BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, CYL, and CBA
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
24 August 2314
Pennant and Wildcard Chase
With one week left and either seven or eight games remaining per team in the 2314 season, let's break down the pennant and wildcard chases in the pursuit for the 2314 Sole Survivor Series championship.
Institute League Pennant Chase
Lexington 72-51 - @Obe (3), @Star (2), vs Con (2)
Fort Hagen 71-52 - @Con (3), vs Cam (2), vs Star (2)
Neither has an easy path at the end, but the Radstags have been cold at 2-8 in their last 10, putting their own playoffs spot in jeopardy. The Synths have to visit Oberland who is also battling for the 6th spot in the SCA and needs to win. The Killers should be at worst a split.
Prediction: Lexington 3-4 (75-55), Fort Hagen 5-2 (76-54)
We have the Shroud earning the NCA's #2 seed, while Lexington will have to settle for the #3 seed and host a Wild Card Round series.
Minutemen League Pennant Chase
Quincy 72-51 - vs NB (3), @SI (2), vs Atom (2)
Atom 71-52 - vs UP (3), @Egr (2), @Qui (2)
These two teams get to face off to close out the season, so we are rooting for the race to stay tight heading into that series. The Gunners have the "easier" path by being a game up and a better home-road schedule to end, including hosting the Cats. That series is knotted up, 4-4.
Prediction: Quincy 4-3 (76-54), Atom 3-4 (74-56)
NCA Wildcard Race
We already know that The Slog has locked up the #1 (likely - Magic # 1) or #2 spot, so Salem and Easy Town are in the wildcard chase play. In thye Institute League, either the Synths or Shroud will take that league with the other pretty much being locked in to #3; both have clinched at least a wildcard spot. Bunker Hil and Concord both have the inside track, while Cambridge and Starlight are still alive.
To make it, the Trons and Killers would pretty much have to go 7-0 or at worst 6-1 to finish, while the Radstags would have to go one of 1-6 or 0-7. The Assaultrons would win a tiebreaker, but Starlight would not. We are going to assume none of this will happen. Well, technically, Concord could go 0-7 with its brutal finish to the 2314 regular season.
So, we are placing the wildcard race on the following standings for places 4-7:
#4 Bunker Hill 66-57 - vs Cam (3), @ST (2), @CC (2)
#5 Salem 65-58 - @Slog (3), @NB (2), @Mal (2)
#6 Concord 63-60 - vs FtH (3), vs ET (2), @Lex (2)
#7 Cambridge 60-63 - @BH (3), @FtH (2), @ST (2)
The Stags are the only team with home-field advantage in the final week with both the Witch Hats and Coursers only on the road. Concord's best bet to fight off the Coursers for the 6th spot looks to be its two-game home set against Easy Town. For the 75ers, their last two opponents are picking near the top of the draft, so they have little fight left in them.
Prediction: Bunker Hill 6-1 (72-57), Salem 3-4 (68-62), Concord 2-5 (65-65), Cam 3-4 (63-67)
We are going to predict that order to hold up with the 75ers hosting the Hats and Concord visiting the Synths in the Wild Card Round.
SCA Wildcard Race
Vault 81 has clinched the CBO's top record, so they are #1 in the SCA. No other team has clinched a playoff spot, so there a lot of drama left. One of the Gunners or Cats will be #2 but the loser in that situation could tumble down the wildcard standings since both FHE and Diamond City match them in record currently. Therefore, we need to add Quincy and Atom to the mix for the SCA wildcard race. Southie is not officially eliminated, but since Oberland and Glowing Sea meet in a series, the Brews will not be able to get a record high enough to earn a spot. Therefore, they are left out of this discussion.
Seeds #2-8:
#2 Quincy 72-51 - vs NB (3), @SI (2), vs Atom (2)
#3 FHE 72-51 - vs DC (3), @Rox (2), @V81 (2)
#4 Diamond City 72-51 - @FHE (3), vs V81 (2), vs Good (2)
#5 Atom 71-52 - vs UP (3), @Egr (2), @Qui (2)
#6 Oberland 69-54 - vs Lex (3), @GS (2), vs Egr (2)
#7 Glowing Sea 68-55 - @V81 (3), vs Obe (2), @Rox (2)
#8 University Point 65-58 - @Atom (3), vs JP (2), vs SI (2)
We already detailed the Gunners-Cats race above, so you know our final prediction of their records: Quincy 4-3 (76-54), Atom 3-4 (74-56).
Looking at the top with the Yao Guai, a homestand against the Swatters helps in the battle for the 3rd seed. Two on the road at the Dwellers could be problematic unless Vault 81 sits everyone in that series. Since the Dwellers are seeking the CBO record for wins, we feel they will play hard through all 130. That affects three teams, then, which will probably hurt all three in some way. The T-51s and Radscorpions are also in a tight battle for the last spot with a cold Scorpions team going 3-7 in their last 10, killing their chances in the past two weeks. They must sweep the T-51s in their series to have a chance for that last spot.
Prediction: Quincy 4-3 (76-54), FHE 5-2 (77-53), Diamond City 4-3 (76-54), Atom 3-4 (74-56), Oberland 4-3 (73-57), Glowing Sea 2-5 (70-60), University Point 5-2 (70-60)
Based on our predictions, the final order would not change, meaning that the Wildcard Round would feature #3 FHE hosting #6 Oberland and the defending champion Cats as the 5th seed visiting #4 Diamond City.