Dallas Update: Mavericks – Stars – Texas Rangers

Dallas Mavericks (33-21, 1^st in Southwest Division)

The Dallas Mavericks have been a sports betting enigma so far this season but they are hoping that a recent trade deadline acquisition will help right the ship. The Mavericks are just 8-10 in their last 18 games and their division lead has shortened to just one game in the Southwest.

The Mavericks made a move to find that consistent No. 2 scorer behind Dirk Nowitzki this week and that man is tabbed to be Caron Butler of the Washington Wizards. The Mavs had to part ways with Josh Howard but in turn they received a former All-Star in Butler and Brendan Haywood, who is all of the sudden a valuable addition now that Erick Dampier is hurt.

Overall, this team is still a big mixed bag but they did improve themselves. We’ll see if they can mesh down the stretch of the season and become a true playoff contender. At this point, fans are skeptical.

Dallas Stars (28-21-12, 4^th in Pacific)

The Dallas Stars are on break right now as the Winter Olympic Hockey tournament takes place and the only topics where they have come up is NHL trade rumors.

The Stars would be on the outside of the playoffs looking in should they start today but the good news is that they are just one point out of it and just three points out of seventh.

The good news for Dallas is that eight of their first 11 home games will take place at home, where they have been dominant this year. They are 18-6-5 at home and have just two regulation losses there since the start of January.

If they want to make a serious push, now will be the time when the NHL is back.

Texas Rangers (Offseason)

Baseball betting tips are just around the corner as teams start to report shortly. This year, there is far more optimism for the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers went into last year with a pitiful pitching staff and a weak group of outfielders. Now the pitching is there and it’s the hitting that needs the focus.

New hitting coach and former Colorado Rockies manager, Clint Hurdle, is in charge. His first order of business will be to get the 2,633 swings and misses down to a more reasonable number and make the team more patient at the plate. The Rangers were the worst in both categories last year.

If they can improve on that, a playoff berth is not out of the question.

The Demise of Marty Turco

The Dallas Stars might be one step closer to fixing their goaltending problem after trading a draft pick and top prospect Vishnevskiy to the Atlanta Thrashers for net minder Karl Lehtonen. What does this mean for current Stars goalie Marty Turco? Well one thing is for sure this doesn’t help his future with the team, which has been in question since last season.

Lets take a look at the contracts and stats of the Dallas Stars Goalies so that we can get a clear picture of what the teams goaltending future will hold. The stat I am interested in is the Save Percentage, the reason for this is that goals against average is more of a team defense statistic.

Marty Turco Bio – Contract – Statistics
Age: 34
Height: 5-11
Weight: 189
Save Percentage:
06-07: .910
07-08: .909
08-09: .898
09-10: .911 season in progress

Marty Turco’s Future with the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars Goalie Marty Turco will be a free agent at the end of this season. He will receive 5.7 million dollars this year, and most fans do not think that he is worth it anymore. I defended Turco from the naysayers before, but can’t do it anymore. At his age he is on a slow decline, so prayers that Marty can return to the form he was in while setting the modern day goals against average will probably go unanswered. His stats have been on the decline since the 06-07 season and has also had his fair share of struggles in the post season.

My belief is that with the arrival of Karl Lehtonen, Joe Nieuwendyk and the Dallas Stars front office are actively shopping Turco before the trade deadline. A rumor that he was going to the Flyers has gone cold, but expect him to be traded before the deadline. And if Turco isn’t traded I don’t think he will be resigned unless he is willing to take a major cut in pay and playing time.

Karl Lehtonen – Contract – Statistics
Age: 26
Height: 6-4
Weight: 215
Save Percentage:
06-07: .912
07-08: .916
08-09: .911
09-10: N/A Back Injury

Karl Lehtonen’s Future with the Dallas Star
The Dallas Stars newly acquired goalie Karl Lehtonen is definitely positioned to be the Stars goalie moving forward. Out of the 3 goalies the Stars now have on the roster, Lehtonen is the only one that will be a restricted free agent after this season. Both Turco and Auld are unrestricted free agents at the end of this season. Lehtonen is owed 3 million for this season.

Lehtonen has posted better save percentages than Marty Turco since the 06-07 season, and has done it while playing for the Atlanta Thrashers who aren’t that good. The only knock on Karl Lehtonen is that he is injury prone. If he can play at the same level he did before his back surgery and stay healthy the Stars will vastly improve their current goaltending situation.

