2014-15 NBA Season Preview

A lot has changed in a few short months around the National Basketball Association. The last time the NBA was seen on TV, the San Antonio Spurs captured the title, beating the Miami Heat in Five Games. Now that the season is ready to get underway, we have some new faces in new places. There are new head coaches in New York (Derek Fisher), Minnesota (Flip Saunders), Milwaukee (Jason Kidd), Brooklyn (Lionel Hollins), Utah (Quin Snyder) Los Angeles Lakers (Byron Scott), Golden State (Steve Kerr), Cleveland (David Blatt) and finally Detroit (Stan Van Gundy). This season will also see the return to glory of the Charlotte Hornets. The newly established Hornets retain the 10 year history of the Bobcats, as well as regain the original Charlotte Hornets team records from the 1988–89 NBA season through the 2001–02 NBA season. The New Orleans Pelicans retain the remaining history that exists under the New Orleans Hornets name from the 2002–03 NBA season through the 2012–13 NBA season including the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets name from the 2005–06 NBA season through the 2006–07 NBA season.

Also this season will see some international exposure for the game. The Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves will play at the Mexico City Arena on November 12, 2014, while the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks will play at The O2 Arena in London on January 15, 2015. While all this is going on, there have been some new faces moving into new places, while others go in with new deals in their pockets. During the summer, we saw Carmelo restructure his deal with the Knicks, Lebron leave Miami and head home to Cleveland, while Wade and Bosh re-did their deals with the Heat, and Pau Gasol joined the Bulls, Paul Pierce signed with the Washington Wizards for a two year, $11 million contract, amongst other moves.

So with all this being said and done during the offseason, here's how I see things playing out during the course of the NBA season.

Western Conference:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder*
I know this may come as a surprise, considering the fact that the team will be without Kevin Durant for the start of the season, and Russell Westbrook is going to have to carry the load without KD. It's going to be a hard thing to do, but it should be doable with the likes of Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Andre Roberson and Perry Jones, the probable starter for Durant. It's going to be a workload without the best player in the game outside of LeBron, but it should be solid if the rest of the team steps their game up. There's plenty of talent for the Thunder to stay afloat until its main man returns, taking off once he comes back.

2. San Antonio Spurs*
The defending Champions didn't get hit at all during the summer with free agency. Here's a team that has never won back to back championships, and until last season, never made it to back to back finals. If they want to have a chance to reach the finals for a 3rd straight season, besides going through the Thunder and Clippers, small forward Kawhi Leonard must sustain the high level he showed while earning the MVP award in the 2014 Finals.

3. Los Angeles Clippers*
New owner Steve Ballmer is going to have a fun bunch to watch on the court this season. They actually may be the team that really challenges the Spurs and Thunder more than anybody else in the West this season. I know this is the exact same spot they finished in a season ago, but with the Spurs age and the injury to Durant, the Clippers may shock some people and move up higher than I have them pegged. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to carry the Clippers, which is something all three guys are used to at this stage of their careers. JJ Reddick will fit in nicely at shooting guard, but small forward may be a tad bit of a concern. Matt Barnes is pegged to start, but don't be surprised if Rivers uses guard Jamal Crawford, at small forward, especially at the end of games.

4. Golden State Warriors*
This is a team that can make some big noise out west this season, What helps keep this team in contention every night? Easy, the Splash Brothers: guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Those two guys are what make that motor go in California. But, if the Warriors are to reach greater heights this season, 7-foot center Andrew Bogut must stay healthy. If he can stay healthy and the Splash brothers do there thing, along with the contributions from the likes of David Lee, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green, Golden State is going to be a threat in the West.

5. Houston Rockets*
This is a team that last year turned a few heads in not only making the playoffs, but giving the Spurs a bit of a run at the top of the division. But with both Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsons gone, it may be a little tougher on the Rockets this season. Sure, Houston has two of the NBA's best players in Dwight Howard and James Harden, but that may not be enough for this team to win a championship. Newcomer Trevor Ariza is a skilled two-way player, but he's not a better offensive threat than the departed Parsons. Also, Houston had trouble playing defense last season, giving up 103.1 points per game, 23rd in the league. That's going to hurt them in the top loaded Western Conference.

6. Dallas Mavericks*
Last season, Dallas got into the playoffs by a single victory over a hard charging Phoenix Suns team. This offseason, the Mavericks did a lot to help build the team around franchise player Dirk Nowitzki. Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Jameer Nelson, Chandler Parsons, Richard Jefferson and Al-Farouq Aminu were all brought on board to make the Mavs a better team. Tyson Chandler has had a good run with this team, as he was the center on the 2001 championship team, and will add a solid defensive presence. The only question mark is Parsons. We know he can handle the basketball, but he needs to show that he really is worth the three-year, $46-million deal he signed.

7. Memphis Grizzles*
Last season, Memphis won 50 games and then pushed the Thunder to seven games in their opening round series. This year they might be able to do that again, if not better in the playoffs. What makes me say this? Well, perhaps the Grizzles may be one of the most physical team in the NBA. When you have big guys like 7-1 center Marc Gasol and 6-9 forward Zach Randolph, it makes it very tough on any opponent. With talented point guard Mike Conley, and a defense that ranked third in the NBA for fewest points (94.6) allowed last season, they are a tough matchup for any team.

8. Portland Trail Blazers*
This right here goes to show you how tough the West is going to be this season. A year ago the Trail Blazers finished 5th in the Western Conference. This year, they are still going to see the post season, but won't be as lucky as last year. There is still plenty of talent on the team, being lead by forward LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard. Portland also have solid role players in small forward Nicolas Batum and guard Wesley Matthews, both of whom are good defenders and offensive threats. The key for Portland is getting solid bench production out of Kaman, Will Barton, C.J. McCollum and Blake. With as good as Dallas and Houston have gotten over the summer, Portland gets knocked down a few pegs.

9. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans have a rising star in power forward Anthony Davis, who played a pivotal role in helping Team USA win the gold medal at the FIBA World Cup last month. With Davis, Omir Asik and Ryan Anderson, who played in only 22 games last season because of a neck injury, the Pelicans could have one of the better big-man rotations in the NBA. This is a team that has talent but not enough to crack the top 8. They will finish the year close to .500.

10. Phoenix Suns
With some of the teams in the Western Conference being big and physical, the Suns are going to have a bit of trouble. Phoenix may have one of the smallest back courts in the entire league, with starters Eric Bledsoe (6-1) and Goran Dragic (6-3), plus reserves Isaiah Thomas (5-9) and Tyler Ennis (6-2). What this team lacks in height, they make up for in speed. Speed kills and Phoenix is going to have a solid season, but again with the loadest west it won't be enough.

11. Denver Nuggets
12. Sacramento Kings
13. Los Angeles Lakers
14. Minnesota Timberwolves
15. Utah Jazz

That's just the Western Conference. We still have one more Conference to get to.

Eastern Conference
1. Chicago Bulls*
It's basically going to be a fight for the top spot in the East between Chicago and Cleveland. Chicago now has a healthy, they hope, Derrick Rose and brought in Pau Gasol for a presence in the middle and to help take pressure off Rose. Throw in some of the guys in the supporting cast like defensive star Joakim Noah and super sub Taj Gibson, the Bulls are one of the favorites, heavy favorites no less, to come out of the East. If you want Rose and Gasol to play the way they are expected to play, then rookie Doug McDermott and starter Mike Dunleavy have to make outside shots to open up the court for Rose and Gasol. Still this Bulls team is deep and are gonna be top dog in the Conference.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers*
Here's a team that pulled a total 180 from last season. Last year, they won 33 games and missed the playoffs. Its amazing what can happen when some new lifeblood is injected into the system. LeBron comes back home to play for the Cavs, to go along with bringing in Kevin Love. Those two guys and Kyrie Irving will become the NBA's latest version of the Big Three. Those three will be asked to lead a young, talented club that has shooting guard Dion Waiters, center Anderson Varejao, key reserve big man Tristan Thompson and the rest of the Cavs. Cleveland has rookie coach David Blatt leading the bunch, but he was very successful coaching in Israel, Greece, Russia and Turkey. And now he has James to help out. This is going to be a very good club.

3. Washington Wizards*
This team finished 5th a season ago and went into the 2nd round of the playoffs, before falling to the Pacers. Now this team is going to have its fate in its own hands. They have one of, if not the best backcourts in all of Basketball with point guard John Wall, and shooting guard Bradley Beal. It's going to be tough on the Wizards with Beal missing six to eight weeks after having wrist surgery. That will put a bit of a damper on the Wizards to start the year. There is still plenty of talent here though to put Washington in the hunt, with Nene and center Marcin Gortat as a nice duo down low. Now it'll be interesting to see how much Paul Pierce, 37, can contribute in the frontcourt.

4. Miami Heat*
LeBron James, Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Michael Beasley, James Jones, Rashard Lewis and Greg Oden all decided to skip town and get out of Miami. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh didn't leave, they decided to hang around and stay put. They reloaded with the likes of Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts, Danny Granger, Shannon Brown and Shabazz Napier. But, if the Heat want to stay relavent in the East this season, Bosh has to produce more than the 16.2 points and 6.6 rebounds he provided last season. Wade is 32, and it's totally up in the air as to whether or not his balky knees can match the 54 games he played last season. And Deng has the big task of replacing James at small forward. This team can still be good, but its a question mark.

5. Toronto Raptors*
This team is coming off their division title from last year, a club that's looking to be a force again in the East. Toronto is a club that has enough talent, depth and athletes to make some noise in the East. DeMar DeRozan is coming off a career year last year, point guard Kyle Lowry now has a new four year deal in his back pocket thanks to the career year of his own and center Jonas Valanciunas, who's only 22, averaged 11.3 points and 8.8 rebounds last season and will be a contributing factor. This team may still be a force yet in the East.

