MLB Wild Card Round Playoff Predictions

 

MLB Wild Card Round Playoff Predictions

American League

Toronto Blue Jays Vs Tampa Bay Rays

This is going to be a good matchup to watch because these are division opponents who know each other well. The Rays came out of nowhere this year. There weren’t really any expectations on this team and yet, they managed to win their division and take the #1 spot in the American League. The Blue Jays started off the season very shaky, but found their identity and finally started getting the most out of their batting lineup. The pitching is a weak spot for them and that is the exact opposite problem for the Rays. Starting pitching is always a big deal when it comes to the postseason and I think that gives the Rays the edge in this matchup.

Rays over Blue Jays in 3 games

 

New York Yankees Vs Cleveland Indians

The Indians can thank their starting pitcher Shane Bieber for helping them get to the postseason because this dude has flat out dominated every single team he has faced this season. He is the obvious choice for the AL Cy Young this season considering he literally dominated in every single pitching category imaginable. Outside of Bieber though, the Indians are a pretty mediocre team and are going up against a stacked and healthy Yankees squad. The Yankees came into this season as the heavy favorite to win the Championship and things were rocky towards the middle of the season, but they were missing over half of their lineup due to injury. Now that the Yankees have their sluggers back they look to be back to their dominating ways and even though the Indians have solid starting pitching I don’t think any of the other starters besides Bieber will even have a shot at shutting down the Yankees batting lineup. The Yankees are weak when it comes to starting pitching, but if it becomes a slugfest the Yankees should win that matchup easily.

Yankees over Indians in 3 games

 

Houston Astros Vs Minnesota Twins

One of the most upsetting things about this season was that there were no fans in the stands to heckle the absolute shit out of the Astros, but they still struggled hard this season and were very lucky to even make the postseason. They were a very mediocre team overall and played like garbage for the most part, which is coincidental since they were known for banging trash cans over the last couple of seasons, but I digress. The Twins continued building off of what they started last season, with solid starting pitching and a reliable batting lineup they have plowed through each and every opponent and, should be a tough team for anyone they’re up against in the postseason. Since the Astros can’t cheat in this series it will be an uphill battle for them against the Twins who are a much better team in every way.

Twins over Astros in 2 games

 

Chicago White Sox Vs Oakland A’s

Out of every matchup in the Wild Card round, this is going to be the best one by far. The White Sox have finally put it all together with their batting lineup and the starting pitching has finally found some type of consistency. The White Sox have been a laughing stock for awhile now, but since they’ve sucked so bad, they’ve been able to draft some really good players who have finally shown their worth this season. The A’s have been one of the most solid teams from start to finish and it’s all because of the pitching. The batting lineup has helped a lot, but the pitching has definitely led the way, which will make for an excellent series between these teams. Long time baseball fans know though, that starting pitching is key when it comes to winning in the postseason and the A’s have the better lineup who have maintained their consistency from start to finish, which I think gives them the edge in this matchup.

A’s over White Sox in 3 games

 

National League

Milwaukee Brewers Vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Once again, the Dodgers are the most dominant team in the National League and maybe a shortened season can help them actually win a Championship this time around. The Dodgers are probably the most complete team in the entire league at this point and they are going to be tough to try and beat in a series. The starting pitching is strong, the bullpen can hold it down, the defense is stellar, and the batting lineup will be tough for any opponent to work around. The Brewers backed their way into the playoffs and are lucky to be here, but other than that they have no shot in this matchup!

Dodgers over Brewers in 2 games

 

St. Louis Cardinals Vs San Diego Padres

The Padres have been this season’s biggest surprise by far! Fernando Tatis has had an amazing season and has dominated behind the plate with clutch hitting, which in turn, has energized the rest of the batting lineup and the Padres batting order has been one of the strongest in the league. The pitching has also played a huge role as to why this team has played so well this season. The Cardinals have had a decent season, but nothing to get excited about. They were inconsistent for the most part and really just started to get hot at the right time. The Cardinals should make this an interesting matchup, but in the end the Padres are a much better team on offense and defense.

Padres over Cardinals in 3 games

 

Miami Marlins Vs Chicago Cubs

This is the first time the Marlins have made the playoffs since 2003 and I hope they enjoy it because I don’t think it’s going to last long. The Marlins aren’t a horrible team, but they also aren’t that good. They are inconsistent in every facet of the game because they are a young team and none of them have ever been in this position before. The Cubs had a solid regular season, they just didn’t stand out above any other teams in the National League in any way. The pitching was overall mediocre, the hitting wasn’t bad, and the defense is probably the best asset this team has to offer. Other than that, the Cubs aren’t that impressive. The Cubs should play well enough to get by in this round, but I don’t think they have what it takes to win a Championship.

Cubs over Marlins in 2 games

 

Cincinnati Reds Vs Atlanta Braves

The Reds have been another one of the more surprising teams this season. Their starting pitching has been one of the best in the league led by Sonny Gray, who has just dominated every team he has faced this season. The Braves were one of the best teams in the National League and will be a tough opponent to face in the postseason because they have a stacked batting lineup and very solid pitching. Injuries held them back at the beginning of the season, but even so, they were able to overcome and play through them until they got some of their injured players back in the lineup. The Reds should give the Braves a run for their money, but overall I think the Braves are a far superior team on every level and have been much more consistent on the offensive side of the ball.

Braves over Reds in 3 games

NBA Conference Finals Predictions

 

First Round Record (6-2) 

Semifinal Round Record (2-2)

 

NBA Conference Final Predictions 

Western Conference

Denver Nuggets Vs Los Angeles Lakers

The Denver Nuggets are the comeback kids of the postseason! They have been down 3-1 in both of the previous rounds in the playoffs and came back to win the series. Nikola Jokic has carried this team on his back all season and he will be tough for the Lakers to contain, but the Lakers are going to be the best defense that the Nuggets have faced in the postseason. The Lakers should not overlook the Nuggets at all, but they should not be worried about losing this series. The only way that will happen is if they beat themselves. The Lakers defense has been great thanks in part to Anthony Davis, of course, but Caruso is a scrappy mother fucker and he has really stepped it up on the defensive side of the ball, while also knocking down some clutch three’s. The Nuggets will be a good test for the Lakers and probably the toughest opponent they have faced up to this point in the postseason, but the Lakers are too damn talented and have too deep of a roster to lose a seven game series to the Nuggets.

Lakers over Nuggets in 6 games

 

Eastern Conference

Miami Heat Vs Boston Celtics

This is going to be one exciting matchup to watch because these teams matchup really well against each other, but they also feature two of the hottest players in the league since the restart with Kemba Walker for the Celtics and Jimmy Butler for the Heat. The Heat have been unstoppable in the postseason and have only lost one game up to this point. They have been lights out on the offensive side of the ball, but also, have been really solid on defense. The Celtics did get exposed a bit against the Raptors, but they still played a great series and I expect them to continue playing at a high level against the Heat. It looks like they will get Gordon Heyward back at some point in this series which will be a boost for the team. In the end I think the Heat are playing too well to be stopped by anyone right now. Jimmy Butler is playing like a man on a mission and he even said before the restart that the Heat were here to win it all, and from what we have seen from them so far, they weren’t playing around. The X-factor in this matchup, to me, will be Andre Iguodala because when it comes to the playoffs this guy ALWAYS shows up and is reliable. He will make the big play when you need him to and he will defend the best player on the opposing team regardless of who they are and will dominate them.

Heat over Celtics in 7 games

NBA Conference Semifinal Predictions

 

First Round Record (6-2)

 

NBA Conference Semifinal Playoff Predictions

Western Conference

Houston Rockets Vs Los Angeles Lakers

The Rockets are such an amusing team to me because they are so inconsistent on just about every level. I’m actually shocked they were able to get past the first round of the playoffs, but they just lucked out because they faced the Thunder who are just about as inconsistent as the Rockets are. The even more amusing thing is to watch Westbrook and Harden attempt to play on the same team as one another because neither one of them wants to give up the ball and that has cost them a few games. As soon as Westbrook came back from injury in the first round the Rockets offense was awful and it’s because he was trying to do too much and looked sloppy as hell on the court. The Lakers have been resting up for a few days now and are coming into this matchup fresh and ready to go. The Rockets have no answer for LeBron or Anthony Davis on the defensive side of the ball, and they don’t have anyone who matches up in the paint to try and outrebound the Lakers. I don’t really see this being much of a challenge for the Lakers because they are better at every aspect of the game compared to the Rockets.

Lakers over Rockets in 5 games

 

Denver Nuggets Vs Los Angeles Clippers

The Nuggets just played one hell of a series against the Utah Jazz, but I have a feeling they just blew their wad in that matchup and will be too worn out for this one against the Clippers. I never really thought they had a chance in this series to begin with because the Clippers, overall, are a much better team, but the Nuggets might make it difficult for a game or two. The Clippers are one of the deepest teams in the league from top to bottom which is why they have dominated the West this season. I don’t expect much to change in this series from that perspective as I expect the Clippers to dominate the Nuggets in this one.

Clippers over Nuggets in 5 games

 

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics Vs Toronto Raptors

The defending champs will have their hands full in this matchup because Kemba Walker and the Boston Celtics are no joke! The Celtics played a flawless game against the 76ers in the first round and while the 76ers looked like the walking dead on the basketball court, the Celtics played amazing basketball. Kemba has proven all season he is a true leader and now that he is on a good team, that is in the postseason, he is finally able to show the World he ain’t no chump! The Raptors did what they were supposed to do in the first round against the Nets, but now they get a true test against a legitimate team full of talent. The Raptors are a strong team and should not be overlooked, but the Celtics have been on fire even before the restart, they were one of the top teams in the league. Kemba has been playing like a man on a mission and I really like what I’ve seen from him so far. This series will be a battle, but I think the Celtics will come out on top because they play so well as a team.

Celtics over Raptors in 6 games

 

Miami Heat Vs Milwaukee Bucks 

The Miami Heat looked really solid in the first round and completely dominated the Pacers. The Heat should give the Bucks a run for their money in this series, but in the end the Bucks are going to be way too much for the Heat to handle. The Heat don’t have anyone who matches up well against Giannis Antetokounmpo which puts them at an extreme disadvantage. Andre Iguodala is known for stepping up his game in the playoffs defensively and he may be the guy they call upon to try and guard Giannis, but in the end I still don’t believe that will be enough for a seven game series. The Bucks will dominate the paint and in turn dominate the game. I don’t believe the Heat have much of a shot in this matchup.

Bucks over Heat in 6 games