MLB playoff predictions

 The MLB Playoffs are here, so it's time to predict them. It should be an interesting postseason, but only one team can walk away champions. Who will it be? Let's see.

AL Wild Card Series

#6 Tigers vs #3 Guardians: Guardians win in 2 games

#5 Red Sox vs #4 Yankees- Yankees win in 3 games

The Tigers had a monumental collapse, leading the AL Central by 15.5 games in July, but stumbled in the last 2 months, allowing the Guardians to pounce and defend their AL Central title. The Guardians were on fire during that stretch, and don't look like they're slowing down, so I'm expecting a blowout sweep. Meanwhile, baseball's most famous rivalry gets another chapter. The Red Sox traded away Rafael Devers in mid-June, and everyone thought they were done. Instead, they went 45-32 since then, and snuck in as the 5 seed. The Yankees came in this year as the reigning AL champions, and they had a nice start to the season. Then they stumbled a bit in the summer, and people questioned if they'd make it. But they had a strong finish, and are in the playoffs for the 8th time in the last decade. This is tough to predict, but I am taking the Yankees due to their solid record at home.

NL Wild Card series

#6 Reds vs #3 Dodgers- Dodgers win in 2 games

#5 Padres vs #4 Cubs- Padres win in 3 games

The Reds are in the playoffs for the first time in a full season since 2013 (they made it during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign). They are a bit young and inexperienced, and playing the defending champions, so I am taking the Dodgers. They've regressed a bit, but they're still a damn good team. They've got the likely MVP in Shohei Ohtani. They've got a great pitching staff, headlined by Blake Snell. Dave Roberts is a great manager. We'll see what happens.

ALDS

Guardians vs #2 Mariners- Mariners win in 4 games

Yankees vs #1 Blue Jays- Blue Jays win in 5 games

The Mariners were mediocre during the first half of the year, but turned it up during the second half. A lot of factors played a role, the biggest being Cal Raleigh, who hit a whopping 60 home runs. A dominant pitching staff also played a role, led by Bryan Woo. The vibes are up in Seattle, and I can see a hell of a run brewing. The Blue Jays were decent in May, but turned it up to a whole different level in the summer. They have a damn good pitching rotation and Vladimir Guerrero Jr, so I'm giving them this series.

NLDS

Dodgers vs #2 Phillies- Phillies win in 4 games

Padres vs #1 Brewers- Brewers win in 3 games

The Phillies were mediocre in the first few months, but hit their stride in July. There were definitely some bumps in the road, but overall it was a hell of a year. Let's see what they can do. I think they can beat the Dodgers, and they will. The Brewers have been a juggernaut this entire year, and Christian Yelich is helping lead the way with 29 homers and 103 RBIs. Freddy Peralta is a good pitcher. I love Pat Murphy as a manager. This team is dangerous. I have them winning this series with ease.

ALCS

Mariners vs Blue Jays- Mariners win in 6 games

I just have more faith in the Mariners right now than I do in the Blue Jays. Cal Raleigh is an excellent hitter, and the pitching staff is great. This team is for real. I'd be excited to see this series. This would be their first ever AL pennant, and I hope they get it.

NLCS

Phillies vs Brewers- Phillies win in 6

This would be a hell of an NLCS, and I'd want to see it. I'm not being biased, I genuinely think the Phillies are the best team in the NL. I think Cristopher Sanchez is one of the best pitchers out there. I think this offense is amazing, and I hope I am right!

World Series

Phillies vs Mariners- Phillies win in 7

I pray that I am right. I truly feel like this is the year, and I want to be right. I think the bats can warm up. Last year, there was reason to believe they would, and a lot of reason to believe they wouldn't. But the bullpen is stronger, the bats are more consistent. I believe this is our year. I could see us losing though. I'm excited. I'm also nervous. I can't wait. Let's go.

NFL Week 4

 Week 4 of the NFL season is here, and it's time to predict every game. Last week I went 10-6, and on Yahoo for weeks 1 and 2 I was 12-4 both weeks. That means my total this year is 34-14. I'm not doing the best, but I could be doing worse. Let's start this week's predictions.

