If you write a soccer blog in Dallas, the MLS season hasn’t started yet, so fans of FC Dallas still have some time to focus on the other teams in the area. The defending champion Mavericks are rounding into form, the Stars are trying to stay within shouting distance of the playoffs, the Rangers are still improving their team, while the Cowboys’ quarterback is making news off the field this week, but in a good way.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks lost two of their three games last week, falling to Indiana and at Cleveland, but they snapped a three-game skid with a victory in Denver on Wednesday night, and a Bodog review of Dallas’ early season would state that they’ve done pretty well in the face of injuries, and they still don’t have Jason Kidd back, although he could be back on the weekend as the Denver game was the sixth that he’d missed. This week coming, the Mavericks head to Minnesota on Friday night before returning home to host Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Nuggets.

Dallas Stars

Dallas has picked themselves up after a five-game skid last month, but players that purchase bookie software should still be skeptical of their playoff chances despite being only two points out of eighth place. The Stars were thumped in San Jose last Thursday before they bounced back for a shootout win in Minnesota, but then they were handled at home by Phoenix and the Stars are now struggling to find consistency down for the stretch run. This week’s slate sees the Stars going to Columbus and Buffalo for back-to-back games, then they host Los Angeles before travelling to Detroit to wrap up a busy week.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are still looking at ways to improve their status among those that work with price per head sports services, but it is a long offseason and the players are unwinding. Quarterback Tony Romo loves to play golf and he is pretty good, almost qualifying for the U.S. Open in recent years, and he will be paired up with Tiger Woods at the star-studded AT&T Pebble Beach National at venerable Pebble Beach. Woods is resuming his chase for the all-time major-championship record, and he has had high praise for Romo’s golf game as well, so this will get a lot of attention over the weekend.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers are tying up some of their players after the Yu Darvish signing, as they agreed with Elvis Andrus on a three-year, $14.4 million deal and they’re working on re-signing Nelson Cruz, whose big bat was a major factor in their postseason run which ended in a second consecutive loss in the World Series. The Rangers are going to be in tough in the West as the Los Angeles Angels reloaded  with Albert Pujols and former Texas ace C.J. Wilson, so you may even be able to find some value on their World Series odds at places like Bodog.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are tied with San Antonio for first place in the Southwest Division, and some BetOnline players are surprised that Dallas are still in it despite a lot of injury woes in the first third of the season. Dallas went 3-1 over the last week with wins over Utah, the aforementioned Spurs in overtime (both at home) and then a romp in Phoenix before they fell at home to Oklahoma City in a hotly contested game. On Friday, the Mavericks host Indiana before heading on the road for games in Cleveland, Denver and Minnesota.

Dallas Stars

Jamie Benn was the only Star to make the All-Star game, and he was scoreless, but his team captained by Boston’s Zdeno Chara won a 12-9 game in Ottawa and it was a solid experience for the 22-year-old, who won the accuracy competition in the Skills contest on Saturday night. But he got back on the scoresheet in Dallas’ first game back after the break, a 6-2 win in Anaheim, which was the second half of a home-and-home with the Ducks that started before the break with a 1-0 win at home. The Stars will stay on the West Coast to face NHL favorites San Jose on Thursday night, and then they return home to host Minnesota and Phoenix.

Dallas Cowboys

Experienced players that purchase price per head bookie software may be skeptical of the Cowboys next season and for good reason, and it’s going to be interesting to see what Dallas does in the offseason. They’re targeting the draft to improve their secondary, but they’ll also be aggressive on the free-agent market, providing there are players out there. But it may be mental at this point with the Cowboys, and the coaching staff has to improve as well, especially late in games.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers tied up Yu Darvish for their rotation, and now they’re reportedly going after veteran Roy Oswalt, who is also coveted by Boston and St. Louis. Oswalt is coming off an injury-plagued year in Philadelphia, where he was overshadowed by Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, so maybe he needs a fresh start and an reinvigorated Oswalt would help any team’s online betting odds.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks went 3-1 over the last week, defeating Utah and New Orleans on the road, while they returned home to beat Phoenix, but they ended the week with a big loss to Minnesota at home. A BetOnline.com review of that game would probably throw in the fact that the Mavericks finally received their championship rings before that game, so they may not have been as focused as they would like. It’s a relatively light week for the Mavericks coming up as they host the Jazz, followed by San Antonio on Sunday, and then on Monday they’ll be in Phoenix. But the Mavs are still missing Dirk Nowitzki due to a knee problem.