6. Charlotte Hornets*
Coming off a 43 win season and playoff appearance a season ago, the revamped Hornets are going to try and build off last seasons success. Most of last years club is still in tact, being lead by Al Jefferson, who is coming off a monster year, averaging 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds. Point guard Kemba Walker is a handful to defend against, going along with guys like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams. Now you can also Lance Stevenson into this mix. Lance brings plenty of talent that will help the Hornets on both sides of the ball.

7. Brooklyn Nets*
This one is a bit of a stretch, but with how weak the Eastern Conference is as a whole, it wouldn't really surprise me. The team wanted to try and improve there defense from a season ago, bringing in new coach Lionel Hollins, who's a pretty talented coach in his own right. Hollins guided Memphis to the Western Conference finals in 2013 before he was fired, so you know, for the most part, he has the talent to be able to lead this ship. If Brooklyn really wants to sustain any success this season, Deron Williams has stay healthy after surgery on both ankles. Center Brook Lopez returns after playing in just 17 games last season and really needs to stay healthy and on the court. Plus there's 38 year old Kevin Garnett, returning for another season and guard Joe Johnson is back to provide offense.

8. New York Knicks*
There's a lot on the line for the Orange and Blue for this season. It's the first full season of Phil Jackson as president of basketball operations and Carmelo Anthony back in the fold. New Coach Derek Fisher has a lot on his plate, being asked to lead the team back into the post season, which is going to be a very tough task. Amar'e Stoudemire, J.R. Smith, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jose Calderon need to be productive scorers, but they also have to learn the triangle offense. Still they might be good enough to just squeak into the final playoff spot.

9. Atlanta Hawks
Last year, they squeaked into the playoffs just ahead of the Knicks. Former All-Star center Al Horford is back after playing in just 29 games last season after suffering a torn pectoral muscle. Forward Paul Millsap made his first All-Star team, point guard Jeff Teague has improved and shooting guard Kyle Korver is one of the best shooters in the NBA. There is plenty of talent to keep this Hawks team in the hunt most of the year, but at the end of the day they fall just short of the goal of making the playoffs.

10. Indiana Pacers
This is a club that has been a real dominate force in the Eastern Conference over the past couple of seasons, but they will fall off the grid this year. After getting bounced by the Heat in last years playoffs, thew news kept getting worse for the Pacers, as Lance Stephenson (Charlotte) and Paul George (injury) are both gone from the club for the year. Center Roy Hibbert is going to be relied on heavily, really has to return to All-Star form. Another worry is the offense: The Pacers averaged 96.7 points per game last season, seventh-worst in the NBA. The Pacers are going to slip out of the playoffs this season.

11. Detroit Pistons
12. Orlando Magic
13. Boston Celtics
14. Milwaukee Bucks
15. Philadelphia 76ers

So there you have it the predictions for the 2014-15 NBA Season!

(Authors Note: All predictions were made BEFORE the start of the NBA season and thanks go to the Los Angeles Times for provided some stats and information to this article)

Championship To San Francisco! Giants Win World Series

It might be safe to say that the Giants are coming close to being a dynasty. For the 3rd time in the past five seasons, and for the eight time in the modern era,, the San Francisco Giants are the champions of the baseball world. This 8th title came after knocking off the Kansas City Royals in a very hard fought seven game series. For a team that has been in existence since 1883 as the New York Gothams, then moving to California in 1958 are putting there stamp on the game as one of the great teams, and franchises, at this moment.

In games one and two, we saw seven runs get scored in blowouts, with the Giants taking game one and the Royals answering back in game two. When the scene shifted to San Francisco, the Royals played a typical Royals game, pulling out a 3-2 victory. That woke up the Giants, who responded with a blowout 11-4 victory. Then they followed that up to a 5-0 win, thanks to Madison Bumgarner (more on him in a little bit). Kansas City dominated at home with the 10-0 win to force the 7th game. Then the Giants pulled out the nail bitter in the last game for the 3-2 win in the series clincher. This was as close a series as many people thought it would be, Kansas City put up a great fight. Lets not take anything away from their performance, not only in this series but in this playoffs as a whole. Kansas City won 8 straight games to start the playoffs, before losing the opener to the Giants.

Then  in this series, Billy Butler, Omar Infante, Salvador Perez and Alex Escobar had good averages in the seven games, each hitting over 300 for the entire series. Sure the Royals played small ball during this series, which was a staple of theirs throughout the entire playoffs, but in the world series, some of the clutch hitting wasn't there as prominent as it was during the opening rounds. Same thing can be said too for their clutch bullpen and defense.

There were times where the Royals showed they belonged, but at the same time they were outplayed by the Giants. I know it didn't end the way the Royals wanted to but the fact that they went to game seven of the fall classic says a lot. Also consider the fact that on July 22nd, the Royals were 49-50, a game under 500, and look where they finished. It would have been so much sweeter had it resulted in a championship, but still it speaks volumes for how good a ball club this team really was this season. It's really nothing to be ashamed of.

No team in the 2014 postseason had a worse record in the regular season, and the Giants benefited from playing in the same division as the Diamondbacks and Rockies, the teams with the worst and second-worst records in the sport. It always seems like the Giants find a way to do this in even number years, when nobody seems to give them a chance, they find a way to do what needs to get done to bring home a championship.

Clutch hitting and defense helped the Giants bigtime in this series. Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandaval both hit over .400 in the series, chiming in with 12 hits each during the course of the series.  You can also throw in the eight hits from Brandon Belt as well, providing sparks for the Giants as well. While the Giants offense had a few major impact players, there's no doubt about that. There is one guy however, who had a HUGE impact on this series.

Of course, I'm talking about the man who walked away with the World Series MVP, one Mr. Madison Bumgarner. This guy was flat out lights out, not only in the World Series, but in the entire playoffs as well. In total, during this playoff run, Bumgarner started 6 games, ending with a 4-1 record and 1 save. He had a total postseason ERA of 0.65 in 52.2 innings pitched, to go along with 45 strikeouts. That's pretty damn good. Once the World Series rolled around, Bumgarner was even more lights out, winning two games and picking up the save in game seven, a five inning save no less. During the series, Bumgarner pitched a total of 21 innings, giving up a total of 9 hits and one run. That's mindblowing. The rest of the pitching staff threw a combined 36.5 innings. That's insane.

It was one of the greatest pitching performances that anybody has put out. The five inning save can be added to a list of some pretty memorable Game 7 performances, which also includes shutouts by the Minnesota Twins’ Jack Morris in 1991 and the Royals’ Bret Saberhagen in 1985. (Bumgarner was initially credited with the win, but the official scorer changed it to a save about 45 minutes after the game and gave the win to relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt). Yeah I'd say you can put it up there with some of the great game seven's ever. When speaking of dominating pitchers in World Series history, you can, in all likelyhood, add Bumgarner to some of the greats in this game. You can throw this years World Series pitching performances with the likes of Christy Mathewson, threw complete-game shutouts in Games 1, 3 and 5 of the 1903 World Series, for example. And Curt Schilling dominated in 2001, as did Orel Hershiser in 1988, as did Sandy Koufax in 1964.

So hats off to the San Francisco Giants for capturing their 8th title ever and 3rd in the last five years!

Is Peyton Manning The Greatest QB Of This Generation?

Let the debate rage on. After adding  another three touchdowns to his resume, giving him 513 in his career, its pretty safe to say that Peyton Manning is a lock for the Football Hall of Fame. This also sparked a pretty good debate. Where does Peyton Manning rank among the all time great quarterbacks. There's no doubt that Manning is in the top ten all time amongst the great QB's, but at the same time it's hard to accurately compare quarterbacks who played in say the 1940's and 1950's to guys who play in today's game. So with this debate, I'm taking two things into consideration. One I'm limiting this to the last 25 years of the NFL, as it makes things a little bit easier at least to define a time frame in the game. Two, this is a comparison of each quarterback’s “greatness” as a relative measure to their contemporaries.

So before I reveal the top five, there are a few guys I have to mention for just missing the cut. We have guys like Kurt Warner (came out of nowhere to be a force with the Rams), Drew Brees (been tearing it up the past few seasons), Steve Young (wasn't quite as good as Montana but still a solid, winning QB in his own right), Warren Moon (threw for well over 49,000 career yards and helped make the Oilers relevant), Tom Brady (the golden boy keeps winning every year no matter what talent he has around him), and of course Troy Aikman (may not have put up as prolific numbers as some of the other QB's of the time but the guy can win and has two rings to prove it).

So without further ado, here's the top five quarterbacks of the last quarter century:

5. John Elway
When you talk all time greats, this guy's name has to get mention. Elway has the third-most comebacks in league history and started for five Super Bowl teams with the Denver Broncos, winning back-to-back titles in Super Bowls 32 and 33, while claiming MVP in Superbowl 33. His "Drive" to beat Cleveland in the 1986 AFC Championship Game will be remembered forever. He also ranks 4th all time on the passing yards list.

4. Dan Marino
For the longest time, this guy was king of the hill at the quarterback position. Marino had every passing record in the book, and while he never won a Super Bowl, he was still a great quarterback. Part of what held Marino back was the lack of a run game and a sub par defense. Even with that, Marino single handily carried the Dolphins to Super Bowl 19 and two more AFC Championship games. Marino's 1984 season might be the best season by a quarterback ever. He had 5,084 passing yards and 48 touchdowns more than two decades before the NFL opened up the passing game. The only knock on Dan is he never won the big one.

3. Brett Farve
Sure there's the constant knock on Farve for flipping back and forth about retirement at the end of his career. But there is no denying the fact that during his heyday with the Packers, he was one of the greatest to every step foot onto a football field. His ironman streak started wiht the Packers, and he started 253 of a possible 255 games. His 2009 season with the Vikings was arguably the best season of his career at age 40. He's got the superbowl ring from 1996 and will sit in 2nd place in the record books in most major categories by the time Manning is done. The only knock on Farve is he holds the record for most interceptions in his career with 336.