Seahawks vs Cardinals (Thursday night) Seahawks win 26-21

This should be an interesting game. The Seahawks demolished the Saints last week 44-13. They looked dominant on both sides of the ball. The Cardinals lost on a last second field goal in San Francisco. Kyler Murray looked mediocre. The offense in general just looked meh. The defense wasn't bad. Mac Jones didn't look that much better than Murray. I have a feeling that Kenneth Walker is going to torch this Arizona defense and Seattle gets the victory.

Vikings vs Steelers (Sunday morning in Dublin) Vikings win 20-17

The first ever game in Ireland features Aaron Rodgers against the team he owned while he was in Green Bay. The Steelers got a gutsy win in New England where Rodgers had a solid game. The defense looked good but not great, as they allowed nearly 400 yards of offense. The Vikings demolished the Bengals 48-10 where Carson Wentz threw 2 touchdowns. Jordan Mason ran for 2 touchdowns and Isaiah Rodgers had both a pick six and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. It'll be hard to replicate that this week against a solid offense and a solid defense. But I do think that Carson Wentz will lead Minnesota to another win. 

Commanders vs Falcons- Commanders win 31-10

The Commanders put up 41 points last week against the Raiders, and that was without Jayden Daniels. Marcus Mariota did solid in relief, and he might be getting the start again this week against his former team. The Falcons got smacked by the lowly (or so we thought) Panthers. They got shut out and Kirk Cousins saw his first action since week 15 of last season. This should be a Washington blowout. I could be wrong though.

Chargers vs Giants- Chargers win 35-14 

The Chargers got a last second win over the Broncos, and Justin Herbert threw for 300 yards. Omarion Hampton got 2 touchdowns and the defense forced 7 punts. They're now 3-0 for the first time in over 20 years. The Giants lost to the Chiefs 22-9 and Russell Wilson looked awful. They benched him this week in favor of rookie Jaxon Dart. We'll see if that changes anything. But I don't think it will. Chargers win.

Titans vs Texans- Texans win 19-14

This is a battle of two of the most disappointing teams in the league so far. The Titans are 0-3 after getting pounded by the Colts 41-20. Cam Ward doesn't look that good, and Brian Callahan's seat is flaming hot. The Texans lost in Jacksonville to start 0-3 for the first time since the pandemic. CJ Stroud isn't looking his best, but he's not the entire problem. Nick Caley isn't calling good plays and the offensive line is trash. This shouldn't be a fun game, but I'm going with the Texans because I have more faith in them.

Eagles vs Buccaneers- Eagles win 35-31

The Eagles are 3-0 after an amazing, unbelievable finish. The Rams were attempting a game-winning field goal, but Jordan Davis blocked it and returned it for a touchdown. They were down 26-7 in the 3rd quarter, and the offense looked lifeless. But Jalen Hurts and company rallied to win 33-26, capped off by Davis' block. The defense looks good under Vic Fangio. Everything's clicking for the defending champs. The Buccaneers were the victims of a blocked field goal returned for 6, but overcame it by redeeming themselves with the game winner. They lost Mike Evans for a few weeks, but they have Emeka Egbuka, who has been outstanding thus far. Baker Mayfield has been kicking ass so far, with 6 TDs and no picks. The defense has been solid, but not incredible. That's why I'm going with the Eagles.

Panthers vs Patriots- Patriots win 24-20

The Panthers are coming off a surprisingly dominant performance over the Falcons, winning 30-0. Bryce Young didn't do much, but he didn't need to. The defense shut down Michael Penix. The Patriots are coming off a tough home loss, but the offense looked good. The defense looked decent too, but things just didn't go New England's way. I am predicting them to bounce back here due to home field advantage, but I wouldn't be that surprised if the Panthers got the win.

Saints vs Bills- Bills win 41-17
This should be an ugly one. The Saints are coming off a blowout loss in Seattle, and Spencer Rattler didn't look good. The defense and special teams looked even worse, allowing a punt return touchdown and two touchdowns on the ground. The Bills are coming off a closer-than-anticipated win over Miami on Thursday Night Football, winning by 10 when expected to win by 11 or more. Josh Allen still looks as good as ever. Khalil Shakir is an underrated wideout. The defense is solid, and Matt Prater still looks good. This shouldn't even be close. Bills win.

