NFL Playoff Predictions

For the first time in a while, the NFL playoff field seems wide open. There’s a case to be made for all 12 teams to make and win the Super Bowl, but of course, only one can. Here, we’ll be making our predictions for each individual game and who will be the champion of Super Bowl 53.

Wild Card Weekend

Milligan’s Pick: #6 Indianapolis Colts at #3 Houston Texans

They split their first two meetings of the season, each road team winning. Two elite quarterbacks match up and both their play will be the deciding factor. Houston’s offensive line struggles against the Colts front seven in the game, but Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins connect multiple times on the final drive and for the game winning touchdown with seconds left on the clock.

Winner: #3 Houston Texans

 

Ron’s Pick: Texans vs. Colts

The Colts are hot and might be the most dangerous team in football right now. They’ve won 9 of their last 10, including a 24-21 win in Houston week 14. The Texans are talented, but something about this matchup feels heavily tilted in favor of Andrew Luck.

Winner- Indianapolis Colts

Milligan’s Pick: #5 Los Angeles Chargers at #4 Baltimore Ravens

Their second meeting in the last three weeks between the two and this time the Chargers will come out on top. The Chargers will have the benefit of playing and knowing what the Ravens will want to do on offense this time around and they will be more than prepared. The Chargers have also been very good on the road this season and Phillip Rivers leads them to victory.

Winner: Los Angeles Chargers

 

Ron’s Pick: Ravens vs. Chargers

The Ravens dominated the Chargers in Los Angeles in week 16, winning 22-10 in what was probably LA’s worst performance of the year. Now, Philip Rivers must travel east and play them again, this time in Baltimore. However, the Chargers roster is just too compelling to turn down, and I believe they sneak out of Baltimore with the victory. This will be by far the Chargers hardest match-up to win, and if they do, they could go far.

Winner- Los Angeles Chargers

 

Milligan’s Pick: #6 Philadelphia Eagles at #3 Chicago Bears

Nick Foles has been everything and more for this Eagles team. He has been their savior, but time will run out. Going to Chicago to face the NFL’s best defense is a big task to ask him and a task I cannot see him drafting. Chicago is playing very well right now and then cruise to victory in this one.

Winner: Chicago Bears

 

Ron’s Pick: Bears vs. Eagles

The Bears did the Eagles a solid by allowing the Eagles to make the playoffs after they pummeled the Vikings in week 17, but now they have to play Nick Foles and this dangerous Eagles team. This could be the best game of wild card weekend, and it’ll all come down to how much pressure the Bears can put on Nick Foles and vice versa for the Eagles on Mitch Trubisky.

Winner- Philadelphia Eagles

Milligan’s Pick: #5 Seattle Seahawks at #4 Dallas Cowboys

Two teams that match up very well and evenly with each other. This game could go either teams way and I would not be surprised. Playing away from Seattle though is a big deal for the Seahawks, however Russell Wilson has proven he can win anywhere. Ezekiel Elliott is the difference maker and  has a huge game and Dallas wins a close, hard fought game.

Winner: Dallas Cowboys

 

Ron’s Pick: Cowboys vs. Seahawks

Russell Wilson will travel to Dallas to take on Dak Prescott. Prescott has made the playoffs once before in his young career, where he lost to Aaron Rodgers at home. This Seahawks team is far more complete than that Packers team, but this Cowboys team is also better than before. However, at the end of the day, this game should come down to the quarterback.

Winner- Seattle Seahawks

 

Divisional Round

Milligan’s Pick: #5 Los Angeles Chargers at #1 Kansas City Chiefs

The rubber match between the two will be an all time classic. Both teams can score at will, but one defense is far superior than the other. Playing at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City will benefit the Chiefs but the superior defense of the Chargers will make a big time play and pull out the upset.

Winner: Los Angeles Chargers

 

Milligan’s Pick: #3 Houston Texans at #2 New England Patriots

Bill Belichick gets two full weeks to prepare for this matchup and he uses them wisely. Tom Brady has not played up to his standards towards the end of this season and has heard much noise surrounding him and his football team. He puts all those words to sleep after a dominating performance against the Texans at home.

Winner: New England Patriots

 

Ron’s Pick: Patriots vs. Chargers

This, in my opinion, will be the best game of this round. The Patriots are definitely not as good as they were last year, but they are still 8-0 at home this season. In the matchup of Brady vs. Rivers, home field advantage might be what it comes down to. However, Rivers has already won some tough road games this year, and if Melvin Gordon is fully healthy, there’s no telling how far this team could go.

Winner- Los Angeles Chargers

Ron’s Pick: Chiefs vs. Colts

The Colts, should they get this far, will have won 10 out of 11, but this Chiefs team is by far the most prolific offense they saw in that stretch. Mahomes simply has too many weapons for the Colts to stop, even if this team has looked different since the loss of Kareem Hunt.

Winner- Kansas City Chiefs

Milligan’s Pick: #3 Chicago Bears at #2 Los Angeles Rams

A rematch of a great Sunday night football game, which the Bears won. This game will favor the Rams however because of where they are playing. This matchup will be in sunny California and not Chicago where the weather visibly affected Jared Goff and the Rams. Regardless this Bear’s defense is very good and their running game is one of the league’s best as well. The Rams will have a difficult time moving the ball against the Bear’s defense and Chicago’s running game will be unstoppable.

Winner: Chicago Bears

Milligan’s Pick: #4 Dallas Cowboys at #1 New Orleans Saints

The revenge game for the Saints and they don’t want their opportunity to get some revenge. Drew Brees at home in January is hard to pick against. Their defense, while overlooked at times, is playing well and will focus on stopping Zeke, causing Dak Prescott to win the Cowboys the game and he cannot. The Saints open it up late and cruise into the NFC Championship game.

Winner: New Orleans Saints

 

Ron’s Pick: Saints vs. Eagles

This was supposed to be last year’s NFC Championship game, had a certain Minneapolis Miracle not happened. However, things are a bit different this year, and this is likely where Nick Foles’ magic will come to an end. The Saints played the Eagles in New Orleans in week 11, where they won 48-7. It’ll be closer this time around, but the Saints should take this one fairly easily.

Winner- New Orleans Saints

Ron’s Pick: Rams vs. Seahawks

This matchup has already happened twice this season, and both times, the Rams won it in a close battle. With Todd Gurley getting four full weeks of rest before this game, there’s no reason to suspect a different result. The Rams are dangerous when Gurley’s at full strength.

Winner- Los Angeles Rams

 

Championship Round

Milligan’s Pick: #5 Los Angeles Chargers at #2 New England Patriots

The Patriots will avoid having to play an away game this postseason and that will pay dividends for them. Tom Brady will ride his hot hand and momentum against a very good Charger defense and will have a vintage Tom Brady postseason performance. Phillip Rivers plays very well as well, but it just isn’t enough against the AFC powerhouse, Patriots.

