Tag: predictions

Major League Baseball Division Series Predictions

It’s time for some more coin flipping! The first round of the MLB playoffs ended yesterday. How did the coins do?

Rays vs Blue Jays: I picked the Blue Jays. I was wrong.

Indians vs Yankees: I picked the Indians. I was wrong. I hate the Yankees even more now.

Twins vs Astros: I picked the Astros. I was right.

Athletics vs White Sox: I picked the A’s. I was right.

Dodgers vs Brewers: I picked the Dodgers. I was right.

Padres vs Cardinals. I picked the Padres. I was right.

Cubs vs Marlins: I picked the Cubs. I was wrong.

Braves vs Reds: I picked the Reds. I was wrong.

So the coins did exactly what they should have. Four right and four wrong for a 4-4 record. 50/50, as you’d statistically expect. Cool! Except for the part about the Yankees winning. That wasn’t cool. Lets all hope that the coin doesn’t pick them in the second round.

On to the Divisional Series! In the American League (Heads for the higher seed, tails for the lower):

Astros vs A’s: Astros. That’s too bad, again.

Yankees vs Rays: NOOOOO!!!! It’s tails… the coin flip picked the Yankees. Damn it. I don’t want to play anymore.

Now to change coins and pick the National League:

Padres vs Dodgers: Padres.

Marlins vs Braves: Marlins.

Ummmm… can anyone see what happened here? I picked the lower seed four times. All four coin flips came up tails.

Okay, fate. You’re obviously not taking this seriously but let’s see how you do.

NHL Playoffs Predictions Wrap Up

Oh thank you, thank you, thank you hockey gods. Last night the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup giving me one final correct prediction and making my full post season record a tiny bit better than flipping a coin.

Whew!

Here are my win/loss records per round:
First round: 6-2
Second round: 1-3
Third round: 1-1
Final round: 1-0

That gives me a record of 9-6. That looks like a 60% success rate to me. Much better than the 53% it would have been if Dallas had won. So even though I hate the Tampa Bay Lightning with a passion because they beat my Bruins in the second round, I have to tip my cap to them, congratulate them on their second(?) franchise championship, and thank them for making me look good in the end.

Major League Baseball Wild Card Round Predictions

Okay, so it looks like the wild card round is going to be a set of three game series. I can work with that. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am going to flip a coin to make my picks for each series. I tried to use Siri but it gave me four tails in a row. The I started again and it gave me four heads in a row. Okay, let’s not put our trust in randomness.

Let’s start with the American League and hope that the coin doesn’t pick the Yankees. The team with the higher seeding is heads, lower is tails.

Rays vs Blue Jays: Tails. Blue Jays.

Indians vs Yankees: I’ve never hoped for one result over the other more than I am hoping right now. Come on heads! HEADS! I promise on all I hold sacred that I didn’t rig that. Indians.

Twins vs Astros: Tails. Astros. That’s too bad.

Athletics vs White Sox: Heads. A’s.

Now for the National League. In the spirit of pageantry I have decided to use a different coin for each league. Dramatic, eh?

Dodgers vs Brewers: Heads. Dodgers.

Padres vs Cardinals: Heads. Padres.

Cubs vs Marlins: Heads. Cubs.

Braves vs Reds: Tails. Reds. I played for the Reds when I was 12. Good choice, National League coin.

So I did hit heads four times in a row. Apologies to Siri.

The playoffs start tomorrow. Happy playoffs, everyone!

Thoughts on Playoffs

There was a chance that Tampa Bay could have won the Stanley Cup last night, but Dallas ended up beating them in double overtime. It feels like Tampa has spent so much time in overtime that they’ve played an extra round or two.

In the past few weeks I’ve been making my playoff predictions for each round of the NHL playoffs. I’m going to end up with a positive record no matter who wins in the final round, but I am only slightly better than 50/50. If Dallas wins I will actually effectively be 50/50 at 8 right and 7 wrong. Where am I going with this?

Baseball. The Red Sox have had one of the worst seasons (win/loss percentage wise, the season ends today after game #60 rather than the usual 162) in franchise history. I’ve been paying attention to final scores most days, but generally they were so bad I couldn’t watch. That lead to me sort of taking a pass on the rest of the league too.

