Dallas Sports Fan – Rangers Finally Lose A Game, Cowboys Hoping To Get Back To Work Soon
July 21, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
MLB betting players have been rolling with the Texas Rangers, who have opened up their lead at the top of the American League West with a recent hot streak. In other Dallas news, the Cowboys will be sitting and waiting to hear if they’ll be able to get back on the field soon.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers had won seven in a row before the All-Star break, and then they picked up right there they left off with a sweep of Seattle on the road, outscoring the anemic Mariners 17-2 over a four-game set. C.J. Wilson bounced back from his All-Star loss with a strong performance against Seattle, and it was even more impressive as he was going up against reigning Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez. Then the Rangers kept it going with a 7-0 win in Anaheim over the Angels, their closest pursuers in the West, before the Angels recovered to snap Texas’ winning streak at 12 with a 9-8 victory. Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler both hit a pair of home runs over the week (both of Kinsler’s homers came against Hernandez), while Michael Young hit .348, and you have to consider the Rangers to be, by far, the sports betting favorites in the West. They still have to finish out their series in Anaheim/Los Angeles on Thursday, before beginning a seven-game homestand as Toronto and Minnesota come to town. The series against Toronto will be on the watch for those who follow MLB highlights and like high-scoring games, as both teams rank in the top five in the major leagues in terms of runs.
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If you’re waiting to make NFL picks, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic as multiple sources are reporting that the two sides will have a deal hashed out in the new few days, possibly sooner. In fact, the owners will be called to vote on a proposal from the players as soon as Thursday afternoon, and the Cowboys have announced that they could open training camp as early as next Thursday. The sooner, the better, for the Cowboys as they have a number of questions to answer, notably in the secondary which was awful last season, and in a division with quarterbacks like New York’s Eli Manning and Philadelphia’s Michael Vick, the need to bolster the back line is huge. Expect the Cowboys to make a big play for cornerback Nmandi Asomugha, who is likely to leave Oakland and test the free-agent market, and signing him would be a major coup for the Cowboys, giving them one of the top two or three corners in the league. That move would certainly boost their sports betting odds for the upcoming season.
Dallas Sports Fan – Rangers Kick Off Second Half, Bryant Tells Cowboys Not To Worry
July 14, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
MLB betting players are getting ready for the second half of the baseball season, and Texas is aiming to carry their momentum from the end of the first half over. Meanwhile, while the NFL is no closer to ending the lockout, that doesn’t mean there aren’t stories coming out of the Cowboys’ camp.
The Rangers swept Baltimore and Oakland at home to wrap up the first half, and then they sent five players to Arizona to play in the All-Star Game. Josh Hamilton started in center field, while Adrian Beltre was promoted to start at third base as New York’s Alex Rodriguez pulled out because of a knee injury. Pitchers Alexi Ogando and C.J. Wilson represented the team, as well as veteran Michael Young, and the Rangers made an impact on the game. Hamilton and Beltre got two of the American League’s six hits, while Young struck out in his lone at-bat. Ogando pitched a perfect 0.2 of an inning, but Wilson allowed three runs on three hits, including a homer to Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder, to take the loss as the American League fell 5-1 at Chase Field. The Rangers know how important of an MLB score the All-Star Game can be, as San Francisco earned homefield advantage in last year’s win, and that was a major factor in their World Series victory over Texas. Meanwhile, the Rangers will resume their season on Thursday with a four-game series in Seattle, and then Texas will head to Los Angeles (technically, Anaheim) for three games, and this is a crucial stretch for the Rangers, who lead the West by a game over the Angels and 7.5 games over the Mariners. If they can manage win five of those seven games, Texas’ BetOnline odds to win the West should improve.
The Cowboys, like everyone else, are still waiting to see if a deal can be worked out, but they were in the news for another reason as former Cowboy Deion Sanders claimed that he was worried about former protégé Dez Bryant, who lost a year of NCAA experience for lying about his interaction with Sanders. Bryant was hampered with injuries in his rookie season, but when he was on the field, he proved to be the most impressive receiver on the roster, but he is being sued for jewelry that he allegedly didn’t pay for, and that is just one of the off-field problems that are following the ridiculously talented 22-year-old. Bryant responded by saying no one needs to worry about him, which sounds about right from a 22-year-old, and the Cowboys have to be really patient with Bryant, who is a game-changer when his head is right. If he can stay out of trouble, a healthy and focused Bryant will be a major factor in the Cowboys’ sports betting odds for this season.
Dallas Sports Fan – Rangers Will Send Four To Phoenix, Stars Aggressive In Free Agency
July 7, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
MLB betting players in Dallas are getting ready for the All-Star break, but first Texas has to get through the final weekend of the first half of the season with the lead in the American League West. In NHL hockey news, the Stars were surprisingly aggressive in the first week of free agency.