Alex Auld – Contract – Statistics
Age: 29
Height: 6-5
Weight: 221
Save Percentage:
06-07: .888 Florida Panthers
07-08: .919 Boston Bruins – .880 Phoenix Coyotes
08-09: .911 Ottawa Senators
09-10: .894

Alex Auld’s Future with the Dallas Stars
Journeyman goalie Alex Auld was signed for this season as an insurance policy in case Marty Turco couldn’t hack it this season. Auld posted good numbers with the Bruins and Senators, but those are two pretty salty squads.

Lehtonen has been given chances to take over the starting position this year, but has not done much to impress with his chances. I think that the Stars will probably let him walk after this season. He signed a one year contract for 1 million and will be an unrestricted free agent at the seasons end.

Conclusion
I would definitely recommend against buying a Turco jersey right now, it looks like he may not even end this season as a Dallas Star. I don’t know why you would, but I would also recommend against buying an Auld jersey as he has not done much to secure a spot for next season.

My hope is that the Stars will part ways with both Turco and Auld and make Lehtonen the starting goalie and bring up a goalie prospect as the Stars backup next season. However with Lehtonen’s injury history Auld or another journeyman / veteren goalie will probably be the backup next season.

Resources:
Defending Big D – Dallas Stars Hockey Blog
Yahoo! Sports – Player Statistics
Hockey Buzz – NHL Salaries

Dallas Update: Mavericks – Rangers – Texas Rangers

Dallas Mavericks (32-20, 1^st in Southwest Division)

It’s good that the All-Star game is happening in Dallas this year as it might be the first time that NBA betting fans have seen quality basketball in Dallas since the turn of the calendar.

Sure, the Mavericks are still in first place but it’s time for their fans to be concerned.

The Mavs, who long had held the second-best record in the West, are just 10-11 since December 31^st and worse yet, this is a team that had to climb out of a hole to eke out a win in Golden State and then were lost – to mildly put it – to the Denver Nuggets by 36 points.

It’s fairly clear that this team, while they have won 32 games, is not anywhere near contending for a championship. While some fans are hoping that the Mavs can get a boost from a swingman like Caron Butler or Kevin Martin, the reality could also be that if they don’t get that secondary scorer, that they head south and cost Rick Carlisle his job.

Dallas Stars (26-21-12, 5^th in Southwest)

The Dallas Stars are at an interesting spot at this point. While they are just a hop and a skip outside of the playoffs, the reality is that they don’t really have what it takes for a long playoff run. They may be realizing that as the Stars made a peculiar move this week to acquire goaltender Karl Lehtonen.

A few years ago, handicappers giving betting tips would have raised an eye brow if the Stars, who are equipped with Marty Turco, would acquire a netminder. But nowadays, Stars fans see the potential writing on the wall as this acquisition might mean that Turco’s tenure in Dallas is over.

With the trade deadline approaching and the Stars spinning their wheels, don’t be surprised if they ship off Turco, one of their lone assets, and get some pieces to build for the future.

Texas Rangers (Offseason)

Sportsbetting fans know that the Texas Rangers have long been short on pitching but they might get the jump on a couple of live arms who haven’t been allowed in the US over the last five years.

Alexi Ogando (26) and Omar Beltre (28) have met with Texas Rangers General Manager twice over the last two years and helped them get their visas. That may give the Rangers the inside track on the pitchers now that they have come over.

The Rangers will have the opportunity to add them to their 40-man roster shortly, which means they’ll have to cut ties with two others.

Both of these pitchers are mature and MLB betting fans know that it mean that may make an impact sooner rather than later for the Rangers.

Tom Hicks Broke: Dallas Stars are Next

Surprise, Surprise Tom Hicks has less money than he led on… again! Now it looks like ol’ Tom needs to either sell the Dallas Stars or at least find some investors. The comments coming out of the Hicks camp sound very similar to those made before the sale of the Rangers.

Anyway the city of Dallas is one step closer to the possibility of having its major sports teams not owned by someone whose talent seems to be losing money and running teams into the ground.

Tom Hicks was not all bad though, he did help build rinks in the Dallas area that have allowed hockey to grow in the Dallas Metroplex. However it is clear that some bad investment decisions are handcuffing his already limited ability as a professional sports team owner.