Now that the playoffs are about to start, I don’t know anything about any team in the running except that I effin’ loath the effin’ Yankees. Other than that, I’m clueless. That, plus my lack of success in the NHL playoffs gave me an idea…..

I am going to make post-season predictions for Major League Baseball, but I am going to decide my pick for each series with a coin flip. Yup. This is going to be a case of is Robbie luckier than fate. I suspect that I am not.

I don’t even know how they formatted things this year. Is there a one game play-in round? All I know is there are bubbles involved. I’ll figure it out and let you know.

NHL Stanley Cup Finals Predictions

For a minute there, I was worried I was going to get both third round picks wrong. I hate you and you suck, Tampa Bay, but thank you for fulfilling my prophecy. Or something like that.

Going into the third round I was 7-5 for the playoffs. I was at risk of going into the finals at .500, but thankfully I’m still on top of things. I’m still better at this than flipping a coin.

My third round results:

Lightning vs Islanders: I picked the Lightning even though they are the slime that knocked out my Bruins. The Lightning won. I was right.

Golden Knights vs Stars: In Vegas, the house always wins in the end. I picked Vegas and Vegas beat me. Dallas won and I was wrong.

First round: 6-2
Second round: 1-3
Third round: 1-1
Total so far: 8-6

One round to go. The whole enchilada. The be all end all. The Stanley Cup Finals.

Stars vs Lightning: I have no idea. None at all. No clue. They’ve both screwed me over. The Lightning screwed me over by beating the Bruins. The Stars screwed me over three times by beating a team I picked. Should I go with Dallas just because of that? I don’t know. I think I have to pick Tampa Bay because… well… they are awesome and kinda deserve it. They deserved it last year too (it pains me so much to say that… I really freakin’ hate them) but choked in spectacular fashion. Will they choke again? Ah crud, who knows. I’m picking the Lightning.

The series starts tonight. The last hurrah for the bubble. During the pandemic in 1918 they made it to the finals before they canceled the season. This time, the bubble seems to be working. I think we’re going to have a champion this year. Unfortunately, it won’t be the Bruins. Crud.

NHL Conference Finals Predictions

The tradition has been continuing long enough that I just have to face facts. I suck at predicting the second round. I mean… I just plain suck. Royally. Certifiably.

Remember the first round? I did great in the first round. I correctly picked six of the eight series. Look at me being all 6-2 and stuff. Then comes the second round and everything falls apart.

Let us recap:

Flyers vs Islanders: Oh look at that, the Flyers lost. Welcome to the Conference finals, Islanders.

Lightning vs Bruins: Heartbreak. Devastation. I picked my hometown heroes the Boston Bruins to beat the Lightning and the Bruins lost in five. Sadness. Pain and suffering. Not only that but I got the whole Eastern Conference wrong.

Golden Knights vs Canucks: Who woulda thought that betting on Vegas would pay off, huh? I got one right. I’m not a total loser!

Avalanche vs Stars: I picked the Avalanche over the Stars and the Avalanche (who I also predicted would win the third round too) blew it and lost.

First round: 6-2
Second round: 1-3
Total so far: 7-5

At least I’m still on the upside.

So now we move on to the Conference Finals. All four teams are supposed to be in Edmonton now. Game one of the Western series is tonight at 8:00pm Eastern time, so I’d best get my picks in, eh?

In the East:

Lightning vs Islanders: Oh why don’t you just kiss my big fat ass, fate. The team that bounced my team matched up with a team from New York? How the hell do I handle that? I have to pick the Islanders because I can’t pick Tampa, even though Tampa’s probably going to win in four and then go on to the Cup Finals and win that in four. Ah hell, I have to pick with my brain instead of my heart and I hate both of these bastards anyway… shit… I’m picking the Lightning. Crap.

Over in the West:

Golden Knights vs Stars: At least this one’s easy. Well… I thought it would be easy in the last round too. I thought the Stars were cannon fodder and then there they are winning. Not this time though. Vegas is the team to be. I’m picking the Golden Knights.

And there we have it. Two more series. If I get them both wrong I’ll be exactly 50/50 for the playoffs which means I’m as accurate as a coin flip which is probably the only accurate thing I’ve thought all day.

NHL Conference Semifinals Predictions

The first round of the NHL playoffs ended last night without any series going to seven games. Kind of a bummer in the dramatic sense, but the Bruins won so it’s all good.

Here are the results from round one….