2. Peyton Manning
What's more to say about this guy that hasn't already been said. He will hold every major passing record there is to hold when all is said and done. On the field, Manning has won five MVP awards, and held the single-season passing touchdown record twice. Manning has also taken two different teams to the Super Bowl. Manning has also been able to do these things, at least in regards to winning a title, with a lackluster defense to support him. That's been the biggest knock on Peyton during his career, is the inability to win come playoff time.

1. Joe Montana
Now your probably wondering why put Montana over Manning? Well I'll tell you. When I put this together I took into account not just stats but also winning. If it was based purely on stats alone I would put Manning one and Marino two, they were that good. And this is no knock on Montana, who is a top five QB all time. Think about this with Joe, he threw for over 40,000 yards in his career, and was named to eight Pro Bowls. He also won three Super Bowl MVP awards and threw the game-winning touchdown to clinch another. His postseason record was 16-7, including 4-0 in Super Bowls, with 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions, and kickstarted 5 game winning drives while in San Francisco. Plus, he was the centerpiece of the revolutionary West Coast offense that prioritized efficient passing as opposed to long bombs.

Now that's why I have Montana better than Manning. With Peyton, his career still has another year maybe two left to it before he decides to hang up the pads. Manning is sure to pass Farve for the all time yards record before the end of next season. If, and that's still a big if, Peyton can win one more ring, then he will have a strong case to move into the top spot as the greatest passer of this generation. That's the only thing that has held Manning back from grabbing top honors as the greatest passer of the last quarter century. He, for whatever reason, just can't seem to get it done when it matters most in the playoffs. Sure he's got the one ring and been to two more games, but he hasn't been all that successful otherwise. He has an 11-12 record career in the playoffs, which is another big knock on the star QB.

Still, I think by the time all is said and done, most people will agree with me that Peyton Manning will be the greatest QB of the last quarter century!

Best And Worst of NFL Week Seven

Week seven of the NFL season is in the books, turning out to provide some pretty interesting storylines so far. Seattle falls short for the second week in a row, going down at the hands of the surprising St. Louis Rams. The Jets finally play a solid game, but it's not enough to overcome the Patriots. Jacksonville finally gets its first win of the season over the Cleveland Browns, while the New Orleans Saints still, for the life of them can't win on the road. Oakland is still winless, the Cowboys have won six straight games and the NFC South, which was a good division a season ago, is one of the weaker in the entire league. It's safe to say that the NFL has been turned on its ear this season. With all that in mind, here's some of the best and worst from the past week in the NFL.

Best:
Peyton Manning, Quarterback Denver Broncos
Heading into this matchup against the 49ers on Sunday Night Football, he needed three touchdown passes to set the all time record. By the time all was said and done, he finished with four touchdown throws, giving him 510 (and counting) for his career. He didn't have the best day, number wise, but it was a record setting day. It’s fitting that on the day he broke the career passing touchdown record, arguably the greatest quarterback ever played arguably the greatest game any quarterback could play. Manning was basically perfect against the 49ers, with Denver putting together their best team win of the season.

Worst:
Drew Brees, Quarterback New Orleans Saints
I know its strange to see his name here, but it has to be said. Sure Brees had a good week for the Saints, finishing the day 28 of 45 for 342 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. The yards were the 2nd best by a passer in week seven, but it wasn't enough to help the Saints, as they fell to the Lions 24-23 in Detroit. The Saints were in the game and had a chance to hold on to the victory, but Brees' interception with 3:10 to go led to the Lions' game-winning TD six plays later. New Orleans has lost seven consecutive regular-season games away from the Superdome and all four so far in 2014.

Best:
Sammy Watkins, Wide Receiver Buffalo Bills
When Buffalo took the wide out with the 4th overall pick in the draft back in June, they were expecting big things from their pick. So far I'd say that the Bills are getting a pretty good return on their investment. Through seven games, Watkins has put up solid numbers, but none better than what he did against Minnesota on Sunday. He set personal highs with nine catches for 122 yards and two TDs, including the game winner with 1 second left. Safe to say the Bills' new star is picking up rookie of the year momentum.

Worst:
Carolina Panthers Defense
Here is a team that has pulled a complete 180 for a season ago. Last year, Carolina had the second-stingiest team in terms of scoring defense. This year is completely different. The Panthers formerly stingy defense has now allowed at least 37 points in four games this season, including the 38 points given up to Aaron Rogers in the loss to the Packers Sunday. The Panthers have surrendered 195 points in seven games after permitting 241 in all of 2013. Yeah this team seems to have lost its way from a defensive perspective.

Best:
Golden Tate, Wide Receiver Detroit Lions
This guy was brought into the Motor City for a reason, and has shown that he has been worth the money and then some for the Lions. Tate has been spectacular while picking up the slack for injured Calvin Johnson. Over the past four games, Tate has 32 catches for 448 yards and two scores. He was huge Sunday with 73 of his 154 yards coming on a TD that helped spark Detroit's comeback. Yeah this guy is good and has been a big reason Detroit is on top of the NFC North.

Worst:
Kirk Cousins, Quarterback Washington Redskins
I know the Redskins came away with the two point victory over the Titans, and as the Redskins' starter, Cousins was credited with his first win since 2012, snapping a personal seven-start losing streak. But at the same time, Cousins had two more turnovers earned him a seat on the bench midway through the victory against the Titans and may have cost him any lingering hopes that he might be pursued by another team for big money and a starting job elsewhere during the offseason.

Best:
Denard Robinson, Running Back Jacksonville Jaguars
The former Michigan quarterback, deemed an "offensive weapon" by the Jaguars as a rookie last year, entered Sunday's game with 160 rushing yards in 22 NFL games. He added 127 and a TD against the Browns to offset poor play by rookie QB Blake Bortles as Jacksonville snatched its first win since last season.

Worst:
Bryan Hoyer, Quarterback Cleveland Browns
Things had seemed to start looking up for Hoyer as the Browns Starter. He had had a few good weeks and things appeared to be getting better, but then he had his worst day in two years as the Browns' starter. Hoyer went 16-for-41, couldn't find the back of the endzone, he threw a pick and lost a fumble. All of this was done in a blowout loss to the previously winless Jags. The door isn't yet cracked for rookie Johnny Manziel, but it's not locked, either.

Best:
St. Louis Rams
St. Louis came in as a desperate team, staring at a 1-4 record. To make things worse, they were playing the Seahawks, who were, and still are, one of the top teams in the NFC. St. Louis needed something to grab on to and they got it. Grasping for something, anything, in the running game, the Rams turned to rookie Tre Mason, who averaged 4.7 yards per carry against what had been the league’s best run defense. To make the day better, they were able to pull off two mighty fine trick plays to beat up on Seattle.

Worst:
Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears
Both teams looked really bad last week. Cleveland got embarrassed by the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars. Meanwhile Chicago wasn't much better, making the Dolphins look great and Ryan Tannehill looked like a stud QB, which is something he really isn't.

2014 World Series Preview

The time has finally arrived. A 162 regular season games are in the books, as are the wild card games, the divisional round and the league championship series. With all that being said and done, there are two teams left standing: the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals. For the first time since 2002, we will have two wild card teams facing off in the fall classic. In the 02 World Series, the Anaheim Angels pulled out a seven game series victory over the San Francisco Giants. This also marks the first time ever that we have two wild card teams playing each other in the fall classic that had to play in the wild card game, since the rule was instituted in 2012. Consequently, the World Series winning team is guaranteed to set the record for most postseason victories in a single postseason with 12.

Enough of all the fluff and filler. Lets get into it to see what who we have playing for the Commissioner's Trophy.

From the American League, its the wild card winning Kansas City Royals, while the National League is being represented by the wild card winning San Francisco Giants. This marks the 4th time that the American League has had a wild card team make the fall classic, with the team going 2-1 in the classic. The National League has seen a wild card team reach the World Series seven times prior to this, compiling a record of 3-4 in the fall classic.

The Royals are making their third World Series appearance in franchise history. Their last appearance was in 1985, wherein they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games, and their other appearance was in 1980, wherein they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. They enter the 2014 World series after beating the Oakland Athletics in the AL Wild Card game, sweeping the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the ALDS , and sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS.

The Giants are making their third World Series appearance in five years, having won in 2010 and 2012, their 20th appearance overall, and their 6th appearance since moving to San Francisco from New York in 1958. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Wild Card game, defeated the Washington Nationals in the NLDS 3 games to 1, and the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS 4 games to 1.

Here's the date and times for every game in the World Series:
1 October 21 San Francisco Giants @ Kansas City Royals Kauffman Stadium 8:07 PM
2 October 22 San Francisco Giants @ Kansas City Royals Kauffman Stadium 8:07 PM
3 October 24 Kansas City Royals @ San Francisco Giants AT&T Park 8:07 PM
4 October 25 Kansas City Royals @ San Francisco Giants AT&T Park 8:07 PM
5 October 26† Kansas City Royals @ San Francisco Giants AT&T Park 8:07 PM
6 October 28† San Francisco Giants @ Kansas City Royals Kauffman Stadium 8:07 PM
7 October 29† San Francisco Giants @ Kansas City Royals Kauffman Stadium 8:07 PM

All games will be broadcast on Fox and ESPN Radio.

So now we know who's playing when and where as well as how they got to where we stand now. Here's how these teams stack up.

Three things really stand out to me in this series: Pitching, hitting and bench/defense. In the case of pitching the edge, in starting pitching at least, has to go to the Giants. As a team, the ERA of the Giants from the starters is the lower of the two. Kansas City's starters have an ERA of 3.80, while the San Francisco starters ERA is 2.40, so there is a significant difference in how good the starters have been. Madison Bumgarner has been lights out, holding down a 1.42 ERA in 31.2 innings pitched. He has been flat out filthy. So too has Jake Pevy, who has an ERA of 1.86 in his two playoff starts. Kansas City hasn't looked as good, as James Shields and Yoradno Ventura have both been hit pretty hard during the post season, Shields especially.