Winner: New England Patriots

Ron’s Pick: Chiefs vs. Chargers

Another division rivalry, the Chiefs and Chargers split their two meetings this season. Somehow, the Chiefs defense has still not become a good unit, so the Chargers should have a field day. The question will be whether or not Mahomes can do enough to keep pace with Rivers. This will certainly be a shootout, and I believe it will be one that leads Philip Rivers to his first Super Bowl.

Winner- Los Angeles Chargers

 

Milligan’s Pick: #3 Chicago Bears at #1 New Orleans Saints

A great matchup with two teams with completely different strengths, something has to give. The Saints’ offense is one of the best in the leagues, while the Bears have the league’s’ best defense. This game is a coin flip, I really don’t know whose strength will prevail. For now, I will stick will my preseason pick to make and win the Super Bowl.

Winner: New Orleans Saints

 

Ron’s Pick: Saints vs. Rams

A rematch of the week 9 shootout that saw the Saints defeat the Rams 45-35, Gurley, Donald, and Rams will be back in New Orleans for revenge. New Orleans has been a tough place to play for years, but the Rams seem to have hit a stride. If the defense can just make a couple big plays, there’s no reason why the Rams shouldn’t win this game.

Winner- Los Angeles Rams

Super Bowl

Milligan’s pick: #2 New England Patriots vs. #1 New Orleans Saints

A Tom Brady, Drew Brees Super Bowl will be a treat. I expect the game to be very similar as to the Super Bowl a season ago, where Nick Foles lead the Eagles over Tom Brady and the Patriots. Both teams will have no trouble putting up points, but the lack of game changers on offense for the Patriots, besides Tom Brady, compared to the supporting case on offense for the Saints will be a big factor. The Saints also have the better defense overall and Drew Brees will outduel Tom Brady for his second career Super Bowl victory.

Winner: New Orleans Saints

Ron’s Pick: Rams vs. Chargers

The all-LA Super Bowl is something that would’ve been an impossible concept just two years ago and laughable last year. However, now it seems like a likelihood. Both of these teams are stacked on offense and defense. And while both teams will need to win some road games to make this happen, both teams are more than ready for the task. This will be a close game all the way through, but only one team has a Hall-of-Famer under center, and that will propel the Chargers to their first ever Super Bowl win.

Winner- Los Angeles Chargers

 

  

 

 

Super Bowl Contenders and Pretenders

Through 15 weeks, the NFL season has been everything but predictable. Patrick Mahomes is lighting up the league and is gunning for his first career MVP in his first season as a starter. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers have been a mess all season long and will finish the season with a losing record. The defending Super Bowl champions, Philadelphia Eagles, are treading on thin ice and are looking like they will miss the playoffs unless a miracle happens. Fresh off an AFC championship game appearance, the Jaguars are once again looking at a top 5 pick in the draft. And the Atlanta Falcons, a Super Bowl favorite entering the year, have never been over .500 this season. All in all the NFL is a hard league to predict, but with only 2 weeks remaining and some teams already clinching playoff spots, we should have a good idea of what teams can compete for a Super Bowl and what teams cannot.

 

Super Bowl Contenders

AFC

Kansas City Chiefs (11-3, Clinched Playoff Berth)

The Chiefs lost a heartbreaker this week, falling to their AFC West rivals, Los Angeles Chargers at home. They surrendered a 2 point conversion with 4 seconds left in the game and now have the same record with the Chargers with just 2 games to play.

The big story surrounding this team for the past couple weeks has been the lost of their star running back, Kareem Hunt. Hunt was released by the team after a video of him kicking and pushing a female surfaced. Since the release, the Chiefs’ offense has not been the same. Replacing a superstar like Hunt is a hard thing to do and the Chiefs miss his production.

Patrick Mahomes has been the Chiefs’ MVP and arguably the league’s’ MVP all season long. He has taken the league by storm and many teams have yet to find an answer for him. The Chiefs will be relying on him heavily in the postseason. Tyree Hill and Travis Kelce are his go to weapons and what weapons to have your first year as the starter. The Chiefs will score quick and often. The AFC playoffs will be played through Arrowhead Stadium if the Chiefs take care of business the final two weeks of the season and that is no easy place to play in January.

Los Angeles Chargers (11-3, Clinched Playoff Berth)

The Chargers should be feeling very, very good with their huge win over division rivals, Chiefs in Arrowhead on Thursday night. With the win they now have the same record as the Chiefs and one slip up from them, they could be getting home field advantage in the playoffs, even though they play in a soccer stadium. The Chargers resume is an impressive one. They have comeback wins against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Seahawks in Seattle, and the Chiefs in Kansas City. They have proven they can win anywhere in so many different ways. They also beat the Titans in London this year.

Phillip Rivers has proven he is capable of taking this team to the Super Bowl and winning it. He has been excellent all season long, throwing for 3,951 yards with 31 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions. Melvin Gordon, even while missing the past three games, is having the best season of his career so far and their receiving core is deep and proven, lead by Keenan Allen. Throughout the entire season the Chargers have proven they can play anyway with any team, anywhere. They are a real threat in the AFC and have a ton of momentum after their huge win against the Chiefs.

NFC

New Orleans Saints (12-2, Clinched Division)

 The Drew Brees show has been on full effect this season. The 39 year old quarterback has been the staple to this team all season long. He is a MVP canidate and rightly so. Outside of Drew Brees, the offense has no lack of superstars. Their running back combination of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram is tops in football and they have one of the best receivers in Michael Thomas in football.

A year ago, they missed out on a trip to the NFC championship game as a result of the Minneapolis Miracle. Since then, they have won 12 of their last 14 games and are in position to have home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, where they are 5-1 for the season and the only lost coming in week one against the Tampa bay Buccaneers. As of now, they are the favorites in the NFC.

Chicago Bears (10-4, Clinched Division)

Is this 1985 or 2018? On Sunday, the Bears beat their rivals, the Green Bay Packers, and clinched the NFC North for the first time since 2010. The 2018 Bears play very similar to the way the 1985 Chicago Bears did, great defense and a great running attack. Their running back attack consists of Jordan Howard, their tough, physical back and Tarik Cohen, their quick, shifty passing catching back. The combination and strengths of the two compliment each other greatly and always keeps the opposing defense off balanced.

The addition of Khalil Mack has paid off big time to this Bear’s defense. Their defense has allowed the fewest points in the NFC and 3rd fewest in the NFL. They also allow the 3rd fewest yards per game in the NFL and create takeaways at a very high rate. First year head coach, Matt Nagey, has been this years Sean McVay with his creative offensive play calling. Also with the Rams loss on Sunday, the Bears are gunning for a first round bye but will be playing at least one game at Soldier Field, where they are 7-1 this year.

Super Bowl Pretenders

AFC

Houston Texans (10-4)

After starting the season 0-3, the Texans reeled off 9 straight victories until getting beat by the Colts in week 14. While they have had great success this season and played excellent during their 9 game winning streak, which include big victories over the Colts, Cowboys, and Broncos in Denver, the last two weeks have been shaky. However, with New England’s loss this weekend the Texans moved into second place in the AFC playoff seeding.

DeShaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins lead their offense but pass them it is thin. They did acquire DeMaryius Thomas from the Broncos, but he is not the difference maker he once was. Their offensive line and lack of running game at times is what separates them from contenders to pretenders for me. Their defensive is good enough to keep them in games, but they will be challenged big time in the playoffs and will be overmatched at times, especially when they are on the road.  

 

New England Patriots (9-5)

This was the hardest one for me. The New England Patriots are always looked at as the favorite to come out of the AFC when the season and playoffs start, but this season just seems different. They lost a huge game this weekend against the Steelers and was one of their five road loses this season and with the loss pushes them to the 3rd seed in the AFC. In Foxboro and Gillette Stadium in the playoffs, Tom Brady and the Patriots are nearly impossible to beat, but this season they will not have that advantage. Their 3-5 record of the road this season worries me come playoff time for them.

Their offensive line played very poorly this past Sunday and their receivers and especially Rob Gronkowski are not creating enough separation from the opposing secondary. Gronk was a no factor for most of the game and their defense has holes that can be exposed. Usually December is the time the Patriots play their best football and this season that is not the case.

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5-1)

Sunday was a step in the right direction for the Steelers. They won their biggest game of the season and stayed in first place in the AFC North. The Steelers are a scary team come playoff time but also the hardest team to predict because you just don’t know what team you are getting each week. One week, you can get the team that can’t beat the Raiders and then the next they come out and beat the Patriots. Their next match up is one that concerns me, the Saints in New Orleans. If they play well and are competitive all game long they become contenders, if even they do not win necessarily. If they play poorly, they stay pretenders. For now, they are pretenders considering how inconsistent they can be.

 

NFC

Los Angeles Rams (11-3, Clinched Division)

Entering the season, the Rams were the easy Super Bowl favorite. Their roster is filled with household names but names itself does not win you football games. Their defense has been the biggest surprise of their season. It hasn’t lived up to the hype whatsoever. They are allowing the 20th most points and yards per game this season. Aaron Donald is a defensive monster and requires a double team almost every play, but overall their defense has been very poor most of the season.

Their main concern entering the postseason is young quarterback, Jared Goff. After starting the year playing very well and having his name in the MVP discussions for a couple weeks, he has tailed off. Over his last 3 games he has thrown 7 interceptions and just 1 touchdown. More teams are focusing more and more on stopping Todd Gurley and they have been doing so successfully and this is forcing Goff to do more on offense and he has yet to show he is capable. They are a very talented team, but they have holes that can be exposed.

 

Dallas Cowboys (8-6)

NFC East leaders, Dallas Cowboys, have been a very balanced team all season, but they were everything but balanced on Sunday against the Colts. They were shutout and gave up 23 points to an Andrew Luck lead offense. The Cowboys were once a team not many could figure out and the same could be said now, but there is one thing we know: they can’t win a superbowl this season, but they are getting closer. The inconsistent quarterback play of Dak Prescott is not a receipt for success. Their defense is young and hungry, but too inexperienced come playoff time. I cannot see them reeling off three or four wins against very good playoffs team this year, but this season was a step in the right direction.  

    

 

 

 

 

   

   

Best and Worst Moves of the MLB offseason so far and Predictions for the rest of the Offseason

The MLB offseason is a marathon, not a sprint as we have seen first hand from this slow start and last year’s record slow pace. The winter meetings have officially concluded and yet again they were not as noteable as many expected or would have liked to seen. With that being said, there is still much to happen until spring training begins early February. So far, there have been interesting deals and signings, some steals and some head scratchers. I will examine my favorite and least favorite deals so far and some deals that have yet to surface, but with time will eventually get done.  

Best Trade: Paul Goldschmidt traded to the St. Louis Cardinals

The best player to switch teams this offseason so far has been Paul Goldschmidt. An allstar in each of the last 6 seasons and 4 top 6 finishes in the MVP voting, Goldschmidt is a premier defender at first base as well. The Cardinals have missed out of the playoffs the past 3 seasons, the first time since 1997-1999 seasons. The Cardinals are accustomed to winning and acquiring Goldschmidt enhances their chances of winning.

While Goldschmidt is only under contact for one more season, instant winning and success could be a huge difference maker in his decision next offseason. The move itself for the Diamondbacks is not a horrible move as they do bring back major league ready players, Carson Kelly and Luke Weaver. The NL Central has become much more competitive with the addition of Goldschmidt to it. The Cardinals along with the Cubs and Brewers all have realistic shots at winning the division next season.

Best Free Agent Signing: Jeurys Familia to the New York Mets

Not the biggest signing this offseason so far, but it is the best. Patrick Corbin signed with the Washington Nationals for 6 years earlier in the postseason, adding to their starting pitching strength and basically eliminating them from resigning Bryce Harper, which is why it is not my best signing so far, but Familia to the Mets is. A reunion for the Mets and Familia is here after they agreed upon a 3 year 30 million deal.

Familia enjoyed 6 and half seasons with the Mets before they traded him to the Oakland A’s at the trade deadline last season. 2016, Familia lead baseball in saves with 51 and was an allstar. This time around in Queens, Familia will be the setup man for newly acquired closer, Edwin Diaz. The Mets have been all in so far this postseason and adding Familia gives them a great one-two punch at the back end of their bullpen.

 

Worst Free Agent Signing: Andrew McCutchen to the Philadelphia Phillies

Phillies general manager, Matt Klentak, said before the offseason the Phillies were ready to spend and maybe be a little stupid about it and that is exactly what they did. They signed McCutchen to a 3 year deal worth 50 million dollars. While McCutchen is a big upgrade over their previous outfield options, he is past his prime and overpaid. The contact is back loaded for McCutchen. He will be earning 10 million in 2019, 17 million in 2020, and 20 million in 2021, with a 3 million dollar buyout for the 2022 season. While I do really like the fit with McCutchen and Philadelphia, the numbers do not justify the production he will bring them the next 3 seasons. While he is a great veteran and leader in the clubhouse, something the Phillies could use, he is past his prime.

Best Under the Radar Signing: Josh Donaldson to the Atlanta Braves

The defending National league east champions and former MVP winner, Josh Donaldson, have agreed upon a one year 23 million dollar deal early in the offseason. After a lost season last year in 2018, Donaldson was aggressive this offseason and signed a one year “prove it” deal. He is essentially betting on himself that he will have a great bounceback season after a forgotten 2018 season. When healthy, Donaldson is one of the top hitters in baseball and he has said he is entering spring training feeling great.

As for the Braves in this situation, the signing is excellent. The Braves surprised many last year, winning the East and challenged the Dodgers in the NLDS last year. They are looking to improve upon a great season and Donaldson’s presence and leadership will help the “baby Braves” grow up. He becomes a great bat behind Freddie Freeman and can still play great defense at third base.