Dallas Stars

It was smart of the NHL to avoid a busy week for Super Bowl betting players next week, so their All-Star festivities will take place this weekend and the Stars will be represented by 22-year-old Jamie Benn, who missed the five games because of an appendectomy, but he was activated in time to take part in the annual contest. The Stars need him back after the break as they were 1-4 in the games that he missed, with three of the losses coming by a single goal, and only a 1-0 shutout at home over Anaheim gave the Stars a win heading into the break. They’ll return next Tuesday in Anaheim before heading to San Jose on Thursday.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are looking ahead to next season, and experienced players that use bookie software would tell you that Dallas needs help in the secondary badly. Defensive tackle Jay Ratliff and linebacker DeMarcus Ware are representing the Cowboys at the Pro Bowl this weekend in Hawaii, but the front seven was asked to do too much this season. The rumor is that the Cowboys are looking hard at cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who is out to put a troubled college career at Florida and North Alabama behind him. Jenkins is incredibly talented, but was arrested twice at Florida, and a fresh start in the NFL may be what he needs. Will owner Jerry Jones take the risk?

Texas Rangers

The Rangers didn’t land slugger Prince Fielder, who signed with Detroit instead, but they have enough bats in the lineup to make up for him. Now, there are whispers that Roy Oswalt may be interested in coming back to Texas; he spent most of his career in Houston before he was shipped to Philadelphia and is now a free agent. A veteran presence like Oswalt could certainly help boost the Rangers’ odds at betting websites.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks had dropped two in a row ahead of their visit to Utah on Thursday night, and most sportsbook reviews would note that Dallas was probably happy to leave the Staples Center as they fell to the Lakers and Clippers bya combined five points, both coming on late jumpers by a veteran player (Derek Fisher and Chauncey Billups, respectively). That followed home routs over Milwaukee and Sacramento, and the Mavericks will be looking to end this road trip with victories over the Jazz and New Orleans, where they’ll be on Saturday night before returning home for games against Phoenix and Minnesota. You should keep an eye on their team news as Dirk Nowitzki has been trying to play through an ailing knee, and coach Rick Carlisle may have to shut the German down. Imagine New England’s Superbowl odds without Tom Brady; that’s what Dallas’ NBA Finals odds look like without a healthy Nowitzki.

Dallas Stars

The Stars have lost three straight games as they prepare to host Tampa Bay on Friday, and all three games were by a single goal, at home against Colorado and Detroit (shootout), along with a 1-0 loss at St. Louis. They’ve also lost leading scorer Jamie Benn to an emergency appendectomy and that is a definite blow for the Stars, who are sliding down the pecking order among those that use pay head services. The Stars aren’t known for being an offensive juggernaut in the first place, so to lose their leading scorer until the All-Star break really hurts. After Tampa Bay comes to town, the Stars fly to Minnesota for a game the next day, then they have a home-and-home series with Anaheim on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