The Rangers had a rough weekend last week at home against Florida, dropping two out of three to the National League East club, but they rebounded nicely with a three-game sweep of Baltimore at home, scoring 13 runs in two of the three meetings. Texas now has a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels in the West as they head into a four-game set at the Ballpark against Oakland, and then the Rangers will send four players to the All-Star Game in Phoenix, and those following MLB news will see Josh Hamilton as a starter once again, although he will sit out the Home Run Derby. C.J. Wilson also makes the team, as well as Adrian Beltre and Michael Young, who was supposed to be traded out of Texas ahead of the season. The Rangers will then begin the second half of the campaign in Seattle, who are also still hanging tough in the West despite a perennially anemic offense.
NHL free agency kicked off last Friday on July 1st, and the Stars were busy on both ends. Dallas knew they were resigned to losing Brad Richards as he wanted a long-term deal that the Stars weren’t willing to offer. The New York Rangers then tried to boost their sports betting odds for next season by signing Richards to a nine-year, $58.5 million deal, and that was definitely out of the Stars’ budget. Dallas also lost Aaron Gagnon, but the Stars didn’t sit back and mourn. Michael Ryder, fresh off a Stanley Cup with Boston, signed with the Stars for two years and $7 million, and they’re hoping that he can reignite a spark with Mike Ribiero, who was his linemate in Montreal. The Stars also signed defenseman Sheldon Souray, who had been playing in the AHL last year as Edmonton tried to get rid of his hefty salary, and the Stars are hoping that he can be a power-play quarterback as he still possesses one of the biggest shots in the NHL. Radek Dvorak also decided to come to Dallas as they look to reload after their best player left, and they didn’t do a bad job, especially at a fraction of the cost. However, while the Stars have made some good moves, they probably won’t be a popular play in next year’s sports betting odds.
Dallas Sports Fan – Rangers Take Center Stage, FC Dallas Looks To Gain Fans
June 23, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
With no NFL betting picks to make, players in the Dallas area are looking for other ways to occupy themselves, especially with the NBA and NHL seasons concluded as well. That means the Texas Rangers should be the focus of the summer, but don’t forget about the city’s MLS team that is a legitimate threat to win the league title.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers are off on Thursday, and they’ll take a two-game lead over Seattle into their off-day. Texas bounced back from a five-game skid by winning four of their six games over the last week, taking two of three in Atlanta, and then doing the same at home against state rivals Houston. Nelson Cruz, Josh Hamilton and Mitch Moreland hit two homers each over the week, while Cruz hit .400 as well, while Colby Lewis had a big week, going 1-0 in two starts with a 1.32 ERA. If there was a negative, it’s that closer Neftali Feliz blew his fourth save of the season in a 5-3 loss to the Astros, but the Rangers still have plenty of faith in him. Betting players will likely see the Rangers favored a few times over the next week as they’ll welcome the New York Mets to town on Friday for a three-game series, while the Astros come to the Ballpark on Tuesday for another three-game set.
FC Dallas
While some in the area are looking forward to NHL free agency due to the Brad Richards situation, soccer betting should get some attention as FC Dallas is following out their trip to the MLS Cup finals last season, which ended in an extra-time loss to Colorado, by getting off to a good start in the 2011 campaign. FC Dallas trails Los Angeles by six points in the Western Conference, and they’re coming off a 2-1 win at Chivas USA, thanks to goals by Jackson and Brek Shea, who has now scored in two straight matches and is tied for sixth in MLS in scoring with five tallies. Dallas returns home on Saturday to take on Portland at Pizza Hut Park, and they are out to avenge a 3-2 loss in the northwest region back on April 17th in which FCD scored two late goals, but their furious comeback rally came up just short. Dallas is favored at -180 while Portland comes in at +475, and given Portland’s struggles on the road (no wins in six games), Dallas should come away with the win as they try and close the gap on the Galaxy. While you’re browsing your sportsbook on Saturday, it wouldn’t hurt to back Dallas in your online betting picks.
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 Prepare For Playoffs, Stars Come Up Short, Rangers Lose MVP
April 15, 2011 by Guest Contributor · 1 Comment
Even those who are betting online for Kentucky Derby odds can respect how things are going for the three Dallas-area sports teams who are in action…well, at least two of them. The Mavericks are preparing for the Derby equivalent of the NBA season, or better yet, the Belmont Stakes as the playoffs are a grueling marathon. The Stars came up limp down the stretch and someone had to pay for it, and the Rangers suffered a big injury to their leading thoroughbred.