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Dallas Sports Report: Mavericks – Stars – Texas Rangers

Dallas Report

With only days away from the big game, everyone has been weighing in on their opinions on the Super Bowl odds and making their last NFL picks of the season. There are other sports going on in Dallas of course and some major moves and decisions will be made on all of the teams in the area in the coming weeks.

NBA: Dallas Mavericks (31-18, 3^rd in Western Conference)

-       Dallas has struggled since the start of 2010 going only 9-9. A big reason for the slide is the lack of outside shooting. Jason Kidd is not shooting at the clip he was last season, although he has markedly improved the play of those around him including Dirk Nowitzki who is having a 1^st team All-NBA type season.

-       Dallas had suffered three consecutive losses at the hands of the Suns, Blazers (112-114 OT loss where Andre Miller came out of nowhere to score 52) and Jazz before clipping the Warriors last night by 9 at home. The Mavs have played well against the poorer teams in the league but their ability to beat playoff teams is not there. F Josh Howard’s name has been in the air in trade talks as the Mavs try to trade the disgruntled F for a shooter or two. Dallas currently has enough guns to make the playoffs, but if they don’t add some alternative options on the perimeter, they will give Dirk a hernia as he tries to carry this team to a title. Look for Dallas to pick up a couple of wins this week vs. Minnesota on Friday and at Golden State on Monday. The Mavs face a big test on Tuesday when they go to Denver to face the Nuggets.

NHL: Dallas Stars (25-20-11, t-10^th in Western Conference)

-       The Dallas Stars received news that Owner Tom Hicks, who recently made an agreement to sell the Texas Rangers, is now being forced by creditors to sell the Dallas Stars as well. Hicks’ debt is unknown but people are that betting management understand that it is clear he can no longer function as an owner and stay financially soluble. The Stars stars may not be moved until the team is sold meaning G Marty Turco could end up staying with the team. Turco has fallen out of favor due to his sloppy play this season in favor of G Alex Auld. The Stars were 2-1 in the last week with a 3-2 victory over the Avalanche at home last Friday, avenging a 4-0 shutout earlier in the week in Colorado. The Stars then lost to a tough Phoenix team 4-2 at home Sunday and beat up on Minnesota 4-2 on Tuesday in Dallas. The Stars get to face the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets tonight but will have to face Phoenix twice, Calgary and Chicago in the next week.

MLB: Texas Rangers Offseason News

-       The Rangers have been dealing with a peculiar story this week as they try to get a couple of prospects cleared to enter the United States. Pitchers Omar Beltre and Alexi Ogando have been banned from the U.S. for their roles in a human-trafficking ring in 2005. The two pitchers had their Visa’s revoked for having fake marriages to bring prostitutes into the U.S. The guilt is clear and the two pitchers are showing remorse and have will show their support for The Women’s Committee in Defense of Human Rights, a Dominican based support group. The Pitchers will likely start in AA or AAA this year but Beltre has a plus fastball and may see some major league work this year. The pitchers were two of 30 detained in that 2005 bust.

Dallas Sports Teams Report

Dallas Report 1/28/10

With the Super Bowl odds up and NFL predictions all but a thing of the past, let’s see if the midseason blues are affecting the Mavericks and Stars and talk some offseason Rangers.

NBA: Dallas Mavericks (30-15, 3^rd in Western Conference)

Last Three Games: Dallas 81 @ Philadelphia 92, Dallas 128 @ New York 78, Milwaukee 107 @ Dallas 108

Dirk and the Mavs were flat in a no-show performance in Philly last Friday against a weak 76ers team. On Monday, they were only slight favorites against the resilient Knicks but they had no answer for the Mavs and had their spirits broken early and often as the Knicks were pulverized, 128-78. 50 points is the worst margin of loss in Madison Square Garden history. Following the massacre, the Mavs eked out a big win against a competitive Bucks squad 108-107. The Mavs are now 13-4 in games decided by 5 points or less. The Mavs look more like a realistic threat for the title every day.

