Dallas Round-Up – It Has Been A Busy Week For Dallas Sports Fans
December 9, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
A BetOnline review of the week that was in Dallas would cover an extremely busy time that started with a Cowboy collapse in the desert ahead of a huge divisional showdown, while the Stars are barely keeping their head above water in the NHL. The Rangers lost their best starting pitcher to free agency and the world champion Mavericks are in the midst of losing the lynchpin to their defensive success.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Do the Mavs Have it for a Repeat?
July 25, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
In the wake of the Dallas Mavericks stunning victory over the Miami Heat in the NBA finals, more than a few kids might have traded in their soccer shoes and football cleats for basketball kicks. Mavs fever is in the air, and even the current NBA lockout can’t seem to cool down the dream of a city and a team to repeat their championship season. Assuming that there will be a season next year, the Dirk Nowitzki-sized question is, “Do the Mavs have what it takes to do it again?” Being that basketballs aren’t made of crystal, perhaps the future of the Mavericks can be found in the team’s recent past.
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.
Dallas Round Up – Rangers Still Holding On To First; Mavs, Stars Try To Reload
June 30, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Baseball betting should take up the majority of your time if you’re a Dallas-area fan or wagering player as the Texas Rangers are the big show in town, and they’ll doing their best to keep Los Angeles at bay in the American League West. In other news, the Mavericks are looking to build on their title, while the Stars have to figure out what to do with their star free agent.
Texas Rangers
Heading into Thursday’s series finale in Houston against the Astros, the Rangers had a 1.5-game lead over the Angels in the West, and a win on Thursday would give the Ranges a sweep of their state rivals. That would be a good switch from losing two of three at home against the New York Mets last weekend, and now the Rangers will have a chance to increase their gap on the Angels in the MLB standings as they come back home on Friday for a three-game set against Florida, which will be followed by a visit from Baltimore. Texas has a good chance to win four or five games ahead of their final series before the All-Star break, so the Rangers should put their foot on the gas.
Even MLB betting players in the area were celebrating when the Mavericks took down the celebrated Miami Heat to win their first NBA title, but now it’s back to business as usual for Mark Cuban and company. The Mavericks began their title defense in the NBA draft, where they had only one pick, selecting Texas forward Jordan Hamilton with the 26th pick. Hamilton would be a solid addition to the Mavericks, who need to get younger, but then they traded him to Portland for forward Rudy Fernandez (Hamilton was then moved to Denver). And we still haven’t heard anything out of Cuban, who used to have a mouth like a WWE superstar.
The Stars’ Brad Richards will hit NHL free agency on Friday, and the prevailing thought is that Dallas won’t be able to resign the set-up man, who had 28 goals and 49 assists for 77 points in 72 games last season, but he made $7.8 million. He has stated that he wants to go to a hockey market and a team with a chance at contending, although salary will surely have something to do with it. There are a lot of teams interested in the biggest fish in the free-agent pond, with Toronto and Tampa Bay (who traded Richards to Dallas) reportedly leading the list of suitors. Even though Richards is 31 years old, whichever team picks him up will boost their NHL betting odds.
Dallas Sports Fan – Mavs Bring Home Title, Rangers Slumping Ahead Of Interleague Play
June 16, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Dallas’ possible NHL trades aren’t even on the radar right now in the city, as the Mavericks have completely taken the spotlight over due to their massive win in the NBA Finals, and the basketball team has even allowed the Rangers to struggle relatively quietly this week, although Texas will have to snap out of it.
The Mavericks exorcised their demons from the 2006 Finals, defeating Miami in six games and clinching the series on the road in South Beach with a brilliant team performance. Dirk Nowitzki was named the Finals MVP and had another big fourth quarter, but he was awful in the first half of Game 6, and he was carried by the likes of Jason Terry and J.J. Barea. The Mavericks proved that you need more than three good players in order to win it all, and their rotation was deeper and stronger than Miami’s. It’s always good to see guys like Nowitzki, Terry, Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion finally get their rings, and some people who make NFL picks would compare it to John Elway finally receiving a ring in Denver, especially Nowitzki and Kidd, who will probably end up in the Hall of Fame for their storied careers, and this is the icing on the cake. Now, the Mavericks have to stave off complacency if they want to repeat, because the Heat are going to be coming on strong, and they’ll have to deal with a tough West as the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City will surely be up for another challenge.