As far as the bullpen is concerned, it's too close to call to be honest. San Francisco has a 1.78 ERA from their pen, compared to the 1.80 ERA from the Royals pen. So you can see it's too close to call who has the better pen. So when it comes to the pen's I would say its even.

When it comes to the offense, the edge might have to go to the Royals. Kansas City has scored one more run than the Giants (42 to 41) and did it in two less games as the Royals have played eight games while the Giants have played ten. Kansas City also has eight home runs in the playoffs, compared to just five by the Giants. Eric Hosmer, Lorenso Cain and Alcides Escobar have each had double digits in hits in the playoffs for KC, while the Giants have been lead by Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt. Sure the Giants have more players who have had double digits in hits in the playoffs, but the Royals have been able to make those hits count a lot more. Kansas City has been able to get to where they are, from an offensive perspective, thanks to playing small ball. They can steal bases and get runs home via the sacrifice fly. The Giants haven't really been able to do that in this post season.

Sure the Giants have more hits than the Royals in the playoffs, but the Royals have the higher batting average (KC .259, SF .244) and a higher on-base percentage (KC .331, SF .313). Those two numbers are going to be a factor in this series.

Defense is going to be another key in this series and it just seems that Kansas City is having the better defensive playoffs than the Giants are. In fact, some outstanding plays in both the Divisional Round and the League Championship series are a big big part of why the Royals are here. Sure the Giants too have had some big defensive plays, but by comparison, the Royals have made the clutch defensive play at the key moment, which at times it looked like the Giants didn't have. Kansas City has played almost mistake free baseball to this point, which is going to be a big help. See the Giants haven't played perfect baseball, they have made some mistakes which cost them two games in this years playoffs. At the same time, the Giants also got the benefit of some of those same breaks as well.

This is going to be a highly entertaining series to watch, that I have no doubt. These teams are evenly matched, there's no denying any of that. Kansas City has played lights out and come up with a big moment when nobody thought it was possible. If the Giants absolutely will need to jump on the Royals early in games. Otherwise, Kansas City’s sensational bullpen will swing the tide in its favor, helping the Royals squeak out late-inning victories.

It's going to be close but I'm taking the Royals to win the title in six games!

What's Next For Martin Brodeur?

Many people who follow hockey will put this guy either at, or near the top of the lists of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the game of hockey. Over his 16 year NHL career, he is the winningest goalie in NHL history, sitting at 688, needing just 12 to hit 700. That goes along with the 394 regular season losses, the most by a goalie in the NHL. He has the most shutouts in league history with 124. Those are just some of the records held by Martin Brodeur during his brilliant pro career. Many people will argue that his numbers were a bit inflated playing behind those great defensive minded teams with the New Jersey Devils.

Now, with the 2014-15 season already underway, Martin Brodeur is without an NHL team for the first time in his career. This has to leave one to wonder, what's next for Brodeur?

Brodeur has gone on record of saying he wants to end up playing for a contending team in the NHL. That's all well and good, but nobody has taken a flyer out on him, leaving him sitting at home without a team for the first time in his career. The 42-year-old has previously said he's “80% sure” he’s coming back for a 21ST NHL season, according to reports. I can understand where he's coming from, he still wants a shot at one more cup ring and maybe get a chance to win 12 more games to hit 700 career wins. At the same time, as much as I love Brodeur, him being my all time favorite goalie, I don't really know how much of a market there's going to be for him this season.

Brodeur has said he would not mind signing with his hometown Montreal Canadiens, serving as a backup to Carey Price. That's all well and good but I'm not sure the Habs are even going to try and take a look at him. There are a couple of things that Brodeur has working against him that could stop him from getting signed this season. His age for one, as he's 42 years old. Most goalies don't really get better with age, there skills start to decline. That's another thing working against Brodeur. His numbers last year with the Devils weren't that good, at least not by his standards. In 39 starts in Jersey last year, Marty went  19-14-6 with a 2.51 goals against average, a .901 save percentage and 3 shutouts. The save percentage was the lowest of his career and the goals against average was the 2nd highest he's ever posted, the highest being 2,57 back in 2005-06.

As I said those numbers are below average for the sure fire hall of famer. I know he wants to come back and play in sort of a backup role, but what else is there to do? Marty has done it all in this game. There's nothing left for him to do in the sport of hockey, there's nothing left for him to show or prove to anybody. He won three Stanley Cups. He won four Jennings Trophies and two Vezinas behind a stacked blueline corps that included Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko. To top it off, he won two more Vezinas and reached another Stanley Cup final when all of those guys were gone. He stayed relevant and elite after the Dead Puck Era died off. The trapezoid behind NHL nets today are there because Martin Brodeur was too good.

It doesn't seem right to see him in another jersey other than the Black and Red of the Devils. The fact that he isn't under contract with a team already tells you that nobody has a need for a guy like him on a roster. That's no insult to one of the greatest goalies in the modern era, maybe ever, in the game of hockey. Marty should be very happy with the way his career went. Go out on top and step aside. If he were to call his retirement now, nobody would be upset with that. For everything he has done for the sport, and for the position of goalie, he is going to be praised. Nobody has done it better for longer than Marty.

Is there a chance that somebody could take a flyer on him if another goalie gets hurt? Yeah its possible, but highly unlikely. Marty has had a great run and should be proud of what he's done in his career. There's nothing wrong with going out the way you have.

Best And Worst Of NFL Week Six

We have hit week six in the NFL season and there are more and more interesting story lines starting to take shape around the league. Injuries are starting to plague Gang Green and Big Blue,  the Dallas Cowboys are starting to show they're for real and are going to be a threat in the NFL, the Jets may be getting better, but not by much and the Arizona Cardinals are starting to now show just how much they miss Carson Palmer at quarterback. Oh yeah and the Seattle Seahawks were beaten at home, something that rarely happens. So, as you can tell, things are starting to get shaken up in the NFL through week six. Here's some of the best and worst performances from this past week in the National Football League.

Best:
Philip Rivers, Quarterback San Diego Chargers
This guy is really starting to make a strong case for league MVP this season. Rivers finished Sunday going 22 of 34 for 313 yards and 3 touchdowns. Those numbers were good, but what makes him so impressive is the fact that the passer rating for Rivers has eclipsed 120 (123.8) for the fifth straight week. Those numbers are freaking scary good. This guy can flat out sling the football and if he can keep this pace up, teh Chargers will not only unseat Denver at the top of the West.

Worst:
Atlanta Falcons Offense
With the line in tatters, the Falcons are now resembling their inept 2013 outfit as QB Matt Ryan gets abused (7 hits and four sacks Sunday) while the backs run to darkness. Nothing really clicked right on offense for the Falcons in the loss Sunday to the Bears. The team only put up 13 points, there was no rushing attack at all, it was a struggle for the passing game. It was just a bad day Sunday for the Falcons offense.

Best:
DeMarco Murray, Running Back Dallas Cowboys
Even though he didn't put up the top individual rushing effort in week six, that went to LeSean McCoy of the Eagles, Murray still had a very solid week once again. Murray finished the day with 29 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys big win in Seattle. That's what makes this effort so impressive. Coming into the game, Seattle had one of the top ranked run defenses in the league, and they were lit up for the 115 by Murray. Oh and Murray now has rushed for over 100 yards in every game the Cowboys have played this season.

Worst:
Seattle Seahawks At Home
So, the world champions are human at home after all. Including the loss last Sunday to Dallas, the Seahawks have actually lost two of their last five games at home, a place where people thought they were unbeatable. It may be premature to talk about playoff seeding, but the Seahawks are suddenly second in their division and now essentially two games behind Dallas (tiebreaker incorporated) in the early race for home-field advantage. The Cowboys and Chargers have both shown the Seattle D, which lost depth in the offseason, can be worn down.

Best:
Joe Flacco, Quarterback Baltimore Ravens
Joe Flacco showed that he can still sling it, looking like a flash of his old self last week. Flacco went 21 for 29, throwing for 308 yards. Oh yeah and he also threw for five touchdown passes against the Bucs. Sure the passing yards weren't the tops in the league by a quarterback this week, Tom Brady did that. But the fact that Flacco threw for five touchdown passes shows that he can still get back to the level of a Super Bowl winning quarterback once again.

Worst:
New York Giants Offense
After putting up 30 points in each of the last two games, the Giants offense went AWOL against the Eagles, getting shut out. IT was a drubbing by the Eagles, with Big Blues offense not being able to get everything set up and established the way they had the two weeks prior to this. To make matters worse, the Giants lost Victor Cruz for the season with a knee injury. Yeah it was a rough week for the Giants this week.

Best:
LeSean McCoy, Running Back Philadelphia Eagles
The 2013 rushing king is picking up steam after posting his first 100-yard game (149) of the season against the Giants. Big Blue has been decent at being able to hold down the opposing running game, but that wasn't the case this week as the best runner in the game showed off on Sunday. Is this a sign that McCoy is back to form? Maybe, but only time will tell.

Worst:
New York Jets Running Game
Yeah this hasn't been existent as of late. QB Geno Smith set the pace with 11 of New York' 31 rushing yards in a 31-17 loss to the Broncos. As much heat as Smith has taken during the Jets' 1-5 start, this team's foundation was supposed to be a strong defense and a relentless ground attack. The run game hasn't been used effectively every since the loss in week two to the Packers. The Jets do have solid running backs in Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson, but the team really hasn't been using them properly over the last few weeks. Once the Jets wake up and start using the run game the right way again, it will take some of the pressure off the passing game.

American League Championship Series Preview

We have come down to this. After a grueling regular season and the American League Divisional Round, we have reached the American League Championship series. Whoever wins this series punches their ticket to the World Series, something that neither team in this series have been able to do since the early 1980's. This year we will have the American League East champions the Baltimore Orioles taking on the American League Wild Card winner the Kansas City Royals.