NHL: Dallas Stars (23-19-11, 10^th in Western Conference)

(L) @ Vancouver 4-3 1/21 (W) @ Edmonton 4-3 1/22 (L) @ Colorado 4-0 1/24 (W) Calgary 4-3 1/27

The Stars had a heartbreaking loss last Thursday night in Vancouver when the Canucks scored the game winner with less than 30 seconds left in the game. The next night, the Stars knocked out the lowly Oilers in similar fashion with James Neal lighting the lamp with under a half minute to go. The Stars then traveled to Colorado and got blanked by the surprising Avalanche. Last night the Stars got into a duel with the fast-fading Flames and pulled out a shootout victory 4-3. The Stars have been shuffling net-minders with Marty Turco and Alex Auld splitting the duty both going 1-1 as the NHL trade rumors continue to swirl about Marty as no one’s job(except the top line’s) is safe as the Stars make a push towards the playoffs.

MLB: Baseball Betting: Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers have a new owner. Nolan Ryan and his group have an agreement to purchase the Texas Rangers from owner Tom Hicks for an estimated 500 million dollars. The Rangers may not be able to get out from under the shadows of rampant steroids use and over-spending that has plagued the franchise during Hicks’ reign. More importantly, one would expect the team’s focus to shift towards pitching with the great fireballer in charge of the team.

Player News

Rangers Sign Closer Frank Francisco to 1 year deal to avoid arbitration.

-       Francisco was a breakout pitcher last year for the Rangers. He was especially dominant early in the season before being slightly derailed from his groove by injury. The Rangers were smart to keep him at a 4 million dollar price tag. If he can do this in two consecutive years, he may be worth a long-term deal.

Rangers sign INF Khalil Greene

-       Greene was once a promising young star who had been derailed by a host of physical and mental ailments. Greene has been on the comeback trail and has always had some pop. The former starting shortstop also has a good arm and range. He will add nice depth to the infield.

Texas Teams Roundup

Now that the super bowl odds and the NFL picks don’t include the Cowboys, let’s take a look at what the other Dallas teams are up to.

NBA: Dallas Mavericks (28-14, 1^st place Southwest Division)

The Dallas Mavericks, despite their record, have been involved in a lot of close games. Their record also shows that while they beat the teams they should, against top teams in the league, the Mavs are average. Against teams that are one game below .500 or better, the Mavs are 17-12.

Dirk Nowitzki has led the way, and has regained his MVP form from 2005 averaging 25.5 points and 8.0 rebounds a game. He has unlimited range and nails clutch shots for breakfast lunch and dinner. Jason Kidd still runs a great offense but is a liability defensively. Jason Terry, last year’s Sixth Man of the Year Award winner, is averaging 16.3 points off the bench. Josh Howard is this team’s question mark as his offense is MIA this year, but his defense is first class.

Sportsbooks like 5Dimes (5dimes review) have the Mavs pegged for a longer playoff run this year.

NHL: Dallas Stars (21-17-11 53pts, 10^th in the Western Conference)

The Dallas Stars are a team in transition. Future Hall of Famer Mike Modano is merely the fourth line center and probably will hang em’ up at season’s end. Franchise Goalie Marty Turco’s unorthodox style has served him well in the past, but he has been sloppy this season behind a young offensive-minded defense led by Stephane Robidas. The Stars have a decent second line, but their top line, Brad Richards (14g, 43a), James Neal (19g, 17a) and Loui Erickson (20g, 27a) is among the best in the league. Richards has 19 multi-point games this season. The Stars have been dangling Turco in NHL trade rumors as they could use a forward and some defensive help to be a viable contender.

Expect the Stars to battle for the 8 seed in the Western Conference until the last days of the season.

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Sports Betting – Texas Teams Roundup

While most people are focused on the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl odds while the NFL betting season is winding down, here’s an update of what three other Texas teams are up to:

Dallas Mavericks (25-13, 1^st in Southwest)

It was a tough week for the Dallas Mavericks as they started off well, winning in San Antonio, but then lost at home to Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers.

The Mavericks continue to be very much a Jekyll and Hyde. At times, they look like they could be a decent playoff contender and then at other times, they can’t figure out how to compete against the best in the West.

At this point, the Mavericks can’t be trusted in the West playoff race. They look like they might be ripe for the picking once again in the first round of the playoffs.

Dallas Stars (19-16-11, 4^th in Pacific)

While the Mavericks appear to be fading, so are the Dallas Stars. They have fallen to 11^th in the Western Conference and those who bet on the Stars to make the playoffs at their local sportsbook (sportsbetting.com sportsbook reviews) are really regretting those bets.

If there is one bright spot, it’s that the Stars are consistent on the road. Unfortunately, it’s not the good type of consistent.