Best Under the Radar Trade: James Paxton to the New York Yankees

The Big Maple is one of the best nicknames in the baseball and the Big Maple is packing his bags for the The Big Apple. Another early transaction in the offseason was the New York Yankees acquiring James Paxton from the Seattle Mariners. Paxton, who pitched to a 3.76 era and 11 wins, also threw his first career no hitter in Canada, his birthplace. With Jordan Montgomery missing the beginning of the 2019 season with injury, James Paxton steps in and I believe he will have great success in New York.

 

Predictions for Big Name Free Agents and Trades

J.T. Realmuto Trade Market

No name was discussed more during the Winter Meetings than J.T. Realmuto. It’s now not if he’ll be tradered but when he’ll be traded. Many teams, up to 7, have contacted the Marlins about Realmuto and the Mets seem to be most engaged at the moment. Realmuto trade situation is holding up the market on the free agent catchers, so a deal may be done very soon.

Prediction: Mets

Madison Bumgarner Trade Market

The Giant’s staple to their 3 championships in 5 season was none other than Madison Bumgarner. He has proven to be a winner and a guy you want to give the baseball in the biggest game of your season, which makes him an interesting trade candidate. While it is very difficult to picture Bumgarner not wearing a Giants uniform because he has meant so much to their franchise, it is possible he is traded  before spring training. Talks have died down a bit, but with a long offseason ahead they could resurface very soon.

Prediction: Stays with Giants

Dallas Keuchel’s Market

Keuchels name was brought up a couple times during the Winter Meetings and some teams have been linked to him. The Reds are a team that have shown interest in Keuchel since the beginning. With the top tier starters, Patrick Corbin, Charlie Morton already signing deals we could see Keuchels’ market start getting more and more active. The Phillies and Braves are other teams to have been linked to Keuchel and the Angels are a dark horse team that could emerge in the Dallas Keuchel talks.

Prediction: Reds

Manny Machado’s Market

Machado has been linked to 4 teams this offseason, the Yankees, Phillies, White Sox, and the 4th team is still unknown. Each team could use Machado, but only the select few will pay the price. The Yankees have a hole at shortstop with Didi Gregorius out at least half the 2019 season and are always ready to spend money. The Phillies are ready to spend and need an impact bat in their lineup, and the White Sox need a franchise player. All three make sense, but the Phillies need him the most.

Prediction: Phillies

Bryce Harper’s Market

While I actually believe Harper is a better fit in Philly than Machado is, reports have shown that the Phillies prefer Machado or Harper. The Yankees have also shown they are out, for now, on the Bryce Harper sweepstakes. The White Sox are in on Harper, just like Machado and the Cubs have also been linked to Harper, mostly because Harper’s childhood best friend Kris Bryant would love to be reunited with him. However, there has been one team that makes the most sese and is ready to pay the 300 million dollar price tag.

Prediction: Dodgers

 

  

 

Top MLB Free Agent Landing Spots

With the conclusion of the MLB season and the qualifying offer deadline behind us, we can know start looking at the top free agents and landing spots that make sense to them and the ballclub. While last year’s offseason was relatively slow, J. D. martinez did not sign until late February, this year is expected to be more active at the beginning. Now to my top 7 most intriguing and talented free agents and their potential and best landing spots.

Bryce Harper

Harper has the biggest market out of anyone in this class and rightfully so, he is the best name on the market. At age 26, not many players enter free agency this young and accomplished. Through 7 seasons, Harper has a Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player award under his belt. Harper can be a very streaky hitter at times but finished 2018 strong.

On the other side of things, Harper has reached the playoffs 4 different times and has yet to win a postseason series. While this may not worry teams, it should be something known and taken into consideration before offering the 300 and up million dollar contact Harper is said to get. Many teams would love to have Bryce Harper added to their ballclub, but there are only a few that have room and the money for the superstar.

Potential Fits: Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals

Best Fit: St. Louis Cardinals

Manny Machado

While Machado is the superstar Bryce Harper is, his market does not seem as big as Harpers does. A shortstop or third baseman? Machado has made it known he wants to be a shortstop, but many believe he is better suited at third base. His postseason with the Los Angeles Dodgers also give teams room for hesitation. He showed a lack of hustle and acknowledged it with saying he is not a fan of hustling. A couple dirty plays on the basepaths as well and Manny’s market is a hard one to judge.

Regardless of the extra baggage that comes with Machado, his play on the field is top tier. He is an excellent defender at third base and improving at short. His offense is what interests teams though. His market isn’t the biggest right now but with a long offseason ahead his market could surely grow.

Potential Fits: Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox

Best Fit: Philadelphia Phillies

 

Patrick Corbin

Arguably the best starting pitcher available this offseason, Patrick Corbin, will be persuaded by many teams. The big question with Corbin is, how much money should he make? This could very well turn into a bidding war and well we know how that could end.

Corbin had a very nice season last year with the Diamondbacks, posting a 3.15 era with 11 wins in 200 innings. He is not an ace but a very solid 2 or 3. He will be a huge add for whatever team he signs to and has been a good pitcher for the past few seasons.

Potential Fits: New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels

Best Fit: New York Yankees  

Dallas Keuchel

After an absolutely dominating 2015 season for Keuchel which resulted in a 2.48 era and a league high 20 wins and 232 innings and most importantly a Cy Young award, Keuchel has regressed a bit, but he is still a solid middle to top of the rotation type of guy. He was often times the forgotten member of the dominating Astros staff this past season. Keuchel lead the Astros and the league in game started with 34 and posted a very respectable 3.74 era and 12 wins.

Keuchel isn’t a hard throwing, strikeout type of pitcher. He locates very well and relies on his very good changeup to keep hitters off balance. Because of this he does not get the attention he deserves sometimes. He will be a great addition to any team’s starting rotation.

Potential Fits: Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies

Best Fit: Milwaukee Brewers

Craig Kimbrel

Craig Kimbrel has enjoyed 3 successful seasons in Boston and may be looking to move on now. Kimbrel broke into the league in 2010 as a 22 year old and in his first full big league season in 2011 he earned Rookie of the Year and lead the league in saves. The next three seasons he lead the league in saves as well. Kimbrel has never posted an era above 3.40 in a season and has been one of the best closers in baseball since 2011.

Kimbrel started his big league career with the Atlanta Braves and a reunion could be in the mix. Kimbrel started the postseason this year shaky, but after fixing his pitch tipping he finished very strong and was a big key to their World Series victory.

Potential Fits: Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals

Best Fit: Atlanta Braves

Josh Donaldson

Donaldson is arguably the most intriguing name on the market. Injuries ruined his 2018 season and has made people forget how good he once was. He won the MVP award with the Blue Jays in 2015 and followed it up with a very good season in 2016. 2017 was a shortened season for Donaldson, but still a very productive one and 2018 was a lost year. Entering his age 33 season, teams may be cautious to give him a 3 or 4 year deal given his injury history.