The Mavericks turned things around from a four-game skid to a four-game winning streak to end the regular season, beating the Clippers, Phoenix, at Houston in overtime, and a blowout at home over New Orleans in the finale to take the third spot in the Western Conference. The Mavericks will now face Portland in the first round of the playoffs, and the two have split four meetings during the regular season, with the home team winning each time, which bodes well for the Mavericks. Dallas has to slow down LaMarcus Aldridge, who averaged 27.8 points against the Mavericks. However, Dallas should still be considered sizable favorites to move onto the second round. Game 1 goes on Saturday night at American Airlines Center.
The Stars made one final push for the last spot in the NHL playoffs out West, winning four in a row at Anaheim, at home against Columbus and Colorado, and then they went to Colorado and won to set up a meeting with Minnesota, who were well out of the playoff picture. Chicago had lost to Detroit earlier in the day, and the Stars only had to win in Minnesota to punch their postseason ticket. But the Wild conjured up the spirit of the old North Stars and dropped Dallas 5-3 to send them packing, and Coach Marc Crawford was handed his pink slip as the Stars have now missed the playoffs in three straight seasons, two under Crawford, so now the hunt for a new leader in Dallas begins.
The Rangers have continued to light up the MLB early-season slate, winning two of three in Baltimore, then they dropped two of three in Detroit against the Tigers, losing both of their games by a single run. But that’s not the biggest story as reigning American League MVP Josh Hamilton is out for 6-8 weeks with a broken arm that he suffered while sliding into home plate as he was sent home by third-base coach Davey Anderson on a pop-up, a move Hamilton called “stupid”. Hamilton has since apologized to Anderson for his remarks, and now the Rangers will set out upon filling the void left by their slugger. This week’s schedule will see the Rangers in New York for an ALCS rematch against the Yankees, then they return home for a series against their AL West rivals from Los Angeles, so it’s a big week for their sports betting odds.
Mavs, Stars Going In Different Directions; Rangers Likely To Lose Young
February 11, 2011 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
College basketball betting players won’t find many options in the Dallas area, but there is plenty of news surrounding Dallas sports teams, featuring a streaking basketball team, a slumping hockey squad, and a veteran that is likely leaving the baseball team.
The Mavericks are rolling ahead of their NBA showdown in Denver on Thursday night, taking a 10-game winning streak into the Pepsi Center. Half of those wins have come by five points or less, and three have been by double digits, so the Mavericks are proving that they can win in any type of fashion. The Mavericks have some tough games heading into their last week before the All-Star break, beginning with the trip to Denver, followed by a visit to Houston on Saturday. The Mavericks will be off until Wednesday, when they host Sacramento, then they’ll make their second straight appearance in the nightcap of the TNT doubleheader when they head to Phoenix to face former Maverick Steve Nash and the Suns on Thursday night.
The Stars haven’t fared so well since coming back from the All-Star break, dropping four in a row and they’ve been outscored 16-7. With the NHL trade deadline coming up, it’ll be interesting to see if the Stars, who are now tied with San Jose atop the Pacific Division, will make any moves to strengthen their squad for a playoff run. Therefore, this is a crucial week coming up for the Stars, who will host Chicago on Friday night before Columbus comes to town on Saturday. Next week, the Stars will start a tour of Western Canada when they travel to Calgary on Tuesday, then they’ll be in Edmonton on Wednesday.
The Rangers are having quite the offseason, taking a chance on former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, who has four innings under his belt form his final two years in Arizona. Then, they began to work on a new deal for American League MVP Josh Hamilton, which is a good look. But they were rocked by the news that veteran Michael Young wants to be traded because the team wants him to become a designated hitter/utility player after Texas acquired Adrian Beltre to play third base. Young, who is 34 and has $48 million left on the last three years of his deal, has a no-trade clause, with the exception of eight teams: Colorado, both Los Angeles teams, the New York Yankees, Minnesota, San Diego, Houston and St. Louis. But Philadelphia has apparently reached out to Young as well, and they just picked up Cliff Lee, who played with Young in Texas. The Rangers seem resigned to losing Young, one of their leaders and one who has been in Texas since his career started in 2000, and that could definitely shake up their online sports betting odds.
Texas Rangers Playoff Preview: 2010 ALDS Schedule
October 4, 2010 by Matt Lawrence · 1 Comment
The Texas Rangers are in the playoffs! Let me repeat that the Texas Rangers are in the playoffs!
The Rangers will face the Rays in a best of 5 game series. At the beginning of the season it looked like the negativity surrounding the team might keep this team from having a 2010 playoff schedule. There was the Ownership situation, the Ron Washington’s debacle, and Josh Hamilton’s night on the town waiting to take the team down. However the Rangers were able to put all that behind them and overcome a host of injuries during the season and make it to the 2010 ALDS. Could this be the year that our beloved Rangers can wipe out some of these awful post season records the franchise currently owns:
Current Rangers Playoff Records
- Only team in the MLB that hasn’t won a playoff series.
