Dallas Sports Offseason Report – September 11 2009
September 11, 2009 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
This is it for the NFL betting portion of the Dallas Sports offseason report. The Dallas Cowboys begin their season this weekend and are making their final preparations. How is week 1 shaping up for them? And how do the Mavs and Stars look entering training camp?
Dallas Cowboys
It’s go time for the Cowboys and the pressure is on in the NFL week 1 matchups. The Cowboys are six-point favorites on the road against Tampa Bay, against which they have an 8-3 all-time record. After getting blown out by Philly to end 2008 and the arrival of an amazing new stadium, 2009 is a make-or-break year for just about every Cowboy not named Jason Witten or DaMarcus Ware.
Romo, who is 14-5 on the road, will try to establish his hyped rapport with Roy Williams in week 1, but the Cowboys will also run the football a ton, having Felix Jones catch short passes out of the backfield and letting Marion Barber run through a solid but declining Tampa front seven.
Training camp isn’t here yet so the Mavs aren’t making much noise, though James Singleton is grabbing media attention as he deliberates over whether or not to return to the Mavs. Dallas made him a qualifying offer and, while he can get the most money returning to the Mavs, he’ll have to fight hard for playing time after Dallas acquired Drew Gooden, Shawn Marion, Tim Thomas and Kris Humphries, among others, on the weekend. He isn’t expected to decide for at least a week.
The Stars’ hockey odds remain a mystery entering 2009-10 and it appears almost guaranteed that first-round pick Scott Glennie won’t be part of their plans for this season. He struggled playing center for the first two games of the rookie tournament but looked better upon returning to his natural position at the wing. He has little to no chance of making the big club at this time.
Dallas Sports Offseason Report September 3rd, 2009
September 4, 2009 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Sniff, Sniff. NFL week 1 odds are up and the Cowboys are a week away from starting their season, so it’s almost time to say goodbye to America’s Team in the offseason report. What’s new and exciting this week?
As the Cowboys want their starters nice and fresh for next week, don’t expect them to see much if any action Friday night in Minnesota. That’s big news for Jesse Holley, the wide receiver who won Michael Irvin’s reality series 4th and Long. He’ll finally see the field Friday and hopes to impress the coaching staff enough to win a spot on the roster.
One player to watch this season is Martellus Bennett; an afterthought at tight end last season, known more for being mentally checked out than anything else, he had a very impressive camp, showcasing the type of leaping ability and athleticism that creates mouth-watering mismatches. The Cowboys may deploy some two-tight-end sets to get him involved in the offense.
Online betting fans don’t have to dust off their basketball previews and projections just yet, as NBA training camps are still a month away, but don’t tell that to first-round draft pick Roddy Beaubois. The rookie point guard is working hard with Mavs coaches this offseason, trying to improve his passing and decision making and watching video of his summer league exploits. With Jason Kidd re-signed, Beaubois’s path to start is blocked, so the Mavs should bring him along slowly.
The Stars are likely happy to see training camp arrive, as I’m betting management was tired of asking questions about finances and its sudden inability to make free-agent splashes. As unpredictable as Dallas’ hockey odds are this season, its offense may be better than expected. Brenden Morrow’s return is a big shot in the arm, Loui Eriksson broke out with 36 goals last year and James Neal in particular seems primed for an explosion. He potted 24 goals as a rookie and had five multi-goal games, so he has sniper potential.
Dallas Sports Offseason Report – 8/27/2009
August 27, 2009 by Matt Lawrence · Leave a Comment
The Cowboys’ NFL odds are coming into focus as the offseason is just a few weeks away from becoming the regular season. How is 2009 shaping up for the Cowboys and their Dallas Sports peers?
Interestingly enough, the stadium is the biggest newsmaker of the week for the Cowboys. The $1.2-billion Cowboys Stadium has been lauded for its beauty but the jumbo-tron above the field looms so huge that Titans punter A.J. Trapasso hit it with a punt last week.
Tony Romo and Roy Williams are finally improving their rapport. Williams caught five balls against the Titans last week. In other receiver news, Sam Hurd continues to distance himself from Miles Austin for the WR3 job. Hurd isn’t explosive but he’s consistent; Austin has deep speed but has no official catches this preseason, though he did have a 74-yard kick-return touchdown called back for holding.
You know it’s a slow news week when a rumor from the online betting community is the top headline. The conspiracy theory goes like this; the Mavs commonly ask their players to avoid international play so they don’t get hurt. Dallas did so with Dirk Nowitzki and J.J. Barea. However, newly acquired Nathan Jawai still has the green light for the World Basketball Championships. That could mean the Mavs aren’t worried about him burning himself out because they’re planning to deal him.
The Dallas front office remains quiet and, as a result, no one has any idea of what to expect for the Stars’ hockey odds this season. In a sense, I’m betting management feels its best acquisition is returning captain Brenden Morrow, who missed most of 2008-09 with a torn ACL. He’s the heart and soul of the club and one of the best all-around players in the game, delivering big hits, blocking shots and scoring clutch goals. The competition will be steep in the West this season but the Stars at least have a chance to contend for eighth, depending largely on how quickly Morrow gets his legs back and if Marty Turco can rebound after a poor season.