To reach the 2014 ALCS, the Orioles knocked off the Tigers in the ALDS, in a three game sweep. They did so after winning the AL East during the regular season, with a record of 96-66. Meanwhile, the Royals knocked off the Oakland Athletics in the AL Wild Card Game and then defeated the Angels in the ALDS, in yet another clean sweep. Kansas City finished the regular season with a record of 89-73. These two clubs met seven times during the regular season, with Kansas City taking four of the seven games. As far as the playoffs are concerned, this marks the first time that the two teams will meet in October.

Here's the date and times for every possible game in this series:
October 10 Kansas City Royals @ Baltimore Orioles Oriole Park at Camden Yards 8:07 ET
October 11 Kansas City Royals @ Baltimore Orioles Oriole Park at Camden Yards 4:07 ET
October 13 Baltimore Orioles @ Kansas City Royals Kauffman Stadium 8:07 ET
October 14 Baltimore Orioles @ Kansas City Royals Kauffman Stadium 8:07 ET
October 15† Baltimore Orioles @ Kansas City Royals Kauffman Stadium 4:07 ET
October 17† Kansas City Royals @ Baltimore Orioles Oriole Park at Camden Yards 8:07 ET
October 18† Kansas City Royals @ Baltimore Orioles Oriole Park at Camden Yards 8:07 ET

All games can be seen on TBS.

This is going to prove to be an interesting matchup. From an offensive perspective, nobody in the American League hit more home runs than the Orioles, while nobody hit less than the Royals. In the post season both teams have hit four each. I think its safe to say that pitching is the real reason why both teams are standing where they are right now.

Baltimore got here with clutch hitting that's for sure. But there's a few differences between playing the Tigers and the Royals. The Tigers starting pitching was pretty good, being able to hold the middle of the Baltimore offense in check. Then  the Tigers handed it off to the bullpen and the wheels fell off. Detroit's pen was hammered by the Baltimore offense. We know they Orioles can score runs, but their starting pitching staff showed they had trouble with that Detroit offense. This is going to be interesting when facing the Royals pitching staff

Kansas City's pitching staff was able to shut down the high powered Angels offense during their Division Round Series.  Kansas City has the lowest ERA of any team in the AL in the playoffs, and they finished 4th during the regular season in that regards, while the Orioles finished 3rd during the regular season. As we know though, during the playoffs, for the most part, what was done during the regular season don't mean squat.

Long story short this series is going to come down to pitching. In theory, the starting pitching would be even, but that's on paper. James Shields, Yordano Ventura, Jason Vargas and Jeremy Guthrie are projected to take the mound for Kansas City. Nobody on that staff, pen included, gave up more than two runs in a game against the Angels. Wei-Yin Chen was the only starter who really got rocked by the Tigers, otherwise the rest of the rotation looked fine. same thing with the pen. Pitching is going to be tight in this series. What the Royals have working for them is the fact that they held the heart of the Angels lineup to three hits in the entire divisional round, while the Baltimore pitching staff couldn't really do the same thing to the heart of the Tigers lineup. That could play a factor in this series.

I just have this gut feeling that the series is going to come down to the pitching staffs and Kansas City's looks a little better at the moment than that of Baltimore  Do the Orioles have good pitching? Yes. Do they have better hitters? It's debatable but from a certain standpoint yes. But Kansas City has a pitching edge, a defensive edge, and as was noted against Detroit an edge on the base paths. It's going to be a tough and very entertaining series to watch that's for sure. When all is said and done the Royals will be back in the World Series for the first time in 29 years. Kansas City will become the 4th American League Wild Card team, since the Wild Card was instituted in 1995, to play in the World Series.The others were the 2002 Anaheim Angels (beat the Giants in 7), the 2004 Boston Red Sox (beat the Cardinals in 4) and the 2006 Detroit Tigers (lost in 5 to the Cardinals).

The Pick: Kansas City in 7!

2014-15 NHL Season Preview

It's that time of the year once again. The chase for Lord Stanley's Cup is set to begin, with 30 teams looking to get their hands on hockey's ultimate prize. Every team starts with a fresh clean slate, ready for the 82 game march towards the playoffs. Some teams made improvements, others seemed to take a step backwards, while others still seemed to stay pretty content with the clubs that they have. There are some new faces in new places, looking to start making an impact on their new teams. The Los Angeles Kings are looking to defend their crown and do something that hasn't been done since 1997 and 98, that being win back to back championships.

Teams are going to be gunning for the top dog, so who knows how teams are going to finish this year. That's where this comes in. Here's who I have finishing where in the NHL this season.

Western Conference

Pacific Division
1. Los Angeles Kings*
The champions are one of the most solid teams in the entire league. Goaltending will again stand out with Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones patrolling the pipes. On the blueline, nothing was really changed. On offense, there is going to be asking more of their young guns in Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, both of whom look ready to deliver. Also throw in the fact that the Kings will have a full season of Marian Gaborik in the lineup. He had the magic working in the playoffs paired with Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. Throw all that into a pot and I'd say you got another division title out in LA. Only thing that has me worried is will there be a possible fatigue factor from the long playoff run last season.

2. Anaheim Ducks*
Last year the Ducks were the top dog in the West and then were upset in the playoffs by the Kings. Now this year, the stakes are still high for the Ducks, with a few changes. Selanne and Koivu retired while Hiller was shipped out. Ryan Kesler and Dany Heatley were brought in to help take some of the scoring pressure off Getzlaf and Perry. What's going to be the big test for the Ducks is in goal. Their success will depend on whether goalies Frederik Andersen and John Gibson can turn potential into results. They still good enough to be a top tier team and possibly hit the Conference finals.

3. Vancouver Cancuks*
New GM and New coach plus some new faces in the sweaters were brought on board to help right the ship in Western Canada. Mike Gillis and John Tortorella both let go and replaced by Jim Benning and Willie Desjardins respectively. Now throw Ryan Miller in to stabilize the goaltending position. Nick Bonino and Radim Vrbata where brought on board to help boast the offense and try and get the Sedin twins back on track. Both of the Twins will have bounce back years. The new look will help the Canucks get back into the playoffs.

4. San Jose Sharks
After blowing the 3-0 lead in the opening round last year, things haven't gotten better in the Bay Area. San Jose still has a good team, but some people around the organization my not be happy. Joe Thorton was stripped of the Cwhile Patrick Marleau lost the A. Dan Boyle, Martin Havlat and Brad Stuart all gone, with nobody in town to replace them. San Jose is hoping for big things from Tomas Hertl, whose rookie season was interrupted by a knee injury. Brent Burns is back with a defense corps that’s so-so after Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Another thing that hasn’t changed, the need for heart and leadership. This team is still decent, but they are getting older.

5.  Arizona Coyotes
The desert Dogs took a bit of a step backwards this offseason. Here's a team that lost its top two scorers from last year, Radim Vrbata and Mike Ribeiro, to free agency. So Sam Gagner is brought on board to try and fofset that, which might be the spark he needs to get his career going. They have a solid goaltending tandom in Devan Dubnyk backing up Mike Smith. But the inability to hold a lead hurt them last year and it may not get better this year.

6. Edmonton Oilers
This is a hockey club that has been in a rebuild for the last number of seasons. Edmonton may have a decent goalie tandom in the form of Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth, who are each going to see a lot of rubber. Andrew Ference leads an average team on the blueline, while the forwards have potential, but still have some holes. Yes they brought in Benoit Pouliot and Teddy Purcell to help up front, but behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, there's lack of depth in that spot. The Oilers have some of the pieces, but its not enough in a loaded Western Conference.

7. Calgary Flames
Much like the Oilers, this team is in a rebuild mode. They lost top goal scorer from last year, Michael Cammalleri, due to free agency. They did add some good pieces in the guys like Jonas Hiller, Deryk Engelland, Mason Raymond and Devin Setoguchi but they aren't balanced enough to really be able to compete in this tough conference.

Central Division
1. Chicago Blackhawks*
For the last three years running, the Blackhawks have reached the Western Conference Finals. Heading into this season, Chicago took a bit of a hit with losing Nick Leddy, Brandon Bollig and Michal Handzus. Antti Raanta looked good as the backup to Corey Crawford down the stretch last year, so expect much of the same in goal. The blueline looks pretty much the same, minus the trade of Nick leddy. On offense they did address a need, by adding a second center. Jonathan Towes really had no support on that second line. Well now he has it in the form of Brad Richards. Unless injury takes over, this team is deep, loaded and going to be top dog in this division again.

2. St Louis Blues*
St. Louis headed into the playoffs last year beat up and struggling, which is why they were bounced again by the Hawks. During the offseason, they lost Ryan Miller, Vladimir Sobotka, Roman Polak, Derek Roy and Brenden Morrow. Adding free-agent center Paul Stastny  to a very solid forward corps was a good move. The defense is rugged and productive, led by Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester and Kevin Shattenkirk. Off-season acquisition Carl Gunnarson, projected for the fourth spot, is recovering from hip surgery. David Backes provides excellent leadership, but the West is unforgiving. St. Louis may be just short of being a cup contender again, but they are still a playoff bound club.

3. Dallas Stars*
A season ago, the Stars were a good, solid, yet to a degree one dimensional hockey club. That was a big need that was addressed this summer. The offense is powered by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, but when those guys got shut down early in the playoffs, Dallas couldn't really score. Now they bolstered the offense, adding in the likes of Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky. The Stars defense may be a tad thin behind Sergei Gonchar, Trevor Daley, and Alex Goligoski, which could pose a small problem. Still the Stars are a good enough team to take 3rd in this division.