Those who make baseball betting picks have watched the Rangers drop four straight ahead of Thursday afternoon’s meeting with the Yankees in New York, and Texas will be looking to avoid a three-game sweep after losing the first two games by matching 12-4 scores. Ahead of that series, the Rangers dropped three of four in Minnesota, but they’re still a game ahead of Seattle as they begin interleague play this weekend. The Rangers wrap up their road trip with a three-game set in Atlanta to take on the Braves, and then they finally return home next week to host their National League rivals from Houston, and Texas has to right the ship because not only is Seattle hot on their heels, but the Los Angeles Angels are always lurking in the background. The season is starting to heat up and the Rangers are going to be the only story in town, so they won’t be able to struggle without criticism now that the NBA season is over. Still, the Rangers aren’t going anywhere, and they should be able to turn it around to recover some faith from sports betting players.
Dallas Sports Fan – Mavericks In Battle With Heat, Rangers Still Atop Of AL West
June 9, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
While Belmont betting players in the Dallas area are likely preparing for the final jewel in the Triple Crown on Saturday at Belmont Park, a lot of people will be focused on the NBA Finals, where Dallas is locked in a tense showdown with Miami. In baseball action on the diamond, Texas is steadily maintaining a small cushion at the top of the American League West.
The Mavericks are tied at two games apiece heading into their crucial Game 5 meeting with the Heat at American Airlines Center in Dallas, and this rematch from the 2006 Finals has been everything that you could hope for, and a little more. Dallas needed a furious comeback to steal Game 2 in Miami, before losing another two-point battle in Game 3 at home. Game 4 will be known as the “Nowitzki Flu Game”, as Dirk Nowitzki had a high fever and a sinus infection, but still managed to score 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter of a three-point victory to knot the series. This matchup has all the intensity and drama of a WWE Raw episode, as there has been some trash talk off and on the court, and now that it is essentially a best of three, expect things to get even hotter. The Mavericks have their last home game of the season on Thursday night, before heading to Miami for Game 6 on Sunday, and if necessary, Game 7 will be on Tuesday, also in Miami.
The Rangers have a 2.5-game lead in the American League West ahead of Thursday’s series opener in Minnesota, and MLB betting players have watched them flex their muscles over the past week as Texas went into Cleveland and swept the Indians, who are starting to come back to earth. Still, in a matchup of division leaders, Texas was dominant, outscoring the Indians 24-6, while shutting them out in the last two games of the series. The Rangers then returned home to lose two of three against Detroit, which showed that they really put a lot of energy into the Cleveland series, but a 7-3 win in the finale was encouraging. As was said before, the Rangers will be in Minnesota for four games beginning on Thursday, before moving on for a three-game series with the Yankees in New York. The Twins are starting to awake from their early-season slumber, so the Rangers shouldn’t take them lightly, and of course, it’s always an occasion when they meet the Yankees, and that series should be the one that gets the most attention in your sports betting book next week.
Dallas Sports Fan – Mavs Fall In Game 1, Rangers Headed For Cleveland Showdown
June 2, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Belmont betting players can respect the grind of a professional season as the final race of the Triple Crown is the longest of all three, and it’s not always about how fast you are. In the NBA, Dallas got off to a slow start in the NBA Finals, but they still have a chance, while in MLB action, Texas is preparing hit the second part of the season with a big series against the surprise team of the majors.
The Mavericks fell 92-84 in Miami in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, shooting a miserable 37.3% from the field, and they were also beaten terribly on the offensive glass by a margin of 16-6. Dirk Nowitzki dropped 27 points, while Shawn Marion added 16 points, but Dallas got nothing from their bench; Jason Terry and J.J. Barea went 4-of-18 from the floor, combining for 14 points, and the Mavericks need far more points than off the bench because their starters can’t outscore their Miami counterparts. The Mavericks are 4.5-point underdogs in your pay per head sportsbook for Game 2 on Thursday night, also in Miami, and they would love to snatch a win before heading home for three possible games, since the Finals uses a 2-3-2 format. Also of note, Nowitzki has a torn tendon in a finger on his non-shooting hand that he suffered in Game 1, but he says it’s not bothering him and it shouldn’t be an issue. Still, it’s something worth paying attention to.
The Rangers are starting to roll, as MLB betting players watched them take two of three from Kansas City at home last weekend, and then they went to Tampa Bay and took two of three from the Rays. Their two losses came in an extra-inning affair with the Royals last Friday in a game that lasted 14 innings, and they also lost by a run to the Rays, who got an eighth-inning homer from Evan Longoria. However, the Rangers still sit atop the American League West with a 1.5-game lead over Seattle as they get ready for a massive series on the road in Cleveland, who still have the best record in the major leagues and are causing many to wonder if they’re actually for real. Beginning on Thursday, the Rangers will be in Cleveland for four games in this tilt of American League division leaders, before returning home on Monday for a three-game set with another team from the Central, Detroit. There are 3.5 games separating first from last in the West, and the Rangers can’t afford to slip up, so look for them to be a factor in your online sportsbook over the next week.
