These days, really good baseball teams just don't play that many important games. The Brewers, Dodgers, and Rays have known for months that they were going to the playoffs, and none of them had too much trouble in the Divisional Series. But now, after two games of the League Championship Series, they (along with Cleveland) are very close to winning the World Series -- but, of course, they are also very close to being eliminated. Milwaukee, for example, has a 2-0 lead in the N.L.C.S., but the 1985 Dodgers could tell them that this means they are just a four-game losing streak from seeing their season come to an end. Meanwhile, over in the American League, Cleveland and Tampa Bay are tied at one win each -- which means that they are basically playing a best-of-five series for the pennant.
Up to this point, the games themselves have been pretty dull, because most of the time there is very little scoring. For that matter, there aren't often a lot of people on base. The Brewers' bullpen has pitched 9 2/3 innings so far against the Dodgers, and the Dodgers have zero runs and only two hits. But from this point on, even a game that's dull in and of itself will still carry some interest because we are so close to having a new champion.
Latest odds to win the World Series:
Milwaukee: +110
Tampa Bay: +320
Los Angeles: +350
Cleveland: +550
Since Tampa Bay and Cleveland are traveling today, the only game today will be Game Three of the N.L.C.S.:
7 P.M.: Milwaukee at Los Angeles (Fox Sports One) (Milwaukee leads 2-0)
Here's the SEC Preseason Media Poll for Men's Basketball:
ReplyDelete1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Arkansas
4. Tennessee
5. Alabama
6. Vanderbilt
7. Kentucky
8. Missouri
9. Texas A & M
10. Auburn
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma
13. Mississippi
14. Louisiana St.
15. Mississippi St.
16. S. Carolina
Projected SEC standings on Ken Pom:
ReplyDeleteFlorida: 14-4
Alabama: 12-6
Texas: 11-7
Vandy: 11-7
Tennessee: 10-8
Texas A & M: 10-8
Arkansas: 10-8
Auburn: 10-8
Kentucky: 9-9
Oklahoma: 9-9
Mississippi: 8-10
Georgia: 7-11
Missouri: 7-11
Louisiana St: 5-13
Mississippi St: 5-13
S. Carolina: 4-14
If these standings are correct, then UK will be the 9 or 10 seed in the SEC Tournament.
The Cats are scheduled to play five "A" games, according to Ken Pom, in non-conference play. They will play no non-conference "B" games. Here are the projected scores of the five "A" games in the non-conference:
ReplyDelete11/10/26: Kansas 82 - 79 Kentucky (L)
11/20/26: Indiana 78 - 81 Kentucky (W)
12/02/26: Virginia 81 - 76 Kentucky (L)
12/12/26: Kentucky 82 - 80 Louisville (W)
12/19/26: Kentucky 82 79 N. Carolina (W)
If Ken Pom is correct, the Cats will be 12-2 in non-conference play, and 9-9 in conference play, for an overall record of 21-11.
But to be fair, UK is now a football school.
ReplyDelete