Browns vs Lions- Lions win 34-13

This is another one that shouldn't be close. The Lions are coming off a gutsy win in Baltimore, scoring 17 in the fourth quarter. Dan Campbell is ballsy as hell, going for it on 4th down and then scoring to go up 14 in the final 2 minutes. Jared Goff is the man in Detroit, and the same offense that looked like they missed Ben Johnson in week 1 doesn't look like that anymore. The Browns are coming off a stunning come-from-behind win over the Packers, coming down 10 in the final 5 minutes. The defense looked great, but they have a big test coming up here, and I don't think they're ready.

Jaguars vs 49ers- 49ers win 20-13

The Jaguars are coming off a win over the Texans. Trevor Lawrence looked unimpressive, but the defense looked quite impressive, shutting down the Texans and having 3 takeaways. The 49ers are coming off a last second win over the Cardinals, but lost Nick Bosa for the year. They're 3-0, but decimated by injuries. I am taking them because I don't know how good the Jaguars truly are, but I could see the Jags winning. We'll see.

Colts vs Rams- Rams win 37-34

The Colts are coming off a dominant win over the Titans to start 3-0 surprisingly, and they punted for the first time all year. That's how good they've been these first 3 weeks. Daniel Jones, or should I say Indiana Jones, looks like his career has been revived. Jonathan Taylor ran all over the Titans. And there haven't been many weaknesses thus far. The Rams lost a heartbreaker last week, losing on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. They also had another field goal blocked earlier. The special teams looked terrible, and it's something that needs to be fixed later. This should be a hell of a game. But I am narrowly leaning towards LA because of homefield advantage and a great defense.

Ravens vs Chiefs- Chiefs win 27-21

I don't think anyone anticipated both teams to be 1-2 to start the year, but here we are. The Ravens are coming off a heartbreaking loss at home to the Lions, where their defense couldn't stop anything and Derrick Henry had a costly fumble in the 4th quarter. Lamar Jackson is looking pretty damn good, with 9 touchdowns and 722 yards through the air. The defense needs work, though. A lot of it. The Chiefs are coming off a win in New Jersey despite the offense having some questions. Are Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce washed? Does Andy Reid still have it? We don't know. But I am picking them to win because Baltimore is frustrating right now.

Bears vs Raiders- Bears win 21-17

Out of nowhere, the Bears looked incredible against the Cowboys. Caleb Williams threw for almost 300 yards and 4 touchdowns. Ben Johnson called a hell of a game. The defense looked spectacular as well. The Raiders, on the other hand, aren't looking as good. The defense couldn't stop Marcus Mariota. The offensive line couldn't block, allowing 5 sacks. Geno Smith looked good, as did Tre Tucker and Ashton Jeanty, but there are still some pretty big question marks. That's why I'm taking Chicago here.

Packers vs Cowboys (Sunday night)- Packers win 35-20

Micah Parsons comes back home to face his former team. The Packers are coming off an upset loss in Cleveland. Jordan Love looked mediocre. The offense as a whole looked meh. Love threw a costly pick late, and a field goal was blocked. The Cowboys looked even worse. The offense looked bad, but the defense looked even worse. Brian Schottenheimer looks overmatched, so the Packers will win this one.

Jets vs Dolphins (Monday night) Dolphins win 21-18

This one shouldn't be fun. The Jets had some bad luck. They blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown, but still lost on a game-winning field goal. Baker Mayfield shredded the defense. They couldn't run the ball. Aaron Glenn doesn't look the best. The Dolphins kept the Bills somewhat close. They lost by 10, but Tua Tagovailoa wasn't the worst. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both had a touchdown. The problem was that they couldn't stop Josh Allen. This doesn't look like it'll be good, but I'm taking the Dolphins because the Jets have some big questions.

Bengals vs Broncos (Monday night)- Broncos win 31-17

The Bengals are coming off a rough showing in Minnesota, losing 48-10. The defense is terrible, Jake Browning looked awful, and Zack Taylor isn't good. The Broncos looked solid, but came up short. Bo Nix looked mediocre, and the defense had no answer for Justin Herbert. I am taking them because the Bengals are looking awful without Joe Burrow.

