Cowboys Corner | Odds – Lines – Sports Betting Insight
October 2, 2009 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
COWBOY CORNER – WEEK 4
Sportsbook bettors and emotional Cowboy fans can step off the ledge now. The Cowboys did their new stadium right Monday night, scuffling at times but still grinding out a win over Carolina. Before the season started, most of us would’ve pegged Dallas’ Week 4 matchup as a gimmie; now, with Denver’s defense flourishing and Dallas’ offense hit-miss, America’s Team has a real challenge on its hands.
Week 4
DALLAS COWBOYS @ DENVER BRONCOS
Sunday, October 4, 4:15 p.m. ET
Favorite: Cowboys -3
Cowboys offense vs Broncos defense
The Cowboys won’t have the cakewalk everyone thought they’d have when the season started. Somehow, some way, the Denver Broncos lead the NFL in defense across the board, allowing an absurd 5.3 points, 78.3 rushing yards and 136.3 passing yards per game. That said, the Broncos have faced two absolutely pathetic offenses in their first three games. Who couldn’t amass prolific defensive numbers after facing the Browns and Raiders in consecutive weeks?
The better measuring stick as we study NFL Week 4 matchups is to review Denver’s game against Cincinnati, who at least has a competent offense. The Broncos allow 214 yards per game on the year but allowed 307 to Cincinnati. Cedric Benson, Carson Palmer and company didn’t set the world on fire but they moved the ball.
My prediction: expect something similar to last week for Dallas’ offense. The Cowboys should have more success on the ground than in the air. Felix Jones is out with a tweaked knee but Dallas is still set at tailback with Marion Barber, Tashard Choice or both of them getting the rock. Barber’s quad could make him a game-time decision. Since the Broncos are rushing the passer well, leading the NFL with 10 sacks, they could fluster Romo into another mediocre performance. Since Romo isn’t on the same page with Roy Williams right now, he’ll probably hand off more than he’d like.
Cowboys defense vs Broncos offense
The Broncos offense has been decent enough; Correll Buckhalter has been a nice surprise in the running game and rookie Knowshon Moreno is coming on. Kyle Orton has done good job protecting the football but target=”_blank”>betting services project a different result this week. The Cowboys’ defensive effort against Carolina was very encouraging, as they sacked Jake Delhomme three times and picked him off twice. Look for them to blitz Kyle Orton and force him to make mistakes. DaMarcus Ware should have his long overdue breakout game and pick up a couple of sacks.
It helps to have Terrence Newman back healthy. He helped hold Steve Smith to 38 receiving yards last week and took a Delhomme interception to the house. He and the rest of the Dallas secondary should contain Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall, both of whom haven’t woken up yet this season.
Outlook
The Cowboys have no easy task playing on the road in the thin air against undefeated Denver. However, we have to take the Broncos’ success with a grain of salt due to their easy schedule. Look for the Cowboys to win on the road, cover the three-point spread as NFL picks and take Denver down a notch.
Texas Rangers Report – September 29 2009
September 30, 2009 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
THE RANGERS REPORT – September 29
As the Texas Rangers’ sportsbook hopes to make the World Series die out, so does the Rangers Report for 2009. This week marks the final installment until next spring. Don’t worry; we’ll still keep tabs on the Rangers’ offseason in our Dallas Sports Roundup starting next week. For now, let’s catch up with Texas in detail one more time.
Current record: 85-71
AL West rank: 2
World Series odds: 5,000 to 1
THE LINEUP
Spending most of September without Josh Hamilton and Michael Young really hurt the Rangers and is perhaps the primary reason why they’re one loss or Red Sox win away from being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Josh Hamilton returned over the weekend to drive in five runs in two games but re-aggravated the pinched nerve in his back and is no sure bet to play again this season. Michael Young returned from a hamstring injury and gingerly banged out two hits on Monday night.
A bright spot: Marlon Byrd. He hit .320 with three homers and 11 RBI last week to earn AL Player of the Week Honors and quietly leads the Rangers with 89 RBI.
THE ROTATION
To say the wheels have fallen off for Tommy Hunter may be an understatement. The surprising rookie has struggled mightily over the last month and a half, seeing his ERA rise from 2.26 to 4.10 over his last 10 starts as teams face him for the second or third time. Thanks to solid run support, he’s 3-2 this month, but he has a 6.55 ERA during that span.
Fellow rookie and blue chipper Derek Holland continues to scuffle; he’s allowed 13 homers in his last 10 starts.
THE BULLPEN
As could be expected for any rookie, Neftali Feliz’s luster is wearing off late in the season. His velocity has dipped form 100 MPH to approximately 95, though pitching coach Mike Maddux doesn’t see any mechanical flaw or change that can explain the decline.
A week ago, we were discussing Frank Francisco’s job security in the closer role going forward. It seemed safe then but I’m betting management will have a tough time shaking Sunday’s four-run blown save out of its mind for the time being.
OVERALL OUTLOOK
The Rangers are almost in coast mode, as they would need to win out and see Boston lose out to make the playoffs. That means they’ll start looking to 2010 – and with great optimism. If Texas can add a veteran arm in the rotation and bullpen to spell the youngsters next season, it could seriously contend among other top MLB picks.