A mid-season trade to the Indians this year, Donaldson elevated his stock a little bit after having a fairly good last month of the season. With so many teams hesitant to take a shot at the former MVP, a team could get a steal with Donalson. He may be a player that sits and waits to signs until the new year, but if healthy he can very well still be a difference maker in the middle of someone’s batting order.

Potential Fits: Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins

Best Fit: St. Louis Cardinals

Nathan Evolvodi

Evolvodi raised his stock the most out of any player this postseason. What he did for the Red Sox in the postseason was nothing less than spectacular. He has proven that he can used in many different ways. Evolvodi posses a triple digit fastball that plays as a starter and as a reliever. Many teams are even exploring the option of signing Evolvodi as their closer. Regardless, Evolvodi is a workhouse and isn’t afraid of any moment and will make any team better in any role they use him.

Potential Fits: Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers

Best Fit: Boston Red Sox

 

 

NFL Midseason Awards

The NFL is through 9 weeks and, with a few exceptions, everything has gone about expected. The Rams are a wagon, the Patriots are still phenomenal, and the Super Bowl champions are dealing with the standard hangover. Through 9 weeks, though, several players are making a case for individual accolades, so now we will be giving you our predictions as to who we think should win the awards when the season ends.

Ron’s Comeback Player of the Year- JJ Watt, DE, Houston Texans

JJ Watt has had a remarkable career, yet injuries have completely derailed the last two seasons of his career. So going into this year, the question was simple: did JJ Watt still have it? Turns out, he does. He’s on pace for one of his best years yet. Through 9 games, he has 9 sacks, good enough for third in the NFL, and has 11 tackles for loss. He’s not likely to be an All-Pro player this year, but he’s having the type of season that warrants this award.

Milligan’s Comeback player of the Year, Andrew Luck, OB, Indianapolis Colts

The forgotten quarterback in all of football. Andrew Luck is back after missing all of last season and has been a top five quarterback so far. His offensive line is finally protecting him and his running game is relevant for the first time in his career and he is playing great because of it.

 

Ron’s Defensive Rookie of the Year- Derwin James, S, Los Angeles Chargers

He’s not the obvious pick, but any safety with a pick, 4 sacks, and 55 tackles in his first NFL season deserves some recognition. This guy can play, and he’s been a part of a Chargers defense that has been both excellent and depleted by injuries. When everyone can be healthy for this Chargers team, look out.

Milligan’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, Derwin James, S, Los Angeles Chargers

The steal of the 2018 draft, Derwin James has been a factor on the back end of the defense, as well as in blitzing packages. With the absence of all-pro defensive end, Joey Bosa, the Chargers have had to get creative with getting pressure to the quarterback and James has been that man. Through their first four games, James had 3 sacks. His speed when playing as the deep safety has been great as well. He’s been one of the best players on a loaded Chargers roster.

Ron’s Offensive Rookie of the Year- Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

Saquon Barkley was easily the most talented player of this draft class, and he’s proven that to be true so far, and he’s done it rather easily on a horrible Giants team. Through 8 games, he’s averaging 126 yards per game from scrimmage with 7 TD’s on the year. There should be no doubt who the future of the Giants is in the hands of.

Milligan’s Offensive Rookie of the Year: Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

The second overall pick in the 2018 draft has lived up to the hype. While the New York Giants as a team are a mess, their running game is in good hands for a while. Saquon Barkley on the season has 519 rushing yards, 497 yards receiving and 7 total touchdowns. Barkley has been a bright spot for a Giants team that sits at the bottom of the NFC standings.

Ron’s Coach of the Year- Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

There’s pretty much no reason that Sean McVay shouldn’t win coach of the year every year for the next decade. He’s simply a genius, and everything he’s touched so far has turned to gold. Jared Goff looks like an MVP candidate, the same could be said of Todd Gurley. Everything about this team screams Super Bowl, and McVay seems ready to take that leap.

Milligan’s Coach of the Year, Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints

The only man to beat Sean Mcvay and the Rams so far this season and McVay may be his biggest competition for the award. After an ugly week one loss to Ryan Fitzmagic, the Saints have won 8 straight and the hottest team in football. Payton and Brees have always been great together and this might be their best year to date. Payton will need to work some more magic with their new signing, Dez Bryant and get him to tone it down to his standards and buy in. If Payton can do that and the Saints finish strong it’s Payton award to lose.  

 

Ron’s Offensive Player of the Year- Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Most would have Mahomes inked in at MVP, but I have different feelings about that award. There’s no doubt, though, that Patrick Mahomes is an absolute stud. He’s well beyond his years in terms of intelligence and skill, and with the way the Chiefs offense is looking, a Super Bowl is very well in the cards.

Milligan’s Offensive Player of the Year: Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams

After a breakout season in year three, when Gurley produced 2,093 yards and 19 total touchdowns he is off to a better start to this season than last. Nine games into this year, Gurley has lead the league in rushing with 868 yards. He has also racked up 362 yards in the air and a total of 16 touchdowns already. If he keeps up the pace, he can challenge LaDainian Tomlinson single season touchdown record of 31.

 

Ron’s Defensive Player of the Year- Aaron Donald, DE, Los Angeles Rams

Yes, the Rams are a big part of my awards. But for good reason, they’re good at literally every position. And that starts and ends with Aaron Donald. He is so wildly talented that he somehow might be underpaid at 6 years, $135 million. There’s nothing this man can’t do, and there’s nothing this Rams team can’t do, either.

Milligan’s Defensive Player of the Year: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans

After a injury shortened season last year, J.J. Watt looks back to his regular self halfway through the 2018 season. He leads football with 4 forced fumbles and is third in sacks with nine. After an 0-3 start to the season for the Texans, they have won six straight games and taken over first place in the AFC South and Watt has played a huge role in their winning streak.

Ron’s Most Valuable Player- Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams

The last time a running back won MVP, it was 2012, and Adrian Peterson dominated the NFL with 2300 total yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns. Well, it’s 2018, and Todd Gurley is on pace for 2200 yards from scrimmage and a whopping 29 touchdowns. The apparent need to give this award to a QB might stop Gurley from getting the award, but no one deserves it more than him. If I had a vote, there’s no doubt Gurley would be receiving it.

Milligan’s Most Valuable Player: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Many names are intriguing here, Drew Brees, Todd Gurley, even Cam Newton but none have been better than first year starter Patrick Mahomes. He has lead the Chiefs to a NFL best 8-1 record. Through nine games, Mahomes leads all quarterbacks in passing yards, touchdowns, and QBR, the three top stats for quarterbacks. Mahomes has been everything and more this season and defenses are still trying to figure out how to stop the second year player out of Texas Tech. Mahomes has been the best player on one of the best teams in football so far.

