make a tennis fan out of you.  

 

Iveta Benesova (+900) is unfortunately about to be knocked out by Venus but she just might become your new favorite player.

 

Danish 18-year-old Caroline Wozniacki played her heart out in a loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova yesterday as a -112 favorite (Pinnacle), but we’ll see more of this beauty in years to come.

 

Kuznetsova now faces another teen in the semis, 19-year-old Victoria Azarenka, and with any luck we’ll see the Belarussian Azarenka (-175) in the finals.  

 

And speaking of hot, the extreme heat policy was used yesterday in the Kuznetsova-Wozniacki match. Kuz was often keeled over on her racket in exhaustion against the fitter Wozniacki and the 10-minute break between the second and third sets likely saved her life.

 

Fitness is definitely playing a role in Florida, as I mentioned it would last week. That’s partially what gives Rafa such a huge edge on the men’s side and he’s still getting good value if you want to pick him up to win the tourney (+152) and you definitely should.

 

He played a fantastic match last night against Stanislas Wawrinka that featured high quality tennis on both sides.

 

NIT at MSG

 

Baylor is listed at -4 to beat Penn State Thursday night in New York. Take the Bears now because I can see this line going up before tip-off.

 

Over its last five games, Baylor is shooting 52 percent from two-point range and 40 percent from downtown. The Nits won’t be able to keep up.

 

The Bears also want this tourney badly. A win here would be a huge step toward moving past the dark shadow that has hung over this program since the Patrick Dennehy murder in 2003.   

 

Masters watch

 

What a win by Tiger last week. He desperately needs to work on his celebrations with Stevie, but his five-shot comeback win over Sean O’Hair at the Bay Hill was incredible.

 

He’s now seeing the odds he did from his pre-injury days and is +205 to win the Masters. Hard to bet against him.

 

Breaking rocks 

 

The men’s world curling championships go this week in Moncton, New Brunswick. Before you get too excited, there is money to be made here.  

 

Team Canada is -230 to win it but their brooms would have to be sabotaged for them to lose. Lay the chalk.

5 comments
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Tritesy11 says:
04/01/09 04:14PM
Canada -4 against Japan is the play of the day today. Should be a massacre.
Tritesy11 says:
04/01/09 04:22PM
Sorry, meant to say play of the day for the opening day.
Jon_Campbell says:
04/02/09 07:50AM
Azarenka has gone from a -175 favorite to -195 today. I'm not sure she should be favored by that much over Kuznetsova. Kuz was exhausted last match, yeah, but she did pull it out. She also has the experience edge on Azarenka. Might be a decent dog play.

The way Verdasco is playing, I give him a solid shot against Murray today too at +200. Some good tennis on tap. I'm parlaying any play I make today with Nadal -410 vs. J.M. D.P.

nascarjack says:
04/02/09 07:09PM
Tiger didn't have a five-shot comeback. He shot 67 which is a pretty solid round but nothing spectacular for a final round score.

O'Hare shot a 73 which is a poor round. Tiger didn't win it, O'Hare lost it.

They should have two trophies ready to present at every tournament; one for the guy for the best total score over four rounds and one for the guy who should have had the lowest score but played the last round like a 5-handicapper at any municipal course.

Tiger schmiger.

Jon_Campbell says:
04/03/09 07:52AM
Would O'Hair have choked if it was someone other than Tiger breathing down his neck all day? Nearly always, even par or one over is enough to win you a tourney when you start Sunday with a five-shot lead.
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