Dallas Sports Fan – Mavericks Return To Finals, Hamilton Back For Rangers
May 26, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Even Belmont Stakes betting will have to take a back seat to the Mavericks in the Dallas area right now, as the Mavericks are on their way back to the NBA Finals for the first time in five years. On the baseball diamond, Texas gets their slugger and MVP Josh Hamilton back in the lineup, and he returns with a bang.
The Mavericks could very well be out of the NBA playoffs right now, but instead they came out on top in their Western Conference finals matchup against Oklahoma City, claiming a game 5 win to set up a return to the Finals. Game 4’s 112-105 overtime win wasn’t the series clincher, but it was the straw that broke Oklahoma City’s back as the Mavericks were down by 15 points with less than five minutes left, but they managed to claw their way back and force a slew of mistakes out of the young Thunder. Dirk Nowitzki continued to hit shots that no other big man in the league could hit, and once the Mavericks managed to take it to an extra period on the road, you could see the Thunder’s spirit snapping in half. Now, the Mavericks will likely face Miami in a rematch of the 2006 Finals, which some would compare to an episode of WWE Smack Down with the calls that Dwyane Wade was getting back then. With LeBron James now in Miami as well, it could be even worse.
MLB betting players watched the Rangers drop two of three in Philadelphia in a clash of World Series contenders, and they couldn’t get their offense going as they scored a grand total of six runs in three games, including a 2-0 loss in a reunion with Cliff Lee, who led the Rangers to the World Series last year before returning to Philadelphia. However, business started to pick up on Monday when Josh Hamilton came off the disabled list and hit a homer in his first at-bat in a 4-0 victory. Lost in the shadow of Hamilton’s return was Nelson Cruz coming back, and he also went deep in his first game back with the Rangers, who proceeded to win two of three at home against the White Sox. The Rangers will stay at home this weekend as they welcome Kansas City to town on Friday for a three-game set, and then they’ll head out on the road on Monday for a three-game set in Tampa Bay. The Rangers’ offense lacked pop while Hamilton and Cruz were on the sidelines, but with them in the lineup, they’re much scarier, which bodes well for their sports betting odds next week.
Dallas Sports Fan – Mavs Three Wins Away From NBA Finals, Rangers Prepare For Phillies
May 19, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
While 2011 Preakness Stakes betting will get most of the attention this weekend, it’s a big weekend for Dallas’ professional sports teams, particularly in the NBA and MLB as the Mavericks look to continue their brilliant play against Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals, while Texas gets ready to face another team (and their former ace) in interleague play in a clash that features clubs with World Series aspirations.
With no NFL picks on the horizon, Cowboys fans have likely migrated to the Mavericks, and what a time to do it as the Mavericks have been the most impressive team in the playoffs to date. They kept it rolling with a 121-112 win over Oklahoma City at home in Game 1 of the West finals, and they got a record-setting performance from Dirk Nowitzki, who made all 24 of his free throws to set a new benchmark en route to 48 points. But while Nowitzki’s performance made all the headlines, the key to the game was a bench that outscored their Oklahoma City counterparts 53-22 on the night. If the Mavericks are going to make it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006, they’ll need more from their bench because Nowitzki isn’t going to score 48 points a night….at least we think he’s not going to, but he has been spectacular in the postseason. The Mavericks will look to take a 2-0 series lead when they host the Thunder on Thursday, before heading to Oklahoma City for games on Saturday and Monday. The Mavericks will return home on Wednesday for Game 5, if it is necessary.
The Rangers gave MLB betting players reason to have faith in them after an inconsistent period by winning four of six games ahead of a game in Kansas City on Thursday night, starting with two of three at home against their American West rivals from Los Angeles. The Rangers then went to Chicago to split a two-game series with the White Sox before moving on to another mini-series with the Royals, taking the first game in extra innings on Wednesday. The Rangers will kick off interleague play on Friday in Philadelphia as they take on the Phillies in a matchup that should have happened in last year’s World Series, if not for San Francisco’s upset of the Phillies. The Rangers will also see a couple of familiar faces in Philadelphia as they faced Roy Halladay a lot when he was in Toronto, and he’ll be on the hill on Friday. On Saturday, Cliff Lee gets the ball after leading the Rangers to the World Series last year, so that will be an emotional game, and even on Sunday, Texas fans will be familiar with Roy Oswalt, who spent nine years in Houston. Following this massive series, the Rangers welcome the White Sox to town in a midweek sports betting matchup.
