Well, well what a season this is turning out to be. Teams are playing inspired ball and others are just playing. What I did observe is that a few teams stand above the rest when it comes to consistency and overall good play. Last week we had 8 games and for the most part teams I picked to win won and did so convincingly. I went 7-1 in my picks so I feel I have most teams down pack. We had the defending champs WP professors blowout QB by 40 points. We had the sharp shooters of Ebenezer defeat the crusaders of Corona by 8, the hustlers of Horeb defeated the sustainers of ROL by 11, the ballers of Bethany defeated the tigers of Mt Sinai by 18, the vipers of Mt Vernon defeated the rejuvenators of New Life by 10, the crushers of Cornerstone defeated GNYC Ebenezer by 46, the hawks of Fellowship defeated the juggernauts of NJ by 9, and as I was corrected the kings of T&T defeated the eliminators of Ephesus by 19. This year unlike much parity is in the league because as I look at the standings most teams are either losing big or bunched up in their respective divisions. This week we have some great divisional games with lots of implications for the future. Who will come out to play and show their worth, only time will tell but let’s see what Milo thinks about this week games which for some would be devastating and others rejuvenating. Let's go.
Queensboro Prophets vs New Life Rejuvenators:
Battle in the west as the prophets of QB try and stop the bleeding and get out the basement as they battle new kids on the block the rejuvenators of New Life. Wow what a difference a year makes QB was one of the top teams last year and find themselves in the basement the early part of the season. They were blown out by 40 points granted it was against the defending champs but I expected more of a fight. Now they face the rejuvenators who also lost last week by 11 points to the hustlers. New Life however has the upper hand because they have one loss compared to the prophets three. What are the keys to victory for both teams. QB must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, minimize the turnovers, and rebound the ball. New Life on the other hand must play smart and attack the paint, shoot well from the line, get stops, and minimize the turnovers. Look for a close game throughout but in the end I feel the rejuvenators would be rejuvenated with whats at stake and for that reason I'm picking them to win this match up by at least 6 points as they continue their march to the playoffs.
Bronx Hawks Express vs Spring Valley Volunteers:
Battle in the northeast as the Bronx express tries to stay in 2nd place in their division against the volunteers of SP. Bronx needs to be careful here because they already have a loss and didn't play WP or Ephesus yet. If they have hopes of winning their division they must win the games they are expected to win and take their chances against the better opponents. The volunteers despite their two losses played better their last game in defeat and would need to continue building. What are the keys to victory for both teams? Bronx must play their style and run express, shoot well from the field, minimize the turnovers, and attack the rim. SP on the other hand must play solid defense, get bench contributions, shoot well from the field, and out rebound their opponents. Look for a close game the first half but I know the heart of the hawks and the pride they exhibit and for that reason I feel they would blow out the volunteers and show why they are still considered an elite team. Bronx runs express all night and wins.
GNYC Ebenezer vs Kingsboro Kingsmen:
Battle in the west as the kingsmen of Kingsboro try and stop GNYC from moving up in their division. Kingsboro won their last game against Corona and would like to continue their winning ways. They face a GNYC team that is still trying to find their identity. They lost last week to Cornerstone by 46 points and didn't execute as a team. What are the keys to victory for both teams? GNYC must play smart and attack the paint, shoot well from the field, get bench contributions, and execute their coach game plan. Kingsboro on the other hand must play solid defense, shoot well from the line, get bench contributions and minimize the turnovers. Both teams are struggling and both teams need a win but in the end I feel the Kingsmen would play better down the stretch and for that reason I'm picking them to win this match up by at least 5 points as they stay in second place in their division.
Ephesus Eliminators vs White Plains Professors:
Battle in the northeast as the eliminators of Ephesus square off against the defending champs and still undefeated professors of WP in Milo's “Game of the Week ". This game will tell me a lot about the eliminators because they have a good team that would make some noise come playoff time. Currently they are tied for the second spot with 2 other teams in their division and would need to play better against top teams if they are to be mentioned with the top teams. They lost last week to the kings of T&T and that was their first real test. Now they play a well-oiled machine in the professors who is going about their business as usual. WP so far is undefeated and from the look of things they aren’t stopping or taking prisoners. They won their first two games blowing out their opponents by 30 and then 40 points. What that tells me is this team runs such a precise system that no matter who you plug in the results are the same and that is a testimony to their coaching staff and culture they created. What are the keys to victory for both teams. Ephesus must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, out rebound their opponent, and get bench contributions. WP on the other hand must play their style and attack the paint, shoot well from the line, minimize the turnovers, and get good guard play. I expect to see a close game because both teams have players and execute. However, Ephesus is facing a mentally tough team in the professors and we all know what they bring to the table. Look for a close game throughout but in the end I feel the professors would cease the moment and prove their worth. WP wins this match up by at least 10 points as they continue to dominate the league.
Mt Vernon Vipers vs Christian Fellowship Hawks:
Northeast meets southwest as the vipers of Mt Vernon try and sting the hawks of Fellowship and knock them out of the undefeated ranks. Wow what a difference a year makes for Fellowship. They went from winless seasons to winning their first two games. Proud of you fellas and coach Mundo keep up the good work. It shows that with persistence and determination success always follows. Mt Vernon defeated New Life last week by 10 points and looked better that match. They need to continue building off their success and try and move up in the standings. What are the keys to victory for both teams? Mt Vernon must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, get bench contributions, and minimize the turnovers. Fellowship on the other hand must play smart and attack the paint, shoot well from the line and field, out rebound their opponent, and minimize the turnovers. Look for a close game throughout, but my gut tells me that this is Fellowship year to make some noise. Fellowship wins this match up by 6 points as they strive to make the playoffs for the first time in a while.
New Jerusalem Juggernauts vs River of Life Sustainers:
Battle between last place teams as the juggernauts of NJ try and dry up the River of Life sustainers and keep them undefeated. Both teams played last week and both teams lost their respective games. NJ lost to Fellowship by 9 points while ROL lost to the hustlers by 11 points. Both teams need to bounce back and prove last week loss was just that a loss. What are the keys to victory for both teams? NJ must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, get bench contributions, and minimize the turnovers. ROL on the other hand must play smart and attack the paint, shoot well from the field, minimize the turnovers, and out rebound their opponent. Look for a close game throughout with lots of score changes. I like Cinderella stories but this game NJ would prove to be too much. NJ wins this match up by 8 points as they continue to climb in their division.
Well that's all for Milo's Week 4 picks. Players come out and give the fans a show, fans come out and support your teams, and lets fellowship together. God wants us to be leaders and not followers. This world is a cold place and if we are not striving for His kingdom then we are destined to fail. The devil know his time is short and with all the distractions he brings it's hard enough for us to stay committed. Prayer is the key to staying connected to Christ and it's the only method for us to disconnect from the devil and his plots. Don't give up when things get tough just pray harder and stay the course because in the end God promises us an eternity with him. Until next time this is Milo signing out. God Bless.