COWBOY CORNER – WEEK 3 vs Panthers – Odds and Lines
September 24, 2009 by Guest Contributor · 1 Comment
The Cowboys’ NFL odds are up in the air a bit after Eli Manning’s heroics stole the first game at Cowboys Stadium in front of 100,000-plus fans. Tony Romo had “one of those games,” throwing three interceptions as Dallas fell to 1-1. This week, the pressure is on again in Monday Night Football, but the sports picks expert prognosis is much more positive for America’s Team against a mentally wounded Carolina squad.
Week 3 – CAROLINA PANTHERS @ DALLAS COWBOYS
Monday, September 28, 8:35 p.m. ET
Favorite: Cowboys -8.5
Cowboys offense vs Panthers defense
Whoever starts at halfback for the Cowboys will lick his chops right through to Monday’s kickoff. The Panthers’ run defense is porous, allowing 168 yards per game so far this season. Backs of all shapes and sizes – from Brian Westbrook to Michael Turner – have gashed Carolina. Even if Marion Barber can’t play, Tashard Choice excelled against elite run defenses late last season, so he’s more than ready to dominate. Same goes for Felix Jones, who has a good chance of hitting a home run Monday night.
Romo should also have a much easier time Monday, as the Panthers’ pass rush has been kitten-like, recording just two sacks in two games. Julius Peppers has drawn major criticism for his poor play. Romo should have time to spread the ball out to Jason Witten, Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton.
Texas Rangers Report – September 8 2009
September 9, 2009 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
The Rangers’ World Series odds make them one of the longest shots, but if they can just make it to the playoffs, they could cause some problems. Ahead of a doubleheader against Cleveland on Tuesday, the Rangers trailed Boston by 2.5 games in the American League wild-card race, and the Angels by five games in the West.
Current record: 76-60
AL West rank: 2
AL wildcard rank: 2
Odds to win World Series: roughly 45/1
THE LINEUP
Nelson Cruz continued his hot streak by going 10-of-27 over the week with three homers and eight RBIs, while Josh Hamilton wasn’t far behind with a pair of homers with four RBIs, hitting .357 in four games. Many wonder what the Rangers’ season would be like if Hamilton had been healthy all season, but there is still time for him to make waves. Elvis Andrus scored seven runs over the last week, the most of any Ranger.
THE ROTATION
Scott Feldman has to be one of the biggest surprises of the season, and he’s giving the Rangers a chance for an online betting win every time he heads to the mound. Feldman allowed a run on four hits over 6.2 innings of a 5-1 victory in Baltimore for his sixth win in seven starts. More impressively, of those six wins, five have come away from home. Dustin Nippert was moved back to the bullpen in place of Brandon McCarthy, who made a victorious return to the lineup by beating Toronto after missing three months with a shoulder injury.
THE BULLPEN
Frank Francisco had a very good week, going 3-for-3 in save attempts this week, while C.J. Wilson held Toronto twice. The addition of Nippert to the bullpen makes the Rangers deeper, and it also helps as Wilson has been awful on the road in 2009.
OVERALL OUTLOOK
Offshore sportsbook players aren’t putting much faith in the Rangers, but they have a favorable week coming up. After a four-game set in Cleveland, the Rangers host Seattle and Oakland starting on Friday. September is ticking down, so every win counts. A good week could start to persuade those who make MLB picks that the Rangers are worth a shot.
The Rangers Report – June 16
June 16, 2009 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Anyone who follows MLB odds or the sport in general knows that no truly great team succeeds without finding a way to overcome adversity. Well, the Texas Rangers sure are being put to the test now. The injuries are piling up, a key superstar is slumping and, don’t look now, but the Los Angeles Angels are charging. What’s next for the Rangers?
Season record: 35-27
AL West rank: 1
Odds to win World Series: 12 ½ to 1
THE LINEUP
When you look at the bandbox ballpark and the glossy overall stats – only the Yankees have more homers in the American League – the Rangers’ offense still looks formidable. But the truth is that it’s in a serious slide. As a team, Texas is hitting just .201 in its last eight games, scoring just 21 runs in that period. A major reason for the slide is the massive decline of Ian Kinsler. He set the world on fire in April but suddenly finds himself with the 10th-best batting average and 11th-best on-base percentage in the AL. He needs to find himself for Texas to keep its division lead – especially since the Rangers won’t see Josh Hamilton (abdominal surgery) for at least another month.
THE ROTATION
Even as the Rangers’ World Series hopes slide as quickly as Roger Federer’s Wimbledon odds skyrocket, Kevin Millwood is a lone ray of light in Arlington. The crafty vet has tossed 14.2 scoreless innings over his last two starts – both wins – and has allowed more than four runs just once all season. Unfortunately, the good news ends with Millwood for Texas. Brandon McCarthy landed on the DL for the fourth time as a Ranger with a stress fracture in his right shoulder. It’s a concerning injury because he suffered the same malady two years ago.