The Stars are simply brutal on the road nowadays and there doesn’t appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel. The Stars have just one road win in their last 12 tries, and they have more road games upcoming.

On the year, they are 12-5-5 at home but are just 7-11-6 on the road. If they want any hope of making the playoffs, they’ll have to turn this around in a hurry.

Rangers News After the Jump

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Sports Betting – Texas Teams Roundup

Dallas Mavericks (24-11, 1^st in Southwest)

Those who bet on NBA know that the San Antonio Spurs are quietly creeping up on the Mavericks. The Spurs have closed to within two games and have really put the heat on the Mavericks.

The Mavs have lost two of their last four games, including a very ugly 35-point route at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. That’s a very telling sign considering the Mavericks eventually would like to compete for an NBA Championship and not just enjoy successful regular seasons.

It was pretty much the first time all season that the Mavericks didn’t even bother putting up a fight. Granted, it was the second half of a back-to-back but the loss is a sour note on their past week.

Dallas Stars (18-14-11, 4^th in Pacific)

The Dallas Stars road woes continue. They are 1-6-3 away from home and worse yet, they were beat down by a familiar face in New York this week. The Stars visited the Empire State Building to try to stay relaxed on the road but it was Sean Avery, who was part of the Stars for four months last year prior to being the subject of hockey trades, who did the damage.

Avery had a goal and three assists against his former team, which was a tough loss for the Stars going beyond the typical hockey odds.

The problem is goal scoring and fundamentals as the Stars have the magic at home but on the road, they can’t seem to duplicate the efforts. They are currently 10^th in the Western Conference and while they aren’t far out of the race, they are blowing opportunities to gain some ground.

Texas Rangers (Offseason)

The baseball season isn’t close but sportsbooks like TheGreek (TheGreek Sportsbook Review) are already getting their team versus team matchups for next year. The Rangers win total will be pitted up against the Los Angeles Angels, although the betting line is not available.

The main difference between the two teams has been starting pitching and right now, the Rangers just don’t match up

Rich Harden, Scott Feldman and Tommy Hunter will have the top three spots in the rotation but the other couple of openings are up for grabs. Jon Garland is an option and so are Brandon McCarthy, Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz and Erik Hurley.

Before the Rangers think about taking the NL West, they’ll have to think about their rotation.

Sports Betting – Dallas, Texas Team Roundup

Sports Betting – Texas Teams Roundup

Dallas Mavericks (22-9, 1^st in Southwest)

The Dallas Mavericks had a productive week with an important win, but sports wagering fans should be cautious putting too much faith into it.

The Mavericks returned to the scene of last year’s crime in Denver and they came up with a big 104-96 win. That handed the Nuggets just their second home loss of the year.

But keep in mind that Nuggets floor general Chauncey Billups did not play in the game, which obviously is a big factor. It’s a good win for Dallas nonetheless but be cautious overestimating this victory.

Dallas Stars (17-11-11, 4^th in Pacific)

If you’re looking for a simple sports betting tip, here’s one: bet on the Dallas Stars to get to overtime and lose.

The Stars have been close but no cigar several times this year with a new coach and a new system but they have still resulted in more misses than hits. The Stars lead the NHL in overtime losses with 11 and added three more this week.

The overtime losses really inflate a team’s record as 17-11-11 – or 4-3-3, as the Stars are in their last 10 games – looks much better than 17-22 or 4-6.

As mentioned, the Stars have been close in a number of games but they need to start turning those overtime losses into wins if they hope to make the playoffs.

Of note, Mike Modano scored his 549^th goal this week in his 1600^th NHL game.

Texas Rangers (Offseason)

Outfielder Marlon Byrd had a career-year with the Texas Rangers this year in his first year of more than 500 Major League at-bats but he’ll be playing for a different club next year. The Rangers decided to let Byrd walk via free agency and he signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

The Rangers have seen this type of performance before and it’s simple sportsbook 101: decent player has a breakout hitting year in a contract year in Texas, then gets a big contract and flops elsewhere.

It would have been nice if the Rangers could have kept Byrd but it’s not a big concern. David Murphy, who has shown flashes of being a regular starter, will get the opportunity to play full time, which may alleviate some of the consistency problems he’s suffered from.

Of interesting note more to the fanatics than the regular internet gambling crowd, Michael Young’s 1,351 games played in the 2000’s is the most by any Rangers player in any decade.

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