 

2018 World Series Preview and Prediction

The Fall Classic is back. After falling short just a year ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers are back, their opponent this season: the 108 win Boston Red Sox. 16 wins separate the clubs regular season records, but that is no indication of how close their rosters are to each other. Both teams have a frontline ace pitcher, a super closer, deep and balanced lineups so will it be the Red Sox winning their 4th championship since 2004 or will the Dodgers win their first championship in 30 years?

Boston Red Sox X Factors

A two headed monster anchors the Boston lineup. That would be MVP frontrunner, Mookie Betts and another MVP candidate, J.D. Martinez. Martinez has had the better postseason than Betts so far, but Betts has heated up of late. He has also played gold glove defense in right field as he did all season long. The Red Sox lineup is deep and lethal, but they will need their two big bats, Betts and Martinez, to play like MVP’s in the series.

The health of all star and Cy Young candidate, Chris Sale, is extremely important to the Red Sox. He was hospitalized in the ALCS for stomach pain, but he said that it is behind him and he is ready to go. The more important injury is the one that sidelined him for a month in early August. He returned a month later in September but only pitched 12 innings before the postseason began. In the postseason he has allowed 4 runs in 10.1 innings, so the injury looks to be behind him, but it is something to keep in mind if his velocity is down.  

David Price put all his postseason struggles behind him with 6 shoutout innings in game 5 of the ALCS. Price pitched his team to the World Series and earned his first career postseason win. The game 5 performance is such a confidence booster for Price and the Red Sox. Alex Cora now has much more confidence in his veteran lefty and can allow him a much longer leash. If Price can throw the ball the way he did in game 5 against the Astros, the series may be decided just on that.

Boston Red Sox Reasons to Worry

Their bullpen is the weaker of the two and Craig Kimbel has struggled this postseason. However it was released after the series with Houston Kimbel was tipping his pitches and he said he has made the appropriate adjustments. Their middle relief still looms a weak spot to their roster. Alex Cora has done a good job matching up his bullpen so far this postseason and will need to continue to do so. The length their starters give them is vastly important for them as well, so they can limit the number of outs their middle relievers have to get before getting the ball to Kimbel.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers X Factors

Clayton Kershaw is the biggest x factor of the series. The world cannot seem to figure out if he is a good or bad postseason pitcher. He has has both so far this postseason. However, I’m leaning more towards good. A down regular season to his standards and a couple injuries limited him to only 161.1 innings, meaning he is in good shape entering the World Series. He must be the Kershaw we have known to love if you’re a Dodger fan or hate if you’re any other fan. He is the anchor and ace of the Dodgers starting staff and he must pitch like it.

Dave Robert’s lineups are anything but predictable. He has his right handed heavy lineup he rolls out to face the lefies and Los Angeles will face lefies in game one and two. He also has his lineup that hits righties better, which includes, Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger, and Yasiel Puig. Playing games 1 and 2 and possibly games 6 and 7 in Boston, Roberts will be able to use a DH. Putting a good lineup card each game will be crucial so his bench will not be emptied come the 6th or 7th inning.

 

Dodger’s Reasons to Worry

The Dodger’s inability to string together hits should be a major concern for them. Their batting average with runners in scoring position in the NLDS was .176 and .196 in the NLCS. Their lineup is very homerun dependent. In game 7, while they did score 5 runs, it only came off of two swings of the bat. A 2 run homerun and 3 run homerun. Game 6, the Dodgers scored 2 runs with one coming from David Freese leadoff home run. While their lineup has many stars in it, they have yet to produce with RISP. Against elite pitching the Red Sox will deploy the homerun dependent Dodgers may struggle scoring runs.

Prediction

The Dodgers have yet to face an opponent as strong as the Red Sox this postseason. It’s hard seeing this Dodger team, who needed a game 163 to win the division, stopping the best team in baseball all season long. While the Dodgers are the National League’s best and rightly so, the American League’s best is just so far and ahead of the rest. They needed only 5 games and won all 3 road games to take down the reigning champion, Houston Astros, an arguably better team than the Dodgers. The Red Sox lineup has far too much firepower for the Dodgers staff to keep them in check for 7 games.

Prediction: Boston Red Sox in 6

  

 

 

  

5 Bold Predictions for the NBA Season

As we near towards the start of another NBA season, the layout feels all too familiar. The Golden State Warriors should again dominate the West and head to their fifth straight NBA finals. Meanwhile, in the East, LeBron James’s departure means the Celtics have basically been handed the keys to the conference. Only a Kawhi Leonard Raptors team and a 76ers squad that the Celtics bounced in 5 last year could stand in their way. To make it more interesting, we’ve decided to focus on bold takes that could shake up the NBA season. Here’s our list of 5 bold predictions for the NBA this year:

Ron’s #1-The New Orleans Pelicans Will Miss the Playoffs, Leading to an Anthony Davis Trade Request

Yes, this is a multi-layered prediction that could very easily fall apart, but the losses of DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo and their replacements of Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton could hurt this team much more than they think. This team could very easily become the Pelicans of a couple of years ago and wildly disappoint, leading to an Anthony Davis trade request with the help of his new agent, Rich Paul (LeBron’s agent).

Milligan’s #1-Russell Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo will captain the all star teams this year.

Last season was the first year of the new all star game format. It is no longer eastern conference veres the western conference. Captains are voted by the fans, one player from the east and one from the west. Last year, LeBron James and Stephen Curry captained the teams and captains cannot be chosen in back to back seasons. This year Russel Westbrook from the west and Giannis Antetokounmpo from the east will captain the teams. Both fan favorites and both players with exciting games will get the most votes for their respective conferences and captain the all star teams.

Ron’s #2-Jimmy Butler Stays in Minnesota Until February, and the Timberwolves Will Still Be Under .500

The Jimmy Butler trade request has been the biggest story leading up to the NBA season. But the stubborn mind of Tom Thibodeau would rather force Butler to stay than trade him now. Well, he’ll convince Butler to stay, and Minnesota will be horrible, leading to a massively underpriced Butler deal at the deadline that the Wolves will be forced to take.

Milligan’s #2-Houston Rockets will end the season with a better record than the Golden State Warriors for the second straight season.

After outpacing the Warriors by 7 games last season, the Houston Rockets will once again own home court advantage come the playoffs. Last season’s MVP, James Harden, is fueled by their heartbreaking Western Conference Finals game 7 lost to the Warriors last season. He will have another great season, while Chris Paul will continue to be their defensive staple and assist machine. Free agent, Carmelo Anthony will join a team that plays exactly to his strengths. He will enjoy a bounceback season. The Warriors on the other hand showed signs of regression last season and Steve Kerr said after their Finals victory that the season was the most challenging of his coaching career. Even with the addition of DeMarcus Cousins, he will not be backed until after Christmas, the Warriors will have a much tougher season than many expect them to have.

 

Ron’s #3-Kevin Knox Easily Wins Rookie of the Year

Okay, so the 9th pick in the draft winning rookie of the year isn’t extremely bold, but with the talents of Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic, it feels bold enough. Knox made a huge impression at Summer League and the uncertainty regarding Kristaps Porzingis’s return will lead Knox to be the Knicks go-to guy.

