Dallas Sport Fan – Mavs Snap Out Of It, Stars On Thin Ice, Romo Tees It Up With Tiger, Rangers Tie Up Important Players

Dallas Sport Fan – Mavs Snap Out Of It, Stars On Thin Ice, Romo Tees It Up With Tiger, Rangers Tie Up Important Players

If you write a soccer blog in Dallas, the MLS season hasn’t started yet, so fans of FC Dallas still have some time to focus on the other teams in the area. The defending champion Mavericks are rounding into form, the Stars are trying to stay within shouting distance of the playoffs, the Rangers are still improving their team, while the Cowboys’ quarterback is making news off the field this week, but in a good way.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks lost two of their three games last week, falling to Indiana and at Cleveland, but they snapped a three-game skid with a victory in Denver on Wednesday night, and a Bodog review of Dallas’ early season would state that they’ve done pretty well in the face of injuries, and they still don’t have Jason Kidd back, although he could be back on the weekend as the Denver game was the sixth that he’d missed. This week coming, the Mavericks head to Minnesota on Friday night before returning home to host Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Nuggets.

Dallas Stars

Dallas has picked themselves up after a five-game skid last month, but players that purchase bookie software should still be skeptical of their playoff chances despite being only two points out of eighth place. The Stars were thumped in San Jose last Thursday before they bounced back for a shootout win in Minnesota, but then they were handled at home by Phoenix and the Stars are now struggling to find consistency down for the stretch run. This week’s slate sees the Stars going to Columbus and Buffalo for back-to-back games, then they host Los Angeles before travelling to Detroit to wrap up a busy week.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are still looking at ways to improve their status among those that work with price per head sports services, but it is a long offseason and the players are unwinding. Quarterback Tony Romo loves to play golf and he is pretty good, almost qualifying for the U.S. Open in recent years, and he will be paired up with Tiger Woods at the star-studded AT&T Pebble Beach National at venerable Pebble Beach. Woods is resuming his chase for the all-time major-championship record, and he has had high praise for Romo’s golf game as well, so this will get a lot of attention over the weekend.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers are tying up some of their players after the Yu Darvish signing, as they agreed with Elvis Andrus on a three-year, $14.4 million deal and they’re working on re-signing Nelson Cruz, whose big bat was a major factor in their postseason run which ended in a second consecutive loss in the World Series. The Rangers are going to be in tough in the West as the Los Angeles Angels reloaded  with Albert Pujols and former Texas ace C.J. Wilson, so you may even be able to find some value on their World Series odds at places like Bodog.

Dallas Sports Fan – Rangers Move Closer, Cowboys Rest Up, Stars

MLB fans in the Dallas area must be ecstatic with the Texas Rangers right now, and this series may not even make it back to the Lone Star State, but they’ll have to go through the probable Cy Young winner to make that happen. In football news, the Cowboys are well-rested after a bye, but they have a massive test waiting for them, while the Stars drop the puck on the NHL season.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have rolled to a 3-1 lead in the ALCS against Detroit, and after a subpar ALDS, Texas’ big guns are coming around and a good sportsbook review would tell you that the Rangers need to score in order to move on. Nelson Cruz has been the star of the show and he put the Rangers on his back in a pair of 11^th-inning wins. First in Texas for Game 2, Cruz hit the first walk-off grand slam in postseason history in a 7-3 victory, and then in Game 4 in Detroit, Cruz threw out the Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera in the eighth inning to keep the score at 3-3, and then he hit a three-run dinger in the 11^th to power the Rangers to another 7-3 win. On Thursday, the Rangers will try to defeat Detroit ace Justin Verlander for the second time in the series, and if they can do that, it’s back to the World Series for the second year in a row.

Dallas Cowboys

Price per head sports fans aren’t giving the Cowboys much of a chance as they come off a bye to head to New England, coming in as 7-point underdogs. But Dallas has received a bit of good news as receivers Miles Austin (hamstring) and Dez Bryant (quad) practiced fully and will be close to 100% in what should be a high-scoring affair. However, the key will be a secondary that was lit up by Detroit two weeks ago; can they hold off a New England offense that is the top-ranked unit in the league? Pay head players should definitely consider the over in this contest as both secondaries struggle; it should be a fantasy player’s dream, as well.