4. Colorado Avalanche (Wild Card)
Here's a team that went to great heights a season ago, finishing atop the Central Division. Now I think Colorado may come back down to earth just a little bit this season. Colorado took a bit of a hit up front, losing Paul Stastny and P.A. Parenteau. They did add a few pieces to replace them though, bringing in the likes of Daniel Briere and Jarome Iginla. Colorado will have good firepower up front, and solid goaltending from Semyon Varlamov, who will have to duplicate his numbers from last year. The only thing that I see hampering Colorado is the thin defense. That's why I have them falling to fourth and a wild card. They may be fighting it out with Dallas for the last lock playoff spot for the division.

5. Minnesota Wild (Wild Card)
Last year, this Wild team, who was a low scoring team a year ago, knocked off the Avalanche in the opening round and pushed the Hawks to the limit. Sure Matt Moulson and Dany Heatley are gone but Thomas Vanek was locked up to a contract, giving the Wild a solid top six forwards. The blueline, lead by Ryan Suter, is still very solid and will be a strength of the Wild this year. But there are two things that the Wild need to move up in the West. They need to stay healthy for one thing. Another thing is goaltending. Between Niklas Backstrom, Ilya Bryzgalov, Josh Harding and Darcy Kuemper, one of them needs to lock down the job for the Wild to try and go deep into the playoffs. They will get in there's no doubt.

6. Nashville Predators
Nashville now has a new era behind the bench, with Barry Trotz no longer around and Peter Laviolette taking over behind the bench. This was a team that missed the playoffs by three points last year, but may not be quite that good this season. Sure they have strength in goal with Pekka Rinne between the pipes and Shea Weber leading a solid defense corps. What has me a tad concerned is the offensive depth in the Music City. I know they added James Neal, Mike Ribeiro, Derek Roy and Olli Jokinen. At the same time the lack of depth at center is going to hurt the Preds.

7. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets have missed the playoffs all three seasons since their relocation. They’ll make it four. They have young talent in defenseman Jacob Trouba and forward Mark Scheifele, and winger Blake Wheeler is a scoring threat. But they need better from goalie Ondrej Pavelec than last season’s 3.01 goals-against and .901 save percentage. They must decide whether to keep or trade Evander Kane, who scored 30 goals in 2011-12 but only 19 in 63 games last season.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
1. Boston Bruins*
Boston is a salary cap strapped team. They had to part ways with both Jarome Iginla and Johnny Boychuk, both key players to Boston a season ago. Loui Eriksson will be counted on to try and replace some of the production lost with the departure of Iginla, but he is coming off an injury plagued season last year, so it's a bit of a question mark. Otherwise, Boston is still one of the deepest teams in the entire league. Pending they can stay healthy it'll come as a bit of a surprise if they aren't playing for the Stanley Cup come June.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning*
This was a team last year that finished 2nd to Boston, even without Steven Stamkos for most of the year due to the broken leg. Now they have Stamkos back in the lineup and fully healthy. But wait there's more with this Lightning team. Ben Bishop was hurt near the end of the season, which is why the Bolts fell short in the playoffs. Now they have him healthy, and bolstered the position with Evegni Nabokov as a solid backup. Then throw in the upgrades by adding in the likes of Brian Boyle, Brenden Morrow, Jason Garrison and Anton Stralman. Tampa Bay is going to be more of a force in the East this season.

3. Montreal Canadiens*
This team pulled off a magic run to the conference finals a year ago, with the chance to do it again this year. I know the offense took a bit of a hit losing the likes of Thomas Vanek, Brian Gionta, Josh Gorges, Daniel Briere and Francis Bouillon. i know P.A. Parenteau, Tom Gilbert, Manny Malhotra and Jiri Sekac were brought on board to help with scoring. That's going to be a small area of concern is the scoring. Sure they have Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk but the depth of scoring could be a concern. Thisteam though has solid goaltending, thanks to Carry Price. Plus throw in an outstanding defense corp lead by PK Subban. Montreal is still good enough to get into the playoffs, but if the scoring slumps badly during the year, they may be in trouble to miss out.

4. Detroit Red Wings (Wild Card)
It always seems that this streak is going to finally come to an end. During one stretch of the year it always seems like this team might miss the playoffs. But for the last 25 years now the Wings somehow manage to make it into the playoffs. This year will be just another year in the Motor City. I know they are getting a little older with Datsyuk and Zetterberg both getting up there in years, and Datsyuk will miss the start of the year with injury. Still the team has enough talent, when healthy, to be able to lock down the final wild card spot.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto remains one of those hockey clubs that remain on the bubble. New team President Brendan Shanahan was put in charge to help right this ship in Toronto. Stephane Robidas, Roman Polak, Leo Komarov, David Booth and Mike Santorelli, where brought on board to help try and solidify the offense, which is being powered by g Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak and Nazi Kadri. Jonathan Bernier is expected to have another strong year in net this seaosn. The big question mark with this team is the defense, considering they didn't really do much to help out a team that surrendered a league-worst 35.9 shots against last year.

6. Ottawa Senators
Defenseman Erik Karlsson recently became the Senators’ third captain in three seasons. He follows Jason Spezza, who was traded to Dallas (where winger Ales Hemsky signed as a free agent). The Senators did well to keep winger Bobby Ryan with a seven-year, $50.75-million extension, but they have too many holes at both ends to reach the playoffs. Losing the firepower of Spezza and Ales Hemsky hurt the team a little bit. Sorry but there isn't enough scoring punch here in Ottawa to take them to the postseason.

7. Florida Panthers
This is a club that won't be making the playoffs, but on paper they are a better team then they were a year ago. New bench boss Gerard Gallant is going to have a lot to work with this year. he has Roberto Luongo back between the pipes for quite a while in the place where his career really took off. Free-agent defenseman Willie Mitchell, twice a Stanley Cup winner with the Kings, should improve the Panthers’ 30th-ranked penalty killing while adding physicality and mentoring their talented kids. The offense still leaves quite a bit to be desired, even with bringing in the likes of Dave Bolland, Jussi Jokinen, Derek Mackenzie and Shawn Thornton. They will be better, but not playoff caliber.

8. Buffalo Sabres
Here's a team who hit a lot of bad luck a season ago, finishing dead last in the entire league. Buffalo will be a little better than they were a season ago, thanks to the additions of Matt Moulson, Brian Gionta, Josh Gorges, Andrej Meszaros and Cody McCormick. Sabres management did a good job bolstering the lineup, but there still a problem with goaltending. Jhonas Enroth and Michal Neuvirt are good but not outstanding. It's going to be another long winter in Western New York.

Metropolitan Division
1. Pittsburgh Penguins*
The Penguins are trying to rebound from a 2nd round exit from the playoffs a season ago. But this offseason was a rough one in the Steel City. Dan Bylsma and Ray Shero were both shown the door, being replaced by Mike Johnston and Jim Rutherford respectively. James Neal, Matt Niskanen, Joe Vitale, Jussi Jokinen, Chris Conner, Tanner Glass, Brooks Orpik and Deryk Engelland all left town for other cities. New faces emerged in their place in the form of Christian Ehrhoff, Patric Hornqvist, Thomas Greiss and Steve Downie. Oh and the Penguins still have their biggest guns of Crosby, Malkin and Fleury. The Pens are still the class of the division, but what happens after that remains to be seen.

2. New York Rangers*
This team was three wins short of the Cup a season ago. This ofseason saw some of their key parts leave town. Brad Richards, Anton Stralman, Brian Boyle and Benoit Pouliot are all in other cities. Some of that lost talent, to a degree, has been replaced with the likes of Dan Boyle, Mike Kostka, Tanner Glass and Lee Stempniak. It was a bit of a downgrade that's for sure. Missing a top line center hurts the Blueshirts quite a bit, which could make it tougher on them for a deep playoff run. But with a solid defense and Henrik Lundqvist in goal, the Rangers are still going to be a tough team to contend with this year.

3. Columbus Blue Jackets*
Last season was a cinderalla year for the Jackets, making the playoffs and picking up their first postseason win in franchise history. The contract holdout by Ryan Johansen put a bit of a kink in the plans but he's now back where he belongs.One problem for the team at the start of the year will be not having Nathan Horton and Boone Jenner in the lineup due to injury. But when both guys are healthy, and playing with the likes of Scott Hartnell will add to the big tough Jackets lineup. Having Sergei Bobrovsky be on his game is a big plus too. But lake of depth on defense has me a tad worried. Still the Jackets are a good enough team to finish 3rd and make the playoffs once again.

4. New York Islanders (Wild Card)
This may come as a surprise to a few people but with what's here now on the Island I like their chances. They added a little depth by bringing in the likes of Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin and Cory Conacher will add to a decent lineup. Throw in a healthy John Tavares and Kyle Okposo coming off a career year, this Islanders team has some depth to it up front. Throw in the additions of Johnny Boychuck and Nick Leddy on the blueline gives the Isles something to work with and improve on one of their weak points from a season ago. And factor in the new goalie tandom Jaroslav Halak and Chad Johnson, it gives the Islanders more credability. They are a bit of a long shot but I think they have enough, if they can stay healthy, to get into the playoffs.

5. Philadelphia Flyers
Don't get me wrong the Flyers are a good, and very physical, hockey club. The team still has plenty of talent up front even with trading away Scott Harnell. But there isn't much otherwise that the Flyers were able to do because of a restriction on the salary cap. Despite the Flyers’ strength up front, Philly will take a minor step back without Hartnell and fail to qualify for the playoffs. Even with solid goalteding in the form of Steve Mason, they don’t have enough on the back end to get over that hump.

6. New Jersey Devils
Again a case of another team sitting right on the bubble. An era ended when the Devils didn’t re-sign NHL goalie wins leader Martin Brodeur, but it was time for Cory Schneider to own the crease. Their forwards are old, though 42-year-old Jaromir Jagr (24 goals, 67 points in 82 games) defies the calendar and 32-year-old Michael Cammalleri had 26 goals in 63 games with mediocre Calgary last season. Not enough here for a playoff berth.