Milligan’s #3-LeBron James will set his career high in assists per game in his first season with the Lakers.

LeBron’s first season in Los Angeles will be an eventful and exciting one. The King will also set a new career high in assists per game. Last season, LeBron averaged 9.1 assists per game, which marked his career high. Coming over from Cleveland, where the roster around James was not very strong, to Los Angeles, where the roster is much stronger, James’ passing game will flourish. In the preseason, NBA GM surveys LeBron was voted the best passer in the game and I can’t say I disagree. Over the year, LeBron will only develop more and more chemistry with his new team and by season’s end LeBron will be dishing out almost 10 assists per game.

 

Ron’s #4-This Will Be Kevin Durant’s Final Year with The Golden State Warriors

Why would anyone want to leave possibly the greatest roster in NBA history? Well, Kevin Durant has proven that his free agency decisions are an enigma. The Lakers and Knicks will be heavy suitors for Durant, and while it remains to be seen which one he’s more enticed by, one of those two teams will have a good enough pitch to pry him away from the likely champions.

Milligan’s #4-A new face will win MVP this season.

Coming into the NBA the MVP favorite for the last 8+ seasons has been LeBron James. This season is no different, He is the favorite, but for another season he will not win it. James Harden will also not go back to back for the award. Golden State teammates, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant will also not win it. For the third straight season, a new face will win the MVP award. After another breakout season last year for Giannis Antetokounmpo, he looks poised to take home the award. Following the departures of DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo, Anthony Davis looks ready for another big season. A couple dark horses for the award include Kyrie Irving, Joel Embiid, and Kawhi Leonard.

 

Ron’s #5-The Los Angeles Lakers Surpass the Houston Rockets as the West’s Second-Best Team and Brandon Ingram Will Be an All-Star

Yes, they’re young. Yes, they have many personalities. Yes, they need time to build chemistry. Yes, LeBron has never played in the west. None of that matters. What matters is this: LeBron James is the NBA’s best player, by far. Throw in some excellent distributors, give Brandon Ingram his first All-Star nod, and watch Carmelo Anthony ruin Houston’s chemistry. LA will be the two seed.

Milligan’s #5-The Indiana Pacers will reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

After a breakthrough season last year, the Pacers will make the next step in their franchise development. Let’s not forget just how close the Pacers were to knocking off LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round last season. Up 3 games to 2 the pacers were that close, but they could not finish the deal. A year later with more experience and chemistry the Pacers have the talent and coaching to shock some people this season and make a deep postseason run.

 

 

ALCS Preview: #1 Boston Red Sox veres #2 Houston Astros

An ALCS matchup between 108 and 103 win teams is set. The Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros square off against each other for the second straight postseason, this time in the Championship Series. Houston beat the Red Sox last year 3 games to 1 in the American League Divisional Series on way to their first World Series Championship in franchise history. This series between the two teams will produce a World Series team, so will it be back to back AL Pennant for the Astros or will the Boston Red Sox return to the World Series for the first time since 2013?

Keys to Victory for the Boston Red Sox

First year manager, Alex Cora has done a fantastic job with this Boston team. They lead the league in wins with 108 and were by far the team ahead of the rest all season long. He deserves a lot of credit and his managing will be critical in this series. Cora doesn’t have a set lineup every night. He plays the matchups very good and gets his deep bench into the lineup. In game 3 of the ALDS, series tied up one game to one, Cora went to Brock Holt over Ian Kinsler at second base and it paid off. Holt hit for the first cycle in MLB postseason history and was not even in the lineup the next day. Ian Kinsler was and he delivered with a big double to add to the Red Sox’s lead. Cora’s pressing the right buttons at the right times and he will need to continue to do so against the Astros this series.

A 2 and 9 record and an era above 5 in the postseason doesn’t sound like statics of one of the best pitcher over the past decade, but it is. The man is David Price and it is no secret of his struggles in the playoffs in his career. In his game two start in the ALDS, he lasted only 1.2 innings allowing 3 runs. ALex Cora had a very short leash on Price, knowing his troubles in the postseason. The Red Sox announced David Price will start game 2 of this series at Fenway Park, where he has been better this season. Will Alex Cora give Price a bigger leash in this start and allow him to work through jams or will he get the quick hook again? David Price will be a huge part of this series, with a potential game 6, series changing start ahead for him. David Price has been a great pitcher the last decade and he needs to prove it this series to him, his teammates, and the fans.

The difference maker for the Red Sox this year has been their big offseason signing, J.D. Martinez. Martinez has been everything the Red Sox were missing in 2017, a big power bat in the middle of the order. After David Ortiz retired in 2016, the Sox identify disappointed and now with J.D. Martinez in Boston it has returned. Martinez fell just short of the triple crown this year, but is right in the discussion for the AL MVP award. After a pretty good series against the Yankees, Martinez will need to continue to be the big bad driving in runs for this Boston club. His production at the plate is key for the Red Sox this series.

  

 Keys to Victory for the Houston Astros

The Astros had their way with the Cleveland Indians in the divisional series, outscoring them 21 to 6. They looked like the much better team from top to bottom and are feeling very confident going into Boston. After winning the World Series last season there is no World Series hangover for the Astros this year. They won more regular season games this year than last year. Every element of their team did their job against the Indians and the Astros show no sign of slowing up. They have to keep the pressure on the Red Sox and continue to play how they have played recently.

Houston starters have been the best in baseball all year long and continued their dominance in the first round of the playoffs. In the regular season their starters had a 3.16 era, the best in baseball. After 3 games in the playoffs their starters era is 2.60. Justin Verlander is the ace of the staff and has to set the tone in game one. Ever since the Astros acquired him last season, he has turned the clock back and is the pitcher of old. Offseason trade for Gerrit Cole has paid off for the Astros as well, Cole had the best season of his young career. The starters need to continue to pitch well and long into ball games for the Astros to have success this series.

World Series MVP from a season ago, George Springer, has proven there is no stage too big for him. He continued his great play in the postseason against the Indians with 3 more homeruns in the series. Over his last 10 postseason games dating back to the World Series last year, Springer has hit 9 home runs. As a lead off hitter his presence of setting the table for the rest of his teammates is crucial. He’s done an excellent job of that and I believe he will continue his great work in the postseason against Boston this series. After a lost year thanks to injury for Carlos Correa he hit a big homerun in the series clinching against the Indians, which could be huge for his confidence. He is a huge part off their team and he will need to play very good for the Astros to have a chance at taking down the Red Sox.

Prediction

Boston, who owned the best record in baseball this year will have home field advantage, but they may not be an issue for the Astros. They were an MLB best 57-24 on the road this year, but the Red Sox were an MLB best 57-24 at home this year so the potential 4 games played at Fenway are very intriguing. Each team have their starts but no one is playing better than Alex Bregman at the moment. “Pressure is a privilege” Bregman said after taking down the Indians. Bregman has put the Astros on his back since the all star break and I see him continuing to do so in this series. George Springer will continue to be a playoff hero for them and Carlos Correa will have a few huge hits. The two best teams in baseball will be everything advertised and more, but I see the Houston Astros returning to the World Series for the second straight season.

