POOL 1
Das Boot @ Happy Shirt
Favorite: Happy Shirt Line: 5 O/U: 15
Das Boot won this exact same game, this exact same weekend last year (last weekend in July, week 10 instead of week 9). Happy Shirt is one of the best teams at making adjustments and not repeating the same mistakes – as few and far between that they are. Line may be higher than it should because of the DB offense.
Wildman @ Abraxas
Favorite: Wildman Line: 3 O/U: 12
Wildman’s win streak is currently at 14 dating back to 2012. Their defense is the reason. They have been holding teams to under 4-runs per game. Even teams in the top half of the rankings are having trouble scoring – Das Boot 4, Afterparty!! 4, Goats 2.
POOL 2
Hurtz @ Los Matadores
Favorite: Los Mats Line: 1 O/U: 17
Los Matadores is to Hulk Hogan as Hurtz is to ______. (Consider Hulk Hogan the hero and Hulk Hogan the heel.)
Los Matadores won both games last season, a GOTW and an extra innings thriller in the tournament. Hurtz keeps climbing the rankings with their impressive play (and wins). After listening to the podcast, it is clear Hurtz is the “Nobody believes in us” team – and rightly so. They are talented with a chip on their shoulder, a dangerous combination.
Goats @ Love Garden
Favorite: Love Garden Line: 4 O/U: 20
Both teams need to get into a better offensive rhythm this week. Last week, they each scored 5 runs with three 1-run innings and one 2-run inning. All the runs were scored by different players. Goats won this matchup 13-7 a year ago in case you forgot.
POOL 3
Reign of Terror @ Chalmersiz
Favorite: Chalmersiz Line: 1 O/U: 13
I can’t remember when/if these teams played each other before. If they have, it was more than 3 seasons ago. It sounds like there will be some lineup changes this week for both teams, so it is hard to say how it will affect the game.
Corksuckers @ Red Lyon
Favorite: Red Lyon Line: 4 O/U: 16
Last week, Red Lyon had a great defensive showing against a veteran team known for their offense. They did allow 5 runs in the 8th inning, but they had a comfortable lead by that point. Corksuckers fell behind early, and tried playing catch up in their game. This week’s game should play out similarly for both, with the result being the same.
POOL 4
Toe Pokes @ Screamers
Favorite: Toe Pokes Line: 7 O/U: 15
Toe Pokes are probably the most improved team in the league and the Screamers are possibly the opposite. Screamers will have just as much trouble scoring this week as they did against Afterparty!!.
MUrda @ Afterparty!!
Favorite: Afterparty!! Line: 3 O/U: 12
MUrda beat Afterparty!! 9-6 as 3-seeds in 2012. Statistically, they are performing around the same rate on offense and defense as last year. Afterparty!! scores 12, allows 7.13 and MUrda scores 9.5 and allows 9.25.
POOL 5
Rats @ Dirty Mike
Favorite: Dirty Mike Line: 2 O/U: 22
The Rats have their first back-to-back wins after surprising Slowride. I know it is ridiculous that the Rats are the underdog every week. Obviously, it works in their favor though. Dirty Mike’s offense has been great the last three weeks scoring 14, 24, and 18.
Liberty Hall @ Slowride
Favorite: Slowride Line: 2 O/U: 14
Slowride is on a 5-game losing streak, but they should win at least one more game before the tournament if their team physically shows up.
POOL 6
Tellerdactyls @ Rockets
Favorite: Rockets Line: 2 O/U: 16
Both have improved this year – Rockets beat their regular season win total from last year and Tellerdactyls are playing in a higher pool. Rockets are slightly better than Tellers on offense and defense. Rockets get the edge.
Ghosts @ Brew Ballers
Favorite: Ghosts Line: 3 O/U: 24
Similar teams, in that both can score and both can have trouble fielding. This game will come down to who makes fewer mistakes on defense.
POOL 7
Jazzhaus @ Bullet Proof Tigers
Favorite: BP Tigers Line: 6 O/U: 20
BP Tigers had the largest margin of victory last week. They may be trying to make a point they don’t belong in this pool.
Free State @ $P@C3Pu$$y!
Favorite: Free State Line: 8 O/U: 19
$! is the least productive offensive team in the league and Free State can play defense, so it might be another difficult week for S!. The Growlers are going for their third straight win.
POOL 8
Balls Deep @ Asteroid Head
Favorite: Asteroid Head Line: 1 O/U: 17
Rough season for Balls Deep, who are still looking for a win. They have lost by 1 run four times and by 2 runs once this season. It will be another close game this week.
Harper Valley @ West Coast
Favorite: West Coast Line: 7 O/U: 22
Harper Valley is the other team trying to get their first win. Their offense keeps getting better each week, but they also have allowed more – 16.75 per game – than every other team in the league.
WEEK 8 LINE SCORES
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Goats | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Los Matadores | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Das Boot | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Wildman | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Red Lyon | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Reign of Terror | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Love Garden | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Hurtz | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Rockets | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| Brew Ballers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| $P@C3Pu$$y! | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| BP Tigers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 26 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Asteroid Head | 7 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 21 |
| Harper Valley | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Tellerdactyls | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Ghosts | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Jazzhaus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Free State | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Toe Pokes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Murda | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Abraxas | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Happy Shirt | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Chalmersiz | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Corksuckers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Dirty Mike | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 18 |
| Liberty Hall | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Screamers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Afterparty!! | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Slowride | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Rats | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total | |
| Balls Deep | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| West Coast | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | |