The odds on favourites won in different ways last week. While the Stallions and SB Battle won in easy fashion in the middle of their games, SWAT and Sofa King Good had a tough time with their matchups, but were able to finish their opponents off in the end. None of that matters now, as we move on to the Final Four of the Fight for the Fall!
The matchups are in place featuring #2 Stallions vs #3 Sofa King Good, and #1 SB Battle vs #5 Swat.
Here are the “unofficial” odds and O/U numbers for each matchup. The first number is the Vegas number for winning the matchup, and the 2nd number is the odds of winning the game. The number beneath both teams is the over/under for total points scored in the game (O/U).
#2 Stallions – 135, 5-3 vs #3 Sofa King Good +135, 5-1
O/U – 135.5
Over several seasons, I have witnessed top seeded teams lose unexpectedly. Each situation not so different from the other, yet some are not the same in the scheme of things. Stallions have been on the wrong end of that situation a few times. Yet they are multi time champions, and will tell you that it is not a given to win the championship every year. Sofa King Good came into the league and tasted early success winning two titles in four seasons. Their high tempo is on par with all of the elite teams in Metro League history. Even with their average size, SKG makes up for it on the defensive end. The infamous “Palmer Zone” is effective in slowing down the game with the 2-3 zone, but they do a good job of fast breaking right after grabbing the defensive rebound.
With all of that said, the only thing I have to say is “Championship Experience”. Even though both teams have it, the Stallions have been winning in this league for several years. The consistent players year in and year out coupled with the new infusion of talent, make this a huge mountain for SKG to climb.
Stallions over SKG by 14
#1 SB Battle -115 , 1.5-1 vs #5 Swat +350, 8-1
O/U 148.5
What can be said about the season that SB Battle has had? Outside of the double digit loss to the Stallions in their regular season rubber match, SB Battle has won the majority of their games by nearly 20 points. Every game is lighting quick, and it seems like there is a new “hero” every game they step on the floor. Finding a weakness in their armour is a task that will take you more than a moment to figure out. Even if you identified a weakness, the way this team is built, they have specialist that shore up the short comings of their “said” weaknesses.
Team Swat has been a long standing, foundation team in Metro league for several seasons. New faces come and go, but Swat continues to stay competitive and even push for a championship on several occasions. This Swat team was decimated by injuries and “flash” weddings. Yet they continued to battle their way through the season to the #5 seed. Their mix of fast break and methodical half court offence is their biggest strength.
I think that SB Battle has to many horses in the stable for the short handed Swat team. Their high energy and up and down tempo may blow this game out of the water!
SB Battle over Swat by 23
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