Houston Astros in 7

 

 

NLCS Preview: #1 Milwaukee Brewers veres #2 Los Angeles Dodgers

The best of the best in the National League face off in a seven game championship series starting on Friday. The Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers who faced 7 times in the regular season will play at least 4 more against each other. The Dodgers won the season series 4 games to 3. Milwaukee, who owned the best record in the National League, will have home field advantage in the series. Both teams are very deep and very equipped to win the series, but they both have their strengths that separate them from each other. Here are the keys to victory for both teams.

Keys to Victory for the Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers have the best bullpen hands down out of the 4 remaining teams. The regular season their bullpen put up an impressive 3.47 era and in postseason play have put up a 1.17 era. Their bullpen is deep and has many pitchers Craig Counsell trust, but they oftentimes pitch 4 to 5 innings a game. This could lead to fatigue for their main guys, Josh Hader, Corey Knebel, and Jeremy Jeffers, in the bullpen, but if Craig Counsell can manage their outing lengths well and give them a day or two off, their bullpen can be an absolute difference maker in this series.

Their starting staff has been one of the biggest surprises this season and postseason. They are also the reason their bullpen is pressed into duty so often and early. While their starters do give the Brewers quality innings when they are in, they are often times are pulled very early. A big key to this series will be whether the Brewers’ starters can give them 3 more outs per start on average, thus shortening the amount their bullpen will be in the game. Keeping the bullpen arms as fresh as they can be is huge for the Brewers.

A duo of offseason acquisitions has made the difference for the Brewers this year. A free agent signing of Lorenzo Cain and a trade with the Miami Marlins for Christian Yelich has changed this Brewers’ lineup greatly. Batting one and two in the lineup, both their production this series will be vital. Christian Yelich had himself a season to remember. He is the frontrunner for the National League MVP, thanks to his play post All Star Break. He has continued his great play in the postseason, getting on base 8 out of 14 times so far. Lorenzo Cain is no stranger to the Championship Series from his days with the Kansas City Royals. In 2014 with the Royals, he hit .533 and won MVP of the series. He backed up his 2014 performance with a .300 batting average in the 2015 ALCS. The moment will not be too big for Cain and his production at the top of the order will be make or break for this ballclub.

Keys to Victory for the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers lineup is deep and potent, but they can be homerun dependent at times. Against a hard throwing Brewers’ bullpen that can be a problem. The Dodgers must score early and often because facing the Brewers’ bullpen down late, especially when homerun dependent is not a good mix. The Rockies were unable to score early against the Brewers’ starters and it cost them in the series. The starters for the Brewers are the weaker part of their pitching staff and in order to win this series the Dodgers must score off them and avoid a late hole against Milwaukee’s bullpen.

The Dodgers starting staff and closer are their strengths of their pitching staff, their middle relief is where they can struggle. They pitched well against Atlanta, but will be challenged more by a deep, lethal Brewers’ lineup. This will also add an extra pressure to the Dodger starters to go deeper into ball games, as did Hyun-Jin Ryu and Clayton Kershaw did in game 1 and 2 respectively. Kanely Kansen had a shaky outing in game 163 but pitched well in the divisional series. He will need to be at his best in this series and Dave Roberts will need to press the right buttons to get the ball to Jansen with the lead.

The third key to the Dodgers in this series is to limit Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain. The Brewers key on the other hand was to have the same two set up for them. Yelich and Cain are the keys to success for both these teams. Christian Yelich is the MVP of the league and you cannot let him beat you if you are the Dodgers. With Cain batting in front of Yelich, he needs to be attacked by Dodger pitching, but they will need a very good game plan to limit him as much as they can.

Prediction

The Brewers have won their past 11 games dating back to the regular season and are the hottest team left. Not even supposed to be here, the Brewers want to continue to prove the doubters wrong and keep the Dodgers from returning to the World Series. I see a very low scoring, bullpen heavy games. I believe Craig Counsell will mange his bullpen much better than Dave Roberts will manage his and the Brewers’ bullpen is superior than the Dodgers as well. Milwaukee is also very good at home this season and home field advantage for them will be critical in a game 7.

Milwaukee Brewers in 7

 

Through it all, a legend has returned

A little over a year ago this would have seemed impossible, but on Sunday it became reality. Eldridge “Tiger” Woods was once the best golfer on the planet for so many years and was the man everyone wanted to see. Since 1992, the year of his PGA debut, that hasn’t changed and after the four day strech Tiger just reeled off it isn’t changing anytime soon.

Tiger broke into the golf game in 1992 at age 21 and won the Masters the same year, the biggest golf tournament of the year. From then on, Tiger’s timeline has been everything but normal.

Fast forward to December 2016, an ugly divorce with his wife, Elin Nordegren, which who he cheated on multiple times and after three back surgeries Tiger was no longer the same player he once was. A couple poor tournaments followed to start the 2017 season and in April he went under the knife for the fourth time. This time the back surgery was to fuse discs in his lower back. Yes, I’m sure it’s as painful as it sounds.

A month after the back fusion surgery, Woods was once again in the news headlines. He was found on the side of the rode sleeping in his running parked car by police in his hometown in Florida. Police reported he was under the influence, but no alcohol was involved. Woods stated the incident was a complication of prescription medications he received to cope with the pain of his back fusion. “What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn’t realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.” However, in October of 2017 he pleaded guilty to reckless driving and was sentenced to 12 months of probation. His golf career was unclear from here.

And thus one of the greatest comeback in sports history begins now. The 2018 golf season was the year of Tiger Woods. The FedEx Champion Cup awards the best golfer of the year which Tiger did not win, Justin Rose did thanks to a birdie on the 18th and final hole of the golf year. Had he not birdired the hole, Woods would have taken the FedEx Cup.

Now aside from the FedEx Cup, there was still a tournament to be played, the Tour Championship. The 30 best players of the season participate in the final tournament of the season and Woods was looking to finish the year strong. An opening round of 65, Woods never looked back. Entering Sunday, Woods fitted in his red and black, a signature look for Tiger he started his round with a birdie on one. Not to overlook the support Tiger had from the crowd on Sunday, it was his tournament to lose.

After an up and down first 17 holes, Woods entered 18 with a two stroke lead. After a mammoth teeshot, no words can describe the scene that followed. Tiger had all the support and for the first time since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Woods won a PGA tournament.

As a 19 year old who never use to follow or care much for golf much, one man changed that, Eldridge “Tiger” Woods. The man who once dominated the sport has brought it back to relevancy. Golf is in no better state than it is right now and so many nongolf fans are now tuning in to watch who once was the greatest athlete of his time perform his swan song.