Dallas Round-Up –Mavs gear up for playoff meeting with Spurs, Rangers face tough week

With no Stanley Cup odds on the Dallas Stars, there is more time to pay attention to the Dallas Mavericks and Texas Rangers for Dallas sports fans. The Mavericks are headed into another playoff battle with Texas rivals San Antonio, while the Rangers are headed to the American League for a wild, and probably difficult, week.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks ended the season on a five-game winning streak, which gave them the second seed in the Western Conference, and set up a date with San Antonio, who they beat in the season finale, although the Spurs didn’t dress Tim Duncan or Manu Ginobili. The Mavericks took three of four from the Spurs this season, making it eight of their last 10 overall, and they’ll be out for a second straight playoff ousting of the Spurs as they rolled San Antonio in five games last season. NBA championship odds have the Mavericks at +600 to win the Western Conference, and +1200 to win the title, so they’ll be the favorites in this series, and they go in completely healthy. Caron Butler complained of a bad hip down the stretch, but it didn’t seem to affect his play as he dropped 20 points on the Spurs in a 96-89 win on April 14^th.

Texas Rangers

After losing two of three to Toronto in their season-opening series at home, the Rangers took two of three from Seattle, and followed up with two wins in a three-game set in Cleveland. But it gets tougher for the Rangers starting this weekend, and to say it gets tougher may be a bit of an understatement. The Rangers head to the Bronx on Friday to kick off a three-game set with the defending World Series champion New York Yankees, but the Rangers have actually won six of their last 10 in New York. Then the Rangers head to Boston for another series in which they should be an MLB betting underdog as they‘ll face the Red Sox, and they haven’t fared that well at Fenway Park, losing eight of their last 10 games in front of the “Green Monster”. The pitching matchup to watch during this swing through the American League East comes on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, where Rich Harden is still looking for his first win as a Ranger, but he’ll be taking on veteran Andy Pettitte, so it won’t be an easy task.  Second baseman Ian Kinsler attempted batting practice and fielding drills, but he looks no closer to returning to the lineup, and he would be a boost to a Texas offensive attack that has gotten off to a slow start.  It could be a tough week for sportsbook players if you’re planning on riding with the Rangers.