Cowboys fans who are following NFL scores may be trying to erase the memory of their season, especially with the New York Giants heading into the NFC title game. But there are plenty going on in the Dallas area to distract them as the Mavericks are trying to navigate their way through the shortened season with a veteran team, the Stars are falling out of the playoff picture and in a stroke of good news, the Texas Rangers finally landed their big-money signing.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks had dropped two in a row ahead of their visit to Utah on Thursday night, and most sportsbook reviews would note that Dallas was probably happy to leave the Staples Center as they fell to the Lakers and Clippers bya combined five points, both coming on late jumpers by a veteran player (Derek Fisher and Chauncey Billups, respectively). That followed home routs over Milwaukee and Sacramento, and the Mavericks will be looking to end this road trip with victories over the Jazz and New Orleans, where they’ll be on Saturday night before returning home for games against Phoenix and Minnesota. You should keep an eye on their team news as Dirk Nowitzki has been trying to play through an ailing knee, and coach Rick Carlisle may have to shut the German down. Imagine New England’s Superbowl odds without Tom Brady; that’s what Dallas’ NBA Finals odds look like without a healthy Nowitzki.
Dallas Stars
The Stars have lost three straight games as they prepare to host Tampa Bay on Friday, and all three games were by a single goal, at home against Colorado and Detroit (shootout), along with a 1-0 loss at St. Louis. They’ve also lost leading scorer Jamie Benn to an emergency appendectomy and that is a definite blow for the Stars, who are sliding down the pecking order among those that use pay head services. The Stars aren’t known for being an offensive juggernaut in the first place, so to lose their leading scorer until the All-Star break really hurts. After Tampa Bay comes to town, the Stars fly to Minnesota for a game the next day, then they have a home-and-home series with Anaheim on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
Texas Rangers
Some Texas fans were shaking their heads when C.J. Wilson left the Rangers to join their rivals in Los Angeles/Anaheim as a free agent, but they are in for an intriguing 2012 as the team signed Japanese hurler Yu Darvish to a six-year deal worth $60 million. The Rangers outbid the likes of Toronto for the right to negotiate with Darvish to the tune of $51 million, but now he has a lot to live up to. Some are comparing him to Detroit ace and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, and that would help Texas’ chances among those that bet on sports next season.