Dallas Sports Fans – Mavericks Waiting For Next Opponent, Rangers Aim To Pick It Up Before Road Trip
May 12, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Even those checking out Preakness Stakes odds had to have been surprised by the Dallas Mavericks, who ensured that the NBA will have a new champion for the first time in three years, but the way in which they did it was stunning. In MLB action, the Texas Rangers are shake themselves out of a sluggish period before they head out on the road.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks have now won six in a row after a four-game sweep of the two-time defending champions from Los Angeles, and the 122-86 finish of Game 4 in Dallas was one of the most surprising NBA scores that anyone could have thought of. After coming back from 16 points down in Game 1 in Dallas, the Mavericks really looked confident in themselves, and they controlled each game after that, but a 36-point trouncing? They also goaded the Lakers into a couple of cheap fouls which took the shine off of Phil Jackson’s last game (for now) as coach, and the Mavericks can take a lot of pride in being the team that took down the most recent edition of the Los Angeles empire. Now, the Mavericks can rest for a few days as they wait for the Oklahoma City-Memphis series to wrap up, and J.J. Barea would love to have those days as he suffered wrist and rib injuries when Andrew Bynum took him out in mid-air in the fourth quarter of Game 4.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers have dropped seven of their last 10, and they had lost four straight series. The New York Yankees took two of three in Texas, and they had split the first two games against the Athletics before Wednesday’s finale was postponed. MLB betting players will now see the American League West as a three-horse race between Los Angeles, Texas and Oakland, and none of those teams have looked impressive lately, which means they could be battling with Seattle at some point, although that may be a stretch. The Angels will be in town this weekend for a three-game set, and they’ll be looking to increase the lead in the West, but the Rangers just have to find a level of consistency before they go on the road, starting with a trip to Chicago to face the White Sox. One of the main problems Texas has injuries to their starters: Alexi Ogando is out with a blister, although he shouldn’t miss a start, if any, and Tommy Hunter is out for a couple weeks because of an ailing groin. Scott Feldman (knee) and Brandon Webb (shoulder) are both getting ready to throw in the minors, but the Rangers need to get back to full strength in the rotation to boost their online sports betting odds.
Dallas Sports Fan – Mavericks Surprising, Rangers Slumping, Cowboys Come Up With A Good Draft
May 5, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
While 2011 Kentucky Derby betting takes place this weekend, there is definitely lots of action elsewhere for Dallas-area players to focus their attentions, such as the Mavericks, who have the defending champions from Los Angeles on the ropes. Texas has gone cold, allowing the Angels to catch up, and the Cowboys had a quiet, but solid, draft.
If someone who predicted NBA scores would have told you that the Mavericks would win the first two games of their second-round series with the Lakers in Los Angeles, you probably would have thought they were crazy. But here the Mavericks are, heading home to Dallas with a 2-0 series lead, and they’ve shown something that a lot of people didn’t think they had: heart. First, they closed out Portland in a very hostile environment, then they bounced back from a 16-point deficit in Game 1 against the Lakers to come away with a two-point win. Then in Game 2, the Mavericks started hot and finished strong in a 12-point win, frustrating the Lakers and in particular, Ron Artest, who clotheslined J.J.Barea and will miss the third game due to suspension. The Mavericks have held the Lakers to just under 41% from the field over the first two games of the series, and they’ve taken Pau Gasol out of the offense, which piles pressure on Kobe Bryant. Dirk Nowitzki has averaged 26.0 points and 10.5 rebounds and has definitely gotten the better of his matchup with Gasol. The series shifts to Dallas on Friday and Sunday, and if they have to go back to Los Angeles, that will go on Tuesday.
The Rangers have had a tough week on the road, dropping three of four in Oakland, and they’re going into Thursday’s finale in Seattle with a split of the first two games. In those six games, the Rangers scored three runs or less in three of the games, losing all three, so it’s obvious that they miss the injured Josh Hamilton. Texas is now tied in the MLB standings with the Los Angeles Angels at the top of the American League West, and they’ll return home on Friday to try to get back on track, starting with a three-game set against New York, who won two of three in the Bronx in the first series. Then, the Rangers will welcome the Athletics to town.
The Cowboys picked three offensive linemen in last week’s draft as they look to do a better job of protecting quarterback Tony Romo, who missed most of last year with a broken collarbone. USC’s Tyron Smith was the first-round pick, and he is incredibly athletic for a man his size. The Cowboys used to be known for their strength up front, and they’re looking to Smith to help them towards that level again, and an improved offensive line is definitely a good way to boost your sports betting odds.