Dallas Stars

The Stars have won two of their first three games to kick off the 2011-12 NHL campaign, and they split a home-and-home with Chicago on Friday and Saturday, taking the first game at home by a score of 2-1, and then falling 5-2 in the Windy City the next night. On Monday, the Stars claimed a 2-1 shootout win at home over Phoenix and then they’ll be at home to St. Louis on Thursday. Dallas ends this week with another home-and-home against Columbus, at home on Saturday and on the road in Tuesday, and a quick start would do a lot to foster some faith among sports betting sites.

Dallas Sports Fan – Rangers Take Center Stage, FC Dallas Looks To Gain Fans

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 17^th 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

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.

Dallas Mavericks

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.

Texas Rangers

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 Round-Up – Mavs Prepare For Playoffs, Stars Still Hanging On, Rangers Off To Hot Start

Kentucky Derby betting will be big in Texas, but it’s not for a month, and there is a lot to deal with leading up to the “Run For The Roses”, specifically in Dallas where the Mavericks are trying to hold onto the third spot in the West, while the Stars are just trying to reach the postseason. The Rangers are proving that their American League pennant was no fluke last year, and they’re ready to defend their title.

Dallas Mavericks

Those watching NBA scores have seen the Mavericks start to slide at the wrong time of year as they’ve lost four in a row ahead of their Friday night meeting with the Clippers, falling on the road to the Lakers, in Golden State and in Portland, and then they lost at home to Denver. The Mavericks are a game ahead of Oklahoma City for the third spot in the West, but they have to get their game together because they only have four games left in the regular season, beginning with their Friday game against the Clippers. On Sunday, Phoenix comes to town, then the Mavericks visit Houston the next night. Finally, Dallas ends the regular season at home against New Orleans.

Dallas Stars

The Stars were blanked 6-0 in San Jose last Thursday, and then went on to lose in Los Angeles before ending their West Coast swing with a win in Anaheim. Dallas returned home to beat Columbus and are now four points behind Chicago for the final playoff spot in the West, and you don’t need a 5dimes review to tell you that the Stars have their work cut out for them because they need the Blackhawks to drop points, and then they need to take advantage of their last three games, a home-and-home against Colorado, then the Stars finish the season in Minnesota. It’s possible, but a lot of things need to bounce Dallas’ way for the postseason to happen.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers got off to a great start in 2011 with their six-game homestand by sweeping Boston and Seattle at the Ballpark, belting 13 homers, and four of those were by Nelson Cruz. The Red Sox is a big feather in their cap as many people are picking Boston to win the American League and the World Series, and even though it’s only early in the season, it has to be a boost to the Rangers’ confidence. Now, the Rangers will head out on the road beginning on Friday for a three-game set in Baltimore, where the Orioles are also off to a good start, and then Texas is in Detroit for three games. Be sure to check out their odds at your favorite sports betting sites.

Dallas Round-Up: Cowboys Panicking, Rangers Heading Towards Playoffs

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.

Dallas Round-Up – Rangers Catching Fire

World Cup betting players in Dallas should have been happy to see Clint Dempsey, a Texas native, score the goal that gave the Americans a 1-1 draw against England in their first match.  Outside of the World Cup, it’s been quiet in Dallas as the Cowboys, Mavericks and Stars are all getting ready for next season, which leaves the entire floor to the Rangers, who are showing that their quest for the American League West crown is no joke.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have had a big week in interleague action, taking two of three in Milwaukee, and they were going for the sweep of Florida on the road on Thursday night.  Josh Hamilton has had a wild seven days, hitting .500 on 24 at-bats with four dingers and nine RBIs, and the Texas slugger is now tied for fourth in the American League with 16 homers.  Michael Young had a typically solid week, hitting .346 with a homer and four RBIs, but more importantly, Young set the Rangers’ all-time record for hits on Wednesday night against the Marlins.  Young now has 1,748 career hits, and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight for the 33-year-old third baseman.  The Rangers may be a little worried because Ian Kinsler said that the ankle injury that kept him out of the Opening Day lineup isn’t fully healed yet.  To a USA World Cup betting player, this would be like Dempsey operating at half-speed for the national team.  Also on the injury front, the Rangers would love to have Nelson Cruz back in the lineup.