Those are my predictions for week 4. We'll see if I am right.

NFL Week 3 predictions

 It is Week 3 in the NFL season. It's still a bit too early to determine anything yet, but I'm going to give it my best shot.  Let's get into it

Dolphins vs Bills (Thursday) Bills win 35-14

The Bills are 2-0, after a wild win over the Ravens and a blowout over the Jets. Josh Allen is having a great start to his season, with 542 yards and 2 touchdowns. James Cook is still great, with over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Jets. The Dolphins have had a rough two-game stretch defensively, and against a team like the Bills, I don't see that stopping.

Steelers vs Patriots- Steelers win 28-24

This should be an intriguing game. The Steelers have had a strange start. Aaron Rodgers looked great week 1, but mediocre week 2. Kaleb Johnson had a blooper in last week's loss, running out of the end zone on the opening kickoff, but forgetting to take the ball with him. The defense has looked average, including TJ Watt, who has yet to register a sack. The Patriots are 1-1 as well as the Steelers, and Drake Maye has looked decent so far, but Stefon Diggs has been quiet, with just 10 catches for 89 yards in his first two games. The defense has looked mediocre, and I see Rodgers and the offense having a decent game.

Bengals vs Vikings- Bengals win 17-14

This was supposed to be Joe Burrow vs JJ McCarthy, but neither will be playing. Burrow has turf toe and will be out for most of, if not all of the season. McCarthy will only be out for a few weeks, though. We will instead be seeing Jake Browning vs Carson Wentz. The Bengals are 2-0, and Jamarr Chase had a ridiculous game last week, with 165 yards and a touchdown. The defense has been playing better, but the offensive line is horrible. The Vikings have had some offensive struggles. McCarthy was playing poorly in the first three quarters of Week 1, but turned it around in the 4th quarter. No such luck in week 2. The defense has been playing very well, though. I don't think Wentz will look very good, seeing as the last time he started a game, he played horrifically. So because of that I am taking the Bengals to win. 

Texans vs Jaguars- Texans win 27-21

The Texans have had a slow start, but they played two playoff teams from last year. Their offensive line has been playing poorly. CJ Stroud has looked iffy. The defense had the Buccaneers on the ropes before letting up a touchdown on the final play. Things haven't been great in Houston. The Jaguars have been an interesting team. They have had a solid offense, but a questionable defense. Trevor Lawrence hasn't looked his best. There are a lot of questions about both teams, but the Jags have more questions, and that's why I'm going with the Texans.

Rams vs Eagles- Eagles win 24-20

The Eagles are the defending champions, and they are off to a 2-0 start, but there have been a bit of questions, mostly on the offense. Kevin Patullo doesn't look good so far, and AJ Brown has been non-existsent. Jalen Hurts has looked average. But Saquon Barkley has been great, and so has the defense. Jalen Carter has been better after spitting on Dak Prescott. Vic Fangio has been great. The Rams are coming off a blowout over the Titans. Matthew Stafford hasn't slowed down at all. Neither has Davante Adams. Puka Nacua has looked solid. The defense has looked good, with Jared Verse leading the way. Sean McVay is a good coach, but I'm going with the Eagles.

Raiders vs Commanders- Commanders win 30-16

This might be an interesting game. The Raiders looked lifeless yesterday (I am writing this on Tuesday) but the future is bright with Ashton Jeanty. Geno Smith, however, threw 3 picks. The defense stuffed the Chargers on the ground. They are going to need their defense to show up if Jayden Daniels suits up. If he doesn't, the Commanders will be rolling with Marcus Mariota. If Mariota gets the start, I can see this being a closer game, maybe even a Raiders win. But for now, I see Washington getting the job done.

Packers vs Browns- Packers win 34-16

This one....yikes. The Packers are coming off a 2-0 start after a beat down of the Lions and a victory over the Commanders. The acquisition of Micah Parsons seems to be a key one. He is getting a lot of pressures, and even a sack. The offense has been clicking with Jordan Love. The defense has been doing great. The Browns have not had a fun start. They kept it close against the Bengals week 1, but got crushed in Baltimore the next week. The offense is okay, but the defense.....is not. Yeah, this should be a Packers blowout.