Texas Rangers

Some Texas fans were shaking their heads when C.J. Wilson left the Rangers to join their rivals in Los Angeles/Anaheim as a free agent, but they are in for an intriguing 2012 as the team signed Japanese hurler Yu Darvish to a six-year deal worth $60 million. The Rangers outbid the likes of Toronto for the right to negotiate with Darvish to the tune of $51 million, but now he has a lot to live up to. Some are comparing him to Detroit ace and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, and that would help Texas’ chances among those that bet on sports next season.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks seem to be up to speed after their slow start, and they’ll have Thursday off after a week that Wagerweb reviews would rate as a resounding success. It started slow with a 22-point loss in San Antonio last Thursday, then the Mavericks dropped New Orleans, followed by wins in Detroit and Boston and things are starting to come together defensively as they held all three opponents to 86 points or less. Granted, it was against the Hornets and Pistons (two teams that aren’t very good), as well as the Celtics (who are looking old), and some players that work with sportsbook software are skeptical. But this is a team that won the title last year and if they can continue to play defense like this, they’ll be a threat to repeat. This week, the Mavericks host Milwaukee and Sacramento before heading the road for games against the Lakers and Clippers, followed by Utah on Thursday.

Dallas Stars

The Stars will be in Los Angeles on Thursday night to face the Kings, who are ahead of Dallas by two points in the standings, and those that are familiar with price per head services may say that that the team is stabilizing to where they should be: just outside of the playoff picture. They’ve won two of their last four, three of which occurred in the last week, which started with 4-1 wins in Nashville and at home against Edmonton, but they would return home for a 5-2 loss to Anaheim. Following the Los Angeles game, the Stars come home to host Colorado, then back out on the road to St. Louis, then back home for Detroit.

Dallas Cowboys

There are plenty of questions surrounding the Cowboys in the offseason, and the defense may be the biggest area of concern, which suffered down the stretch, but it was a few late-game losses that really hurt the Cowboys and that is a team-wide concern. Dallas will probably aim to improve a secondary which was decimated this season and they need a solid unit back there as there as the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles love to throw the ball. How they go about improving the secondary will be a major factor in next season’s sports betting odds.

Dallas Cowboys

The ‘Boys completed another disappointing season with a 31-14 loss to the New York Giants at home, and sportsbook reviews of their season may state that this is one of the toughest campaigns to swallow. The Cowboys had the NFC East sewn up, but they dropped four of their last five and lost a number of games in which they led in the fourth quarter. Owner Jerry Jones has also said that he won’t step down from his general-manager duties, and it figures to be another interesting offseason in Dallas for the Cowboys and their fans.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks dropped their first two games of the season, but smart players that are familiar with price per head bookie systems knew that the team would eventually wake up and they won three of four games over the week to get back into the hunt. All three wins were at home as the Mavericks defeated Toronto, Oklahoma City and Phoenix, but they lost in Minnesota and are now 0-2 on the road ahead of a Thursday night trip to San Antonio. Dallas returns home to host New Orleans on Saturday before wrapping up the week in Detroit and Boston on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Dallas Stars

The Stars are sitting at third in the Pacific Division and are only two points out of the playoffs, and if you use price per head software, you know that the action is starting to heat up in January as teams now know what they have and will start to jockey for playoff position. Over the last week, the Stars had a three-game homestand, losing to Columbus and Detroit, but they beat the defending Stanley Cup champs from Boston, so that should give them some confidence heading into this week, when they travel to Nashville, host Edmonton, followed by road game in Anaheim and Los Angeles.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers are still negotiating with Japanese pitching superstar Yu Darvish, who reportedly has been in Texas over the last week as the talks are starting to pick up in intensity. Texas doesn’t have much longer to try and sign Darvish, whose bidding rights they purchased for $51.2 million, and there have been no reports in the media as to how the talks are going, and that means it’s tough to get a read on Texas’ online betting odds for next season.

If you’re an NFL fan that follows the Cowboys, your heart will be in your throat for most of Sunday as Dallas heads on the road to face the New York Giants in a do-or-die situation. Meanwhile, the defending NCA champion Mavericks are trying to shake off the rust of the offseason, the Stars are still near the top of their division and are the Rangers in the hunt for Prince Fielder?

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have now lost three of four after a 20-7 loss at home to Philadelphia, and some Wagerweb reviews may not how flat Dallas was at the beginning of the game, although a hand injury suffered by Tony Romo didn’t help matters. Romo practiced with the injury this week and there is a good chance he’ll play when the Cowboys head north to face the Giants with the NFC East on the line, and the winner punches their ticket to the postseason. After the season they’ve had, missing out on the playoffs would be disastrous for Dallas.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks complained that they weren’t getting enough credit from the media (and probably players that use price per head bookmaking services) for their championship last season, but they’re going to have to wake up to the season soon as they were blown out by Miami and Denver, both at home, to begin their title defense. The loss of Tyson Chandler is still taking some getting used to as the Mavericks have allowed an average of 110.0 points in their first two games, and they have a busy week: from Thursday to Thursday, the Mavericks play six games.

Dallas Stars

The Stars are second in the Pacific after a week that saw Dallas defeat Nashville at home, and then lose to St. Louis on the road before they host Columbus, Boston and Detroit this week. They also made a roster move this week as the Stars released Andrew Raycroft to make room for Kari Lehtonen, who returns to the lineup after injury. Goaltending is going to play a major role in how players that use a price per head service view the Stars as they don’t have much offense, and Richard Bachman has played extremely well in Lehtonen’s absence. Now, he’ll go back to the No.2 role.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers are now negotiating the contract for Japanese superstar Yu Darvish, but they’re still in the running for Prince Fielder, who is looking for a contract similar to Albert Pujols, who signed with the Rangers’ rivals from Anaheim. Fielder would be a massive addition to the Rangers’ lineup and he would put up monster numbers in Texas, one of the known “hitter’s parks” in the major leagues. It would also be a boost to the Rangers’ odds at online betting sites.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys fell 37-34 to the New York Giants at home, and Wagerweb reviews of this game may state that it just felt like a game that Dallas would lose. They were up by 12 with 3:14 to go, but the Cowboys made a few mental mistakes down the stretch and now they’re tied with the Giants for the lead in the NFC East. Dallas has to shake this loss off quickly as they’re in Tampa Bay on Saturday night and this is a game they need to have to keep pace in the East.

Dallas Stars

The Stars are atop the Pacific Division as of Thursday, when they’ll be in New York to face the Islanders, and they had won two in a row after blanking the Rangers 1-0 on Tuesday. Those who order price per head bookmaking software are slowly getting back in the Stars’ bandwagon after a rough patch that involved a slew of injuries, and goalie Richard Bachman has been solid over the past two games as Dallas wraps up their road trip in New Jersey on Friday. The Stars have the weekend off before hosting Anaheim and Philadelphia next week.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks already look different from the team that won the title over Miami as Tyson Chandler is gone (New York), as is playoff sparkplug J.J. Barea (Minnesota). Chandler should be the biggest difference-maker among those that purchase pay head service as his defense was a massive factor in last season’s win, but the Mavericks picked up Lamar Odom, which weakens their rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers and gives the Mavericks some flexibility. Dallas also signed Vince Carter and while he is obviously past his best, he can provide some scoring off the bench.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers are another team aiming to make some noise in the offseason, although they’ve already been a player who came out on the wrong end of the C.J. Wilson deal as he signed with the Los Angeles Angels, Texas’ American League West rivals who also signed Albert Pujols. The Rangers are now trying to strike a deal with Derek Holland, whom the Rangers would like to step up to the top of the rotation in place of Wilson. Holland is arbitration-eligible now and would be a free agent in 2015, but after Wilson left, the Rangers would like to tie him up and give themselves a chance to boost their online wagering odds.

Dallas Cowboys

Some BetOnline players don’t know what to think about the Cowboys, who were undone by coaching mistakes in a 19-13 overtime loss in Arizona, their third road loss in a row to the Cardinals. The Cowboys’ offense struggled to put points on the board, but head coach Jason Garrett made some strange decisions at the end of the game that probably cost the Cowboys, who have to recovery quickly and take their one-game NFC East game into a Sunday night affair with the New York Giants, who have dropped four in a row, but they’re still considered dangerous by those who use pay per head services.