Everyone knows that the Rangers’ MLB betting odds will depend on how their pitching holds up, and it’s still doing pretty well two months into the season.  However, injuries could play a big role in this portion of the season, and the Rangers may have to decide if they’re going to go after a pitcher before the deadline (Seattle’s Cliff Lee and Houston’s Roy Oswalt are the big targets this year).  Rookie Tommy Hunter won his first major-league start, but left three innings into his next outing with an ailing hip.  Rich Harden is also on the disabled list again with a strained glute, and he’ll be out for at least three weeks, but he was struggling before he got hurt anyway, so the Rangers will probably let him work on some things in the minors before he comes back.  Neftali Feliz was 2-for-2 in save opportunities last week, and it appears as though the Rangers’ pitching is as good as it’s ever been.  Still, Nolan Ryan would love to get another starter in there, so we would lay a sports bet on Texas making contact with either Lee or Oswalt at some point.

Random thoughts on the Home Run Derby

Some leftover thoughts from last night’s Home Run Derby (no Pujols gushing here!)

• First things first – Congrats to Nelson Cruz for putting on quite a show – hitting a home run to the highest deck in left field takes talent, which Nelson Cruz has in bunches. He couldn’t get past Prince Fielder, but hopefully Nelson earned himself a permanent starting spot in Ron Washington’s lineup for the rest of the year. Also, if you take a look here, Josh Hamilton has a brilliant idea for the Rangers lineup that Ron should immediately put into action.
• Was it just me or was last night’s broadcast profoundly boring? I’m not so sure it was the players – they seemed to be having a good time (although definitely trying too hard), but the broadcasters just seemed to be either gushing about Pujols or trying to figure out who was actually at the plate. I kept expecting them to ask each other during Nelson’s at-bat, “Who’s this Cruz guy?” Heck, even Fielder didn’t even get that much pub. I guess ESPN just wasn’t excited by a Home Run Derby with no Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox or Yankees.
• Although, just for the sake of argument, could you really blame them? This field wasn’t exactly the kind of field we had ten years ago. The only two real home run hitters in the competition were Fielder and Howard. Pujols is not a home run hitter. He’s one of the best hitters ever, but I don’t think his swing is made for this kind of competition. Mauer? Inge? Not home run hitters at all. Adrian Gonzalez is closer to Pujols, plus he’s been in a horrible home run slump – only two since June 2. Pena is pretty much a home run hitter, so there were three, but Pena was gone after the first round.
• But back to the broadcast – why did ESPN need to spend all that money on that Ball Tracker thing? Was that really necessary? In any stratosphere?
• Maybe I was just spoiled by Josh’s performance last year. But even then, I thought the year before that in San Francisco was way more exciting than this. Maybe if ESPN could have afforded to take a second desk out to the game…
• And is Joe Morgan really the best guy to be announcing a Home Run Derby? I’m not going to knock Joe’s announcing abilities, but he’s not really the guy that gets all that excited about home runs – it seems he would be a better fit for a skills competition. Don’t get me started on Steve Phillips…
• I cannot express how much I love the celebrity softball game. There is nothing better than watching James Denton dive for a ball for the 700th time and needling Rick Sutcliffe during the game. For pure and simple entertainment, there is absolutely no way you can beat the softball game. I need more softball, especially if creepy old man Bobby Knight is involved in some way. Did he really have to bat? I mean, the guy can barely walk. I can understand just playing him at first base, but batting? Come on.
• More softball: you have to love a game where a member of the Backstreet Boys, Nelly and Billy Bob Thornton are prominently involved.
• Two requests – WHERE IS DENNIS HAYSBERT? He needs to be involved in every one of these games, totally in character as Pedro Cerrano. Tell me you wouldn’t love seeing him take the headcover off the bat. And finally – Can I play?

Nelson Cruz Photo: http://dominicanoshoy.com/uploads/pics/Nelson_Cruz_02.jpg