- 1 of 3 current that have never appeared in a World Series.
- Oldest franchise in MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA that has never appeared in a league championship.
Currently the Rangers do have a few injuries heading into their 2010 playoff schedule. Josh Hamilton has been out with a small fracture to his ribs, will return tonight to test them out. David Murphy who has filled in admirably for Josh Hamilton, but suffered a mild groin strain, however if these two can get healthy enough the team has a chance to do some big things this post season.
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With Hamilton sidelined, Rangers’ offense struggles
September 26, 2010 by AdamCrouch · Leave a Comment
Without All-Star Josh Hamilton in the lineup, the Rangers have stumbled to a 2-5 start on their current West coast road trip. On full display Thursday were the Rangers offensive struggles in a 5-0 loss at Oakland, in which Dallas Braden (10-13) and Brad Ziegler limited Texas to 1 hit in a dominating shutout. Though Cliff Lee wasn’t spectacular, surrendering 4 ER over 5 innings, the Rangers once again failed to do anything productive at the plate.
Since leaving Arlington, the Rangers offense has produced only 14 runs over their past 7 games. In their previous 7 games in Arlington, all of which were wins, Texas scored a grand total of 51 runs, or 7.3 runs/game. Their offensive struggles can’t be pinned on 1 individual, as Ian Kinsler (4 for 26), Michael Young (4 for 29), Vladimir Guerrero (6 for 28) and Nelson Cruz (6 for 24) have all been dreadful. If not for the Rangers pitching staff, which has a respectable 2.80 ERA on the current trip, things could be much worse for the club. In a span of 5 days, the Rangers once untouchable 10 game lead has withered to 7 games with 10 remaining.
With Josh Hamilton targeting the final 3 games of the season for his return, the current Rangers lineup will have to improve upon their poor production. If the Rangers can salvage a 4 game split this weekend, the team can relax knowing they have clinched their first AL West crown since 1999. A sweep at the hand of the Athletics would surely make things interesting as Texas returns home for a 7 game home stand against the Mariners and Angels.
With Tommy Hunter (12-4) on the hill Friday, the Rangers can put themselves in position to seal the division this weekend with a win. Stay tuned.
Dallas Round-Up: Cowboys Panicking, Rangers Heading Towards Playoffs
September 23, 2010 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Dallas Round-Up – Cowboys Panicking, Rangers Heading Towards Playoffs
Horse betting players are always skeptical of a slow-starting thoroughbred, but even they would be surprised by the Dallas Cowboys limping out of the gate to start the NFL season. The Cowboys face a must-win this weekend in Houston, while the Texas Rangers are slowly getting ready to go to the postseason for the first time since 1999.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys fell 27-20 at home to Chicago, committing three turnovers that all came at untimely junctures. Dallas is riddled with problems, particularly with the offense. Coordinator Jason Garrett is coming under fire for poor play-calling, and he can’t figure out a way to get the ground game going. This is a shame as the Cowboys have Marion Barber, Tashard Choice and Felix Jones, yet Tony Romo leads the league with 98 pass attempts in two games. The Cowboys have to find a balance or else teams are just going to start picking off the aerial attack. Also, it’s only a matter of time before online football betting players see Dez Bryant starting over Roy Williams. He’s been far more productive, and he ran back a punt for a score against the Bears, while Williams fumbled in the fourth quarter to rob the Cowboys of a chance to score. This week, the Cowboys face unbeaten Houston, who are 2.5-point NFL betting favorites and are soaring with confidence. The Cowboys have a bye next week, and if they lose, the firestorm will really pick up by those who make NFL picks.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers have a magic number of four to clinch their spot in the playoffs heading into Thursday’s opener of a four-game set against Oakland on the road. The Rangers dropped two of three in Seattle and Los Angeles last week, but their big mission is to avoid any more injuries. Nelson Cruz had a pair of homers and four RBIs over the week to lead the Rangers, will host Seattle in a three-game set after the Oakland series. But even NFL football betting players know how tough injuries can be, and the Rangers are waiting on the status of slugger Josh Hamilton, who has a couple of fractured ribs. He hopes to be back for the final series of the season, a four-game set in Los Angeles which starts next Thursday, but that may be the Rangers and Hamilton being very optimistic. Hamilton was a Triple Crown threat and one of the favorites to win the American League MVP award. Without him, the Rangers definitely are missing their most explosive player, even though they still have a powerful lineup. Without Hamilton in the lineup, the Rangers’ betting odds will take a fall.