7. Washington Capitals
This team still has the scoring punch there's no question about that. But the Caps are the type of club that is inconsistent from season to season. you never know which Caps team is going to show up. Will they play some D, or will they try to blow your doors off? Having Barry Trotz come in behind the bench will help right the ship, but not enough this year to get back into the playoffs.

8. Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes’ season ended when center Jordan Staal broke his leg in an exhibition game, sidelining him three to four months. His brother Eric, who led the team last season with 61 points, is recovering from “core muscle” surgery. They did nothing to improve their 28th-ranked power play. New Coach Bill Peters and GM Ron Francis will need patience.

So there you have it. The preview and predictions for the 2014-15 National Hockey League Season!

(Note: all previews and predictions were made BEFORE the start of the regular season)

National League Division Series Preview

The next round of the Major League Playoffs kicks off as the National League Divisional Round gets underway. Three of the four teams left standing in the National League have won World Titles. The Dodgers have six crowns (last coming in 1988), the Cardinals have 11 titles (last coming in 2011) and the Giants have 7 titles (last coming in 2012). Only the Washington Nationals have yet to win a crown, or even play in a World Series for that matter. This will be the first postseason meeting between the Nationals and Giants. The Dodgers and Cardinals will meet in the postseason for the fifth time, with the Cardinals having won three of the first four, including last year's NLCS which the Cardinals won 4–2.

Now then, let's get into it. Here's a breakdown of both division series.

First up we have the best team in the National League the Washington Nationals taking on the Wild Card winners the San Francisco Giants. Washington comes in as the NL East champions with a record of 96-66, the best record in the league. As for the Giants, they come in with a record of 88-74, taking the wild card game in convincing fashion over the Pirates on the road. This marks the first meeting between the two teams in the playoffs, while the Nationals won five of the seven meetings during the regular season. San Francisco is used to being an underdog in a series, look no further than what happened against the Reds two years ago. Plus, since this is an even number year, the Giants have had fate on their side. So let's see how these two teams stack up.

Starting Lineup
San Francisco is coming off putting up an eight spot against the Pirates. During the regular season, the Giants, who hit .255 as a team, finished 4th in the league in hitting. The Giants look to ride Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval, who have both been hitting the cover off the ball this year. Throw in the likes of Hunter Pence and Brandon Crawford, this gives the Giants a solid middle of their lineup.

Lets not sleep on the Nationals here either. The Nats finished 3rd in the NL in runs scored and 5th in home runs. Denard Span  and Jayson Werth  ranked in the top 10 in batting average in the NL. Then take into account that Adam LaRoche led the team in home runs (26) and RBI (92) while Ian Desmond also drove in 91 runs. Oh and the Nationals were able to have the high powered offense without the services of Bryce Harper, who missed 57 games due to a thumb injury but is batting .288 since the All-Star break.

Edge: Nationals

Starting Rotation
Since the all star break, the Giants starting rotation has a 3.67 ERA, which is 5th worst in the league. Their best pitcher in Madison Bumgarner had 18 wins and four complete games. The only problem is he pitched the Wild Card Game and won't be available until Game 3 on Monday. Jake Peavy, who was acquired from the Red Sox in July, has the lowest ERA in the majors since Aug. 13 (1.35) while Yusmeiro Petit is sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.23) among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched. So there is some hope for the Giants rotation, but not much.

Meanwhile, the Nationals could have the best rotation in not only the National League, but maybe even all of baseball. All five of the National starters, Doug Fister (16 wins), Tanner Roark (15 wins), Stephen Strasburg (14 wins), Jordan Zimmermann (14 wins) and Gio Gonzalez (10 wins) each hit double digits in victories. Fister and Zimmerman each finished in the top ten in ERA, while Strausberg lead the league in strikeouts with 242.

Edge: Nationals

Bullpen
San Francisco is certainly tested as standbys Santiago Casilla, Sergio Romo, Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt are used to postseason baseball. Casilla converted 19 of 23 save opportunities and allowed just three runs in 34 1/3 innings on the road. Tim Lincecum, who is also used to the postseason albeit as a starter, will also be in the bullpen. It goes to show just how deep a pen the Giants have.

In Washington, Rafael Soriano had 32 saves while Drew Storen has not allowed an earned run in 23 appearances since Aug. 5. There’s not a lot of postseason experience among the relievers, which could be a detriment.

Edge: Giants

Bench
San Francisco doesn't have much of a bench. Really, the Giants bench is not that deep, which showed up during the second half of the season when injuries almost derailed their postseason hopes. Joaquin Arias appeared in 100-plus games for the third consecutive season but batted a career-low .254. Most of the remaining bench players are in the postseason for the first time.

As for Washington, they do have Scott Hairston coming off the bench. Hairston  is the majors' active leader in pinch-hit home runs with 13. Jeff Kobernus is a pretty good utility player who can also be used as a pinch runner. The rest of the bench offers plenty of versatility.

Edge: Even

Final Analysis
We saw this in the Wild Card game, the San Francisco Giants are the best pressure team, come playoff time, in the league right now. You put them in an elimination situation in October, the Giants will find a way to fight it off. That's what makes them so good, they know what it takes to pull a win out of the fire. Washington was favored a few years ago in this same round against the Cards, but they couldn't hold the fort down. This is what's going to be so intriguing about this matchup and makes it so hard to predict. San Francisco won't go away quite.

Prediction: Nationals in Seven!

Next up, we have a rematch of last years National League Championship Series. It's the NL West Champions the Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the NL Central Champions the St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis finished the year with a 90-27 record, while the Dodgers come in with a 94-68 record. A lot of the faces are the same, but now the circumstances are different. This year, its the divisional round, which is best of five, instead of the best of seven the NLCS is. Plus the home field advantage goes to the Dodgers this time around, not the Cards. Los Angeles took four of the seven meetings between teams this season. So now let's look at how they stack up.

Starting Lineup
Despite the fact that the Cards managed to win 90 games this season, they actually managed to score fewer runs than they did last year. St. Louis scored 165 fewer runs than a year ago, finishing tied for ninth in the NL. That's a big dip considering they lead the league in runs scored last season. The Cards main problems? Their batting average with runners in scoring position fell from a historic .330 to a mediocre .254 and they finished last in the NL in homers. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta led St. Louis with 21 homers, while left fielder Matt Holliday was right behind with 20 homers and a team-high 90 RBI.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, have what the Cards had a year ago. Los Angeles has a high scoring offense. The Dodgers had the best offense in the league, leading in scoring after the All-Star break and was at its best in September, hitting .295 as a team and averaging 6.24 runs a game. Outfielder Carl Crawford hit .448 in the final month and wasn't the only one to put up gaudy numbers in the second half. Outfielder Matt Kemp led the NL with 17 homers after the break and had 54 RBI, two fewer than first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, the MLB season leader with 116. Four of the NL's top five runs leaders in September were Dodgers: Kemp, right fielder Yasiel Puig, second baseman Dee Gordon and Gonzalez.

Edge: Dodgers

Starting Rotation
Both teams have 20 game winners in their rotations, but hands down the Dodgers have the best pitcher in the game in Clayton Kershaw. He is almost a lock to win the Cy Young, in my book, and may have to make room for a possible MVP trophy as well. He isn't the only solid pitcher in that LA rotation. Zack Greinke proved more than a capable No. 2, going 17-8 with a 2.72 ERA. He scuffled a bit in August but finished strong, going 4-0 in five September starts. There's a considerable drop-off after the top two, though, partly because of shoulder woes that have limited lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu. No. 4 Dan Haren has struggled in his past two starts against St. Louis.

St. Louis is no slouch though. They have the other 20 game winner in the form of 20-9 Adam Wainwright. Behind him the Cards have Lance Lynn, playoff veteran John Lackey and Shelby Miller, who began relying more on a sinker in August and enjoyed his best stretch of the season. What has me wondering is Michael Wacha, who was the MVP of last year's NLCS but has not quite worked his way completely back after missing 2½ months with a shoulder reaction. Or has he?

Edge: Dodgers

Bullpen
Pat Neshek has been dominant for the Cardinals. He emerged early as a dominant setup man and allowed only three runs before the All-Star break. Over the last month, he has stumbled a little, which can be a bit of a concern because he has started to wear down. Fear not though, the Cards have Trevor Rosenthal and Seth Maness, who have also appeared in more than 70 games for St. Louis. Both guys have been pretty lights out from the pen.

As for the Dodgers, they have a solid closer in their pen in the form of Kenley Jansen, who did manage to record 44 saves this year in Los Angeles. But the problem the Dodgers have is, outside of JP Howell, getting the ball to him from the rest of the pen. Brian Wilson hasn't been the same pitcher.

Edge: Cardinals

Bench
St. Louis got a big bolster to their bench as the season went along. Picking up the likes of Randal Grichuk and Oscar Taveras plus last winter's trade for speedy Peter Bourjos and the July pickup of veteran A.J. Pierzynski give the Cardinals a deeper bench than a year ago. Two key bench players in Shane Robinson and Pete Kozm are in flux right now. Still it's a loaded bench for the Cards to have.

Same can't exactly be said for the Dodgers. Adding Justin Turner, who hit .340 coming off the bench was a nice plus. And yes they still have solid outfielders in Scott Van Slyke and Andre Ethier. Other than that, the Los Angeles bench leaves a little to be desired.

Edge: Cardinals

Final Analysis
This is a different scene that it was a year ago when these clubs met in the playoffs. Yes there were pressure on the Dodgers to perform big and it just didn't happen. Now its a little different. They have a healthy Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez. Plus just look at the numbers. Last year's Cardinals team had good pitching and an outstanding offense. This year the pitching is good but the offense can't match it. The Dodgers have good pitching and a balanced offense, making it a pretty easy call.

The Pick: Dodgers in Four!

