Rangers Holding Onto Top Spot; Mavs, Stars Going Through Motions
Take a break from those Champions League betting odds for a minute, and check out how Dallas’ teams are doing right now as only one is in season, while the other two are looking at their offseason options.
The Rangers rebounded from a sweep in Toronto to take both of their games at home against the Los Angeles Angels, and they took the first game of their two-game set with Baltimore on Wednesday. Nelson Cruz led the way with nine RBIs over the last week, while Vladdy Guerrero added a homer and six RBIs. Starters C.J. Wilson and Rich Harden struggled over the week, but Naftali Feliz converted both of his save opportunities.
The next week brings a visit from the Chicago Cubs, and MLB baseball betting odds should favor the Rangers at home, where they were 16-7 as of Thursday. Then, the Rangers will head to Kansas City for a two-game set with the lowly Royals.
The Mavericks are still trying to figure out if they have cap room this year, as Dirk Nowitzki has a player option for $21.5 million this year. It’s highly unlikely that the Mavericks will be parting ways with their star, who has spent all 12 of his NBA seasons in Dallas, but their major mission would be to get rid of Erick Dampier, who is slated to make $13.1 million next season, which is outlandish. Caron Butler’s contract is also expiring like Dampier’s after next year, but the thing with him is, he can be productive. The Mavericks may try and re-sign Brendan Haywood, who took Dampier’s job after he was traded from Washington with Butler. The Mavericks likely won’t be a major player in this year’s free-agent bonanza, but they should have plenty of cap space for 2011, when there will be an impressive list of players on the market.
NHL betting players saw Dallas decline to offer another contract to long-time goalie Marty Turco, who will be looking for a new team after eight years with the franchise, and the Stars instead signed Kari Lehtonen to a $10.65 million contract over four years. The Stars picked Lehtonen up from Atlanta in February, and even though he played just 12 games in Dallas, it was enough to make him the No.1 guy going forward. Lehtonen is 26 years old, so he’s heading into the prime of his career, and he has career numbers of a 2.87 GAA, and a .912 save percentage. Those are decent numbers when you consider that he played behind some pretty awful defenses in Atlanta. With Lehtonen between the pipes, the Stars could be a solid betting darkhorse next season.
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