Odds to win Season 2 of the PLW – Updated 8/1/2021
The Contenders
The Ones +200: The Ones finished off their season this week with a sweep of the Bombers and set the single season PLW record for wins by a team with 33. They head into the playoffs with the best regular season record, and will have their choice of the #3 seed Sandvipers or the winner of the Night Owls/Legends Wild Card game as their first round opponent. Their balance and depth on both offense and defense continues to make them the favorite to win it all. All five playoff teams have their strengths though, so they will have to continue to be on the top of their game if they want to hoist the trophy.
Sandvipers +325: The Sandvipers had a strong week, going 5-1 to improve to 25-14 overall and clinch the #3 seed. They’ll finish off their regular season on Monday against the Bombers and will look to stay sharp heading into the playoffs. Led offensively by Adam Tanic and on the mound by Tom Gannon, the Sandvipers are a team to be feared in the playoffs. It would be a surprise if The Ones chose the Sandvipers as their semifinal opponent so they should expect to have to battle the Snappers.
Snappers +350: The Snappers finished off their regular season with a sweep over the Legends, outscoring them 25-4 over their 3 games. Taylor Bryner capped off his MVP-likely season going 11 for 17 with 5 extra base hits. Shane Weber had a solid outing in their first game of the night, shutting the Legends out over 4 innings. The Snappers need him and Jonathan Wilson to be at the top of their game behind Bryner if they plan on making a run at back to back titles.
Night Owls +450: The Night Owls finished their season last week so just got to continue to rest heading into the playoffs. They now know they’ll be playing the Legends in the one game Wild Card game for a likely date with The Ones. The good news for the Night Owls is that James Stein will be there and will almost definitely get the starting nod. Brandon Maio will be there in relief if need be, but expect Stein to be the key to this team getting the win in that game. If they do survive, they’ll have a tough battle vs whoever they play, but a 1+2 combo of Stein and Maio is just as good as any other two pitchers in the league and could easily push them to the title.
Legends: +900: The Legends limped their way into the playoffs going 1-6 in their last 7 games but that doesn’t matter as they’ve clinched the #5 seed and a spot in the one game Wild Card game against the Night Owls. Chad Phillips and Billy Osgood have continued to struggle overall on the hill and they’re going to have a tough task in taming the Night Owls. They’re likely going to put up their share of runs, but could easily see that game being a very high scoring matchup and may need a bunch to get by. The Legends offense can hang with any lineup in the league and is arguably the deepest top to bottom. Their key to victory rests on the shoulders of whoever they put on the mound. If they can keep opposing offenses at bay, they’ll have a chance vs anyone.
Relegation Risks
Warbirds: N/A The Warbirds got dismantled in their only series of the week getting swept by the Sandvipers and were outscored 32-4 over those 3 games. Sitting at 12-26-1 and in 7th place, they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs but still have something to play for. They need to win two games against the Legends to hold off the Bombers from stealing their spot in the Wild Card game. Nobody wants to be that #8 seed and have a guaranteed spot in the relegation tournament. They’ll control their own destiny at least and will have plenty of inspiration in their final series of the season.
Stone Men: N/A : The Stonemen finished off their season going 1-2 against the Bombers on Saturday night to finish the regular season at 14-27-1 and in 6th place. They’ve clinched a spot in the Wild Card game and will wait to see who their opponent will be. Levi Lawrence missed their final series of the season and his absence was felt as they only managed to score 2 runs over the 3 games. For the second year in a row they’ll be playing in that one game playoff, and this year will hope to get a victory in order to avoid having to compete in the relegation tournament for their spot in the PLW.
Bombers: N/A: The Bombers went 2-4 this week and are 11-28 overall and in 8th place. They’ll have an opportunity to get out of the basement, but with a series against the Sandvipers on Monday, it’s going to be a tough task. The team has played better as a whole as of late but are still green and have plenty of room for improvement. They’ll likely finish as the #8 seed and be faced with an automatic berth into the relegation tournament. But this team has plenty of PLW experience and will be a big favorite against any challenging team. They’ll be at risk of losing their spot but will more likely than not retain their place in the league.
***Odds are for entertainment purposes only***