Colts vs Titans- Colts win 31-14

This is another matchup that is not very appealing. The Colts are having a surprising 2-0 start on the back of Daniel Jones. Yes, you read that right. Daniel Jones, who was considered the worst QB in the league not that long ago, is on fire and undefeated. The defense hasn't been bad either. The Titans are 0-2, but it's not Cam Ward's fault. He's been playing fine. His receivers aren't good. Neither is Brian Callahan. The defense couldn't stop the Rams at all. I see an easy Colts victory.

Falcons vs Panthers- Falcons win 20-10

This is an interesting matchup. The Falcons had a mediocre offensive showing, outside of Bijan Robinson, who was fantastic. The defense was also great. Michael Penix was mediocre, however. The Panthers looked to be dead in the water after being blown out 26-10 in Jacksonville and being down 27-3 in Arizona with 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. But Bryce Young started heating up, and the defense shut the Cardinals out in the 4th quarter. They still lost 27-22, but there is optimism in Charlotte once again. I don't see that happening again because the Falcons have a stout defense, and Young's arm isn't the best.

Jets vs Buccaneers- Buccaneers win 35-10

The Jets are 0-2 and got their ass kicked by the Bills this past week. Justin Fields is out with a concussion right now, meaning Tyrod Taylor will likely get the start. The defense can't stop anything right now. The offense is hit or miss, and with Taylor under center, I'm feeling like there will be more misses. The Buccaneers are coming off a wild comeback against the Texans. Baker Mayfield had a hell of a showing, throwing for 215 yards and 2 scores. Bucky Irving had 71 yards on 17 touches. The defense looked strong out there. The offense looked fantastic. This isn't going to be close.

Broncos vs Chargers- Chargers win 31-28

This should be fun. The Broncos lost on a heartbreaking leverage penalty last week, allowing the Colts to win on a walk off field goal. Bo Nix had a solid showing, with 206 yards and 3 touchdowns. The man is a good QB. The defense under Vance Joseph is strong. The Chargers knocked off the Chiefs and Raiders thanks to Justin Herbert and a strong defense. Quentin Johnston looks good, surprisingly enough. Jim Harbaugh is doing a great job. This should be tight, but I'm picking the Bolts.

Saints vs Seahawks- Seahawks win 21-14

The Saints were supposed to suck, and although they're 0-2, they aren't that bad. Spencer Rattler looks solid. The secondary isn't the best, though. The defense as a whole isn't bad, but they don't have a secondary. The Seahawks are having a nice start to the year, with Sam Darnold leading the way. The defense is decent, and I think they can shut down the lacklaster offense of New Orleans. 

Cowboys vs Bears- Cowboys win 24-17

The Cowboys are having an iffy start. Dak Prescott looks okay, but the defense doesn't. Trading away Micah Parsons didn't exactly help. The Bears have an even worse defense, allowing 52 points in Detroit. Caleb Williams doesn't exactly look good either, and Ben Johnson is having a rough time. This game might suck, but I'm taking the Cowboys due to the Bears bad defense.

Cardinals vs 49ers- 49ers win 24-21

Both teams are 2-0. The Cardinals almost blew a lead to the Panthers. The offense looked complacent to finish the game off. The defense couldn't stop Bryce Young. Jonathan Gannon isn't looking great. The 49ers aren't much better. They're without Brock Purdy and George Kittle for a few weeks. The offense looks not great without them. This is a tossup, but I'm taking the 49ers because they're at home.

Chiefs vs Giants (Sunday night)- Chiefs win 24-9

This might not be fun. Both teams are 0-2, but one looks significantly better than the other. It's the Chiefs. Mahomes is 0-2 for the first time in his career, but they don't look bad. He's still a good QB, and the Giants offense isn't great. Chiefs win.

Lions vs Ravens (Monday)- Ravens win 42-40

This should be a fantastic game. Both teams are 1-1, and they both have high-powered offenses. The Lions dropped 52 last week; the Ravens 41. This is going to be close, but I'm going with the Ravens due to Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, and home field advantage. 

That's all for week 3! I might do predictions going forward, but with school it'll be difficult.