In the East:

Flyers vs Canadiens: I picked the Flyers and the Flyers won. I hate the Canadiens with every fiber of my being, but I still kinda wish they’d been able to knock off the seed. Oh well. 1-0

Lightning vs Blue Jackets: I was rooting for the Blue Jackets but they didn’t pull through. They did it last year, but not this time. The Lightning won. 1-1

Capitals vs Islanders: I went for the upset and I was right. The Islanders won. 2-1

Bruins vs Hurricanes: For the second year in a row, the Bruins beat the Whale and all was right with the world. 3-1

In the West:

Golden Knights vs Blackhawks: I picked Vegas and Vegas won. 4-1

Avalanche vs Coyotes: I picked the Avalanche and the Avalanche won. 5-1

Stars vs Flames: I picked the Flames… woops. 5-2

Blues vs Canucks: I picked the Canucks and the Canucks won. As much fun as it would have been to get revenge on St Louis in the finals, there will be no 2019 rematch this year. 6-2

I picked the winner in six out of eight series. I feel like NostroHockeyDamas or some shit. Of course, I usually nail the first round before crashing and burning in the second round. Here we go…..

In the East:

Flyers vs Islanders: Oh crap. I hate Philly. I hate New York. I would like to see them both lose. Given the current standings I would prefer to see Philly lose. They won’t. I’m picking the Flyers, but rooting for the Islanders.

Lightning vs Bruins: The match up we were all afraid of last year that didn’t happen is finally happening. This year… without Tuukka… ugh. I’m picking the Bruins because they are the Bruins, but it’s a pretty even series. This one is going seven.

In the West:

Golden Knights vs Canucks: Our old 2011 Stanley Cup nemesis is about to become 2020 cannon fodder. Sorry, Vancouver. I’m picking Vegas.

Avalanche vs Stars: I’m jumping the gun a tad here, but the Avalanche are my pick to win the West. Sorry Dallas, I’m picking the Avs.

NHL Quarterfinals Predictions

I tried to watch or listen to as much prelim round hockey as I could, and I caught a lot of it. Unfortunately I didn’t retain any of it. I’m going to make quarterfinal picks, but they are all blind and consist only of gut guesses.

In the East:

Flyers vs Canadiens: I hate the Canadiens. I pick the Flyers… even though I also hate the Flyers.

Lightning vs Blue Jackets: I’m picking the Blue Jackets. I don’t like them, but I really don’t like the Lightning.

Capitals vs Islanders: Tough one. I really hate the Capitals, but the Islanders are from New York and I hate all New York teams. I think I have to pick the Islanders though.

Bruins vs Hurricanes: Bruins. Like I’d ever pick the Whalers. Duh.

In the West:

Golden Knights vs Blackhawks: I’m ambivalent toward Vegas and I hate Chicago. I pick the Golden Knights.

Avalanche vs Coyotes: This is tough. I don’t hate either one of them. In fact, when I follow the West I tend to support both of them. I’m picking the Avalanche. They are the higher seed, and they gave Ray Bourque a Cup.

Stars vs Flames: Flames all the way. I hate Dallas.

Blues vs Canucks. I hate them both. I hate them both a lot. Canucks because they didn’t beat us in the finals last year and the Blues did. Pricks.

Baseball Playoffs

After picking both wild card games correctly, and then picking the first three Division Series’ correctly, it was probably too much to ask that the Dodgers win and let me run the table for a second round in a row. Jerks.

I picked the Cubs, the Royals, and the Blue Jays, but I failed to pick the Mets. That makes me 5-1 this playoffs.

Now, for the League Championship Series’, both of my favorites are still alive so I will pick them.

I’ve always liked the Royals, and I try to never pick American League East teams unless they are from Boston. This year though, I’m going with the Blue Jays, and after the way game five ended, how can you pick against them?

In the National League I am sticking with the Back to the Future prediction and going with the Cubs. If it works for Marty McFly, it works for me. Also, the Mets are from New York. Screw New York. Go Cubs.

So my prediction is for a Toronto vs Chicago World Series. Let us see how things unfold.

Baseball Playoffs

I don’t believe it.

The Nationals and the Cardinals both won yesterday. Two teams that I picked to win their series actually won games, on the same day no less! St Louis can actually win their series if they win tonight! I might not get shut out entirely on the first two rounds of the post season!

Go Cardinals!