Dallas Stars

The Stars edged Ottawa 3-2 at home on Thursday before falling 5-4 to the New York Islanders, also at home, on Saturday. Dallas has been off since then as they prepare to open up a five-game road trip in San Jose on Thursday, before heading Los Angeles on the weekend and then they do a swing through both New York teams next week. The Stars have been riddled by injuries, but they’re still second in the Pacific division as all of their competition are having problems as well.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers are coming off their second straight World Series odds and some who purchase bookie software figured they’ll have solid odds again in 2012. However, they’ll have their hands full in the American League West as they lost ace C.J. Wilson to their rivals, the Los Angeles Angels, who also lured future Hall of Fame slugger Albert Pujols from St. Louis. The Rangers may have to overpay to bring someone in to replace Wilson and they were in the hunt for Pujols as well, but Texas may feel pressure to make a move.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks can sympathize with the Rangers as it never really looked like Wilson would stay when he could receive a better contract on the open market, and Dallas seems resigned to losing center Tyson Chandler, who may have been the Mavericks’ second-most valuable player behind Dirk Nowitzki. Chandler turned the Mavericks into an excellent defensive team and he allowed Nowitzki to focus more on offense, which in turn led the Mavericks to a title. If they lose Chandler and don’t replace him somehow, the Mavericks will fall down the pecking order at online betting sites.

One of the great things about the NBA is that, given the grueling non-stop 84 game schedule—with 41 games at home and 41 away—on any given night pretty much any team, cellar or stellar, can beat or be beaten by any other team. We saw this scenario repeated last season, over and over again, and 2011 went down in the books as one of the best seasons in NBA history. As the season progressed into the playoffs, patterns emerged and paradigms shifted faster than Dwayne Wade’s pivot foot. In the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, which marked the early exit of the #1 seeded San Antonio Spurs at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas put Portland on the postseason trail by taking the series 4-2. Then, in another stunning upset, the Mavericks swept the reigning champion Los Angeles Laker’s three-peat dreams from the floor in four.

Meanwhile the Heat beat the 7th ranked Sixers and 3rd ranked Celtics, each in a decisive 5 game series that showcased the formidable talents of Wade and LeBron and earned Miami some newfound respect as a team that had learned how to finish. And when they finished the favored Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals, featuring a dramatic 5th game that saw Miami come back with an 18-3 run to take the series (4-1), there was little doubt that Miami was destined for NBA greatness. Maybe “King James’s” pompous pre-season prediction that his arrival in Miami marked the dawn of a new basketball dynasty wasn’t so far-fetched after all. With Dallas closing out OKC (4-1) to win the Western Conference finals, the stage was set for what would prove to be one of the most exciting match-ups in NBA history. Trying not to think about that heartbreaking loss to the Heat in the 2006 playoffs, Dirk, Kidd, Terry and all of Dallas hoped that history was not about to repeat itself.

On May 31, the 5 game grind that would be the 2011 championship series began on Miami’s home court. Each game was a gritty back and forth battle, with most going right to the wire—decided by just 3 points or less. Although both teams had their moments, both brilliant and lackluster, a certain underlying pattern or strategy began to be revealed as the series wore on. For Dallas, it was a familiar strategy, the same source of inspiration and motivation that had gotten them to the playoffs in the first place—a strategy best summed up by three simple words, “never give up.” And it worked.

No matter how far down they got, no matter what the numbers on the scoreboard and the clock seemed to be saying, the Mavericks never gave in and they never gave up. And it’s in that strategy that we should look for the answer to the question, “Do the Mavs have what it takes to do it again?” With all the uncertainty of the 2012 NBA season, with the lockout, the labor disputes, and ambiguous rosters, one thing is certain for Maverick fans and NBA fans alike. When the new season begins, whether Dallas has what it takes to make history again or not, we’re in for another great ride.

About the Author: Alex Shelton is a freelance writer for Become.com. Become is a price comparison and product review site that helps consumers find the best product and great deals. From football cleats to Nike soccer shoes, you can find reviews and prices for pretty much anything.