(Author's Note: Thanks to Fox Sports and EPSN for contributing to this Post)

American League Division Series Preview

We have come down to the nitty gritty of the Major League Baseball season. The divisional round of the playoffs set to get underway with the American League getting the series going. It's worth noting that this is the first postseason played under the current divisional alignment, going back to 1995, in which neither the Boston Red Sox nor the New York Yankees will compete in an ALDS. Out of the four teams left standing, each have won at least one championship: Kansas City has one (1985), Los Angeles has one (2002), Detroit has four (last coming in 1984) and Baltimore has three (last coming in 1983). So all of these franchise know the taste of the World Series crown.

So lets get down to it, here's the breakdown of the two American League Divisional Series.

First up we have the Kansas City Royals taking on the AL West champions the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. These two teams met six times during the regular season, each team winning three. Los Angeles comes in as the AL West champions, going 98-64 during the regular season. As for the Royals they come in as the wild card team with a record of 89-73, and come off a thrilling wild card win over the Oakland Athletics just to make it to the divisional round. The two franchises have never faced eachother before in the playoffs. This is a mtachup of the best team in baseball taking on the most exciting team in baseball. Lets see how they stack up.

Starting Lineup
The Angles scored 773 runs during the season, the highest total in the American League, while the Royals finished 9th in the AL in scoring, pushing 651 runs across the plate. Los Angeles has a balanced lineup, with leadoff man Kole Calhoun, who's very adept at messing with a pitcher's timing and setting the table for the two who need no introductions: Mike Trout in the two-hole and Albert Pujols batting third. Josh Hamilton is healthy and all parties have said he has hit the ball well in recent workouts and the five and six spots are formidable with Howie Kendrick (.293 average, 85 runs) and Erick Aybar (.278 average). Los Angeles has a tendency to strike out a bit and don't really steal bases, but with the sluggers they have in their lineup, it more than makes up for it.

Kansas City is a team that's at the other end of the spectrum. The Royals are a team that may get on base, but when they do, they can run you right out of the ballpark. What has helped keep the Royals in this thing in the playoffs is their ability to play small ball, case and point it worked against Oakland in the Wild Card. They finished 3rd in the Al in total hist during the season, trailing only the Angeles and Tigers in that category. There are times, though, the Royals offense has been somewhat pedestrian. No one has hit 20 home runs and no one drove in more than 74 RBI in the regular season. Alex Gordon (19 homers, 74 RBI) is the biggest threat, but the real threat is the way they move runners over.

Both teams can hit, one uses the long ball while the other goes with small ball. When it comes right down to it, Anaheim has the stronger offense than that of Kansas City.

Edge: Angels

Starting Pitching
This is an interesting point on interest. Both teams have four guys in their rotation to hit double digits in wins. Jared Weaver has the most out of any starter in this series with 18. Matt Shoemaker has been alright in the Angels rotation, but outside of those two guys, there is a little bit of inconsistency. Garrett Richards, was lost to a torn patellar in August. Right now, C.J. Wilson and Hector Santiago have been inconsistent at best.

Kansas City isn't a slouch, having James Shields, Jeremy Guthrie, Yordano Ventura and Jason Vargas all hitting double digits in wins. Shields is the only one of the four to have fewer than ten losses on the season, but he won't start until game three of the series, with Vargas and Ventura starting off the series.

On paper, the Angels starting rotation is better, but they are banged up right now.

Edge: Royals

Bullpen
This is where the debate gets harder to argue. If you look at the Angels from a year ago to now, its a totally different pen. Joe Smith, Fernando Salas, All-Star closers Jason Grilli and Huston Street were acquired to bolster what was a weak pen. Then throw in the likes of Kelly Jepsen (19-straight scoreless appearances from June-August) and Mike Morin (2.90 ERA) round out a unit that has pitched more innings than any other team's bullpen.

The bullpen has been the foundation of the Royals pitching staff this season. Greg Holland and his 46 saves have been a big reason why the Royals stand where they do. Plus throw in the fact that Wade Davis has 33 holds, Aaron Crow has 11 and Kelvin Herrera has 20. Those three guys have been critical in bridging the gap from the starters to Greg Holland.

Edge: Even

Bench
Expect guys like outfielder Collin Cowgill and catcher Hank Conger to be utilized in defensive roles for the Angels, but both can swing the bats as well. There's a battle between outfielders Brennan Boesch and Efren Navarro. Navarro is versatile and can spell Pujols at first, utilized as another lefty bat as a DH or pinch hitter or play a corner outfield position. But Boesch, also a lefty, made good use out of his September call-up. He's arguably the better outfielder and has a .263 postseason average.

The Royals bench boasts speed and skill. Christian Colon, a Cal State Fullerton product, came through with a single, a stolen base and finally the game-winning run in the Wild Card Game. Jarrod Dyson hit .269 with 36 stolen bases off the bench; and Raul Ibanez, a shell of his former self, always seems to have some sort of postseason magic.

Edge: Even

Final Analysis
Kansas City is coming in hot, winning 6 of the final 10 during the regular season and winning the wild card game. We have seen in the past teams get hot at the right time and ride it deep into the playoffs, with the 2002 Angels and 2004 Red Sox winning the Championship from the Wild Card position. So it is possible to see teams get hot and ride it all the way. Plus the Angels closed out the regular season with a three game losing streak, which could play a factor. Kansas City may take the opener of the series, but I think the pop in the Angels lineup will be too much for the Royals to handle.

Prediction: Angels in 4

Next up we have the AL Central Champions the Detroit Tigers taking on the AL East Champions the Baltimore Orioles. This will be the first meeting between the two teams in the playoffs. Baltimore comes in with a record of 96-66 while the Tigers have a record of 90-72. Detroit won five of the six meetings between the two clubs, who haven't faced each other in a game since early May. Lets see how these teams stack up.

Starting Lineups
With the Tigers, their offense is a great strength, and at the same time a weakness as well. The first half of the lineup can easily put together big innings for Detroit. They have Ian Kinsler leading off, and while he had a rough second half of the season, he homered four times in September to show some precious signs of life down the stretch. Torii Hunter, now 39, hit .286 with decent power and helped set the table for the three players who make Detroit's offense run: Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez. The trio combined for 115 doubles and 80 homers, while all hitting at least .313 with slugging averages well into the .500s. After that, however, the lineup falls off. Nick Castellanos and Alex Avila both had disappointing seasons, while Andrew Romine is in the lineup for his glove and Rajai Davis is there for his speed.

Baltimore does have pop in their lineup, but they have guys missing from the lineup which might end up hurting them. Sure their big bat is Nelson Cruz, who crushed 40 homers this year. You can also throw in Adam Jones and Steve Pearce, who along with Cruz can match the heart of the Tigers lineup pretty well.  Other than that, then only really offensive punch in Baltimore is Nick Markakis and Delmon Young. But Chris Davis is out due to suspension and Matt Wieters and Manny Machado are out for the season with injuries, thus limiting the punch in the Baltimore order.

Edge: Tigers

Starting Pitching
Detroit still has the last three AL Cy Young winners in Scherzer Verlander in Price. Scherzer and Price have lived up to the hype and been pitching well in the Motor City this season. Price struggled a little bit after being brought over from the Rays, but was able to settle in and return to form. Verlander has been a bit of a disappointment, by his standards at least. Verlander can still deliver, but isn't quite the same guy baseball fans have become used to seeing the last few years. Then throw in the fact that Rick Porcello has become a factor this year, finishing the season at 15-13. Numbers aren't that great but he still been a factor, in a good way, for Detroit this year. Those four guys give Tigers fans confidence.

By comparison, Baltimore isn't in quite the same boat. Don't get me wrong, the four big starters in the Orioles rotation in Chris Tillman (13 wins), Wei-Yin Chen (16 wins), Bud Norris (15 wins) and Miguel Gonzalez (10 wins). They are good, but there is one problem with this Baltimore staff, that being the proclivity to give up home runs, something that could be serious trouble against Kinsler and Hunter, much less the middle three in the Tigers order.

Edge: Tigers

Bullpen
This was a problem for the Tigers last year in the post season, something that wasn't really improved upon this year. Joe Nathan has looked every one of his 39 years as the closer, blowing seven saves and posting a 4.81 ERA. Joba Chamberlain has slowed after a blazing start as the eighth-inning guy, and although Joakim Soria has been lights-out since returning from injury, manager Brad Ausmus has made it clear than Nathan and Chamberlain will still handle the last two innings.

Baltimore has had it differently this season. Zach Britton closes with his 1.65 ERA, Darren O'Day sets him up with his 1.70 ERA, and Andrew Miller can pitch the seventh or go after a lefty with his 1.35 ERA. Tommy Hunter is also a solid late-inning presence, while 23-year-old rookie Kevin Gausman will be headed to the 'pen after looking impressive in 20 regular-season starts.

Edge: Orioles

Bench
Both teams have relatively weak benches to speak of. The Orioles reserves are mostly on the field, replacing Davis, Machado and Wieters. Caleb Joseph has a bit of power as the backup catcher for Nick Hundley, and Johnny Paredes has hit well in limited time as an reserve infielder.

If the Tigers had much of a bench, they wouldn't have Andrew Romine in the starting lineup. Don Kelly is one of baseball's good guys, and is the ultimate utilityman, but his only offensive skill is the ability to draw a few walks. Bryan Holaday won't play unless Avila takes another shot to the head, and the rest of the bench is made up of light-hitting rookies who will see action as pinch runners or defensive replacements, if at all.

Edge: Even

Final Analysis
Detroit has the advantage when it comes to playoff experience, but there have been times where Brad Ausmus has looked like a rookie manager. He has had a little trouble managing his pen at times, which could hurt him a bit. Detroit has come in winning 6 of their final 10 games down the stretch and are still feeling confident in their lineup. Baltimore can't say much of the same. Buck Showalter knows what he's doing as a manager, after doing it for 16 years in this game. But not having three key players in his lineup in Machado and Wieters, nor could he stop the suspension to Davis. Those three would make Baltimore the clear favorites in this series.

Prediction: Tigers in 4!