Well after last week games in which I totally tanked with my picks I see teams didn't want to be in the category of pretenders. I must admit I was a bit surprised by the outcome of some of the games because the teams I picked have been for the most part playing lights out ball. We had the rejuvenators of New Life squeeze the juice out the kings of T&T and defeated them by 13; Bethany who was balling all year and was undefeated lost to their arch nemesis Bronx by 13; the starts of CWC defeated the warriors of Rogers Ave by 7; Corona rolled by the sustainers of ROL by 2; Ebenezer didn't shock anyone when they defeated Sharon by 29; and Fellowship bounced back and took it to the hustlers out hustling them to a 12 point victory. What this tell me is any given night any teams could win a game, but it's those who play consistently and strive for excellence would benefit come playoff time. This week we have 6 games with some important battles. Who will shine this week, only time would tell but let’s see what Milo thinks about this week games which could improve the stocks of some teams and expose the real dysfunction with others. Let’s go.
Triumphant Tabernacle Kings vs Bethany Ballers
East meets west in a rematch from last year championship game as the ballers of Bethany try and get revenge against the kings of T&T in Milo's " Game of the week". Well what can I say that wasn't said? Both teams met last year in the championship and the kings ended up winning the match up with some great game planning and execution. Bethany knows they let a chip get away and would be looking to even the score. Although this is a regular season game setting an early tone would give either team the confidence if they meet again in the finals. Both teams lost last week and by the same score deficit. What are the keys to victory for both teams? T&T must out rebound their opponent, minimize the turnovers, shoot well from the field, and play solid defense. Bethany on the other hand must play smart and use the strength to attack the rim, shoot well from the field, get bench contributions, and push the rock. I expect to see a close game this time because we saw what happened last time these two teams met. Look for lots of score changes but in the end I feel Bethany would have a bigger chip on their shoulder and would want to prove to the NCBL world that they are for real and not pretenders. Bethany wins this regular season match up by 8 points as they even the playing field and keep up with WP.
Community Worship Center Stars vs Bronx Hawks Express
Battle in the east as the CWC Stars try and duplicate their performance from last week and take down the Bronx Hawk. CWC won last week and played one of their better games. Bronx on the other hand is flying high after beating the ballers last week convincingly. Both teams are behind in the standing and need to put a couple of wins in a row together. What are the keys to victory for both teams? CWC must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, minimize the turnovers, and attack the rim. Bronx on the other hand must push the rock, shoot well from the field and line, out rebound their opponent, and get bench contributions. Look for a close game the first half, but by second half I expect to see the Bronx team run express and make no stops going all the way up blowing the stars out the sky. Bronx wins.
Rogers Ave Warriors vs Sharon Shockers
East meets west as the win-less teams face off and try and move out the basement. Rogers Ave are the new kids on the block and if any team could understand the pressure of winning its their opponent Sharon. You see Sharon came in the league with high expectations and goals but quickly realized that Rome wasn't built in a day. Although they haven't won a game yet this season I do see improvement in their play. Rogers Ave also will have a difficult time winning in their first year and they see what a challenge it is to compete with some of the better teams. What are the keys to victory for both teams? Roger Ave must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, out rebound their opponent, and minimize the turnovers. Sharon on the other hand must get bench contributions, shoot well from the field, attack the paint, and play solid defense. Look for a close game throughout because both teams are hungry for a win. What would determine the outcome of this game is how well either team plays when they are down by more than 2 points. I expect to see lots of score changes but in the end I feel the warriors are further along than Sharon in their first year and for that reason I'm picking them to win this match up by 3 points as they finally win one.
New Life Rejuvenators vs Christian Fellowship Hawks
Battle in the west as the high flying hawks of Fellowship try and catch the rejuvenators of New Life and drop them in the standing in Milo's second "Game of the week". Wow what a difference a year makes New Life I believe have finally turned the corner and is considered a legit threat to make it to the finals. They defeated the kings of T&T last week and I must admit they are playing like a team possessed. Fellowship on the other hand proved my point last week and showed that they are for real and not pretenders. New Life is tied for first with the Horeb and with a win could take over entirely. Fellowship on the other hand defeated T&T earlier in the year and lost to Horeb so a loss could drop them in 4th place or a win could elevate them to a tie for first. What are the keys to victory for both teams? New Life must attack the paint, shoot well from the field, minimize the turnovers, and play solid defense. Fellowship on the other hand must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, get bench contributions, and minimize the turnovers. Look for a close game this time because both teams are hungry. My gut tells me that Fellowship is primed and ready but I feel New Life is the dark horse in the west and for that reason I'm picking them to win this close match by 2 points as they barely hold off the Hawks.
Corona Crusaders vs Horeb Hustlers
Battle in the west as the hustlers try and out hustle the crusaders of Corona and keep them in the bottom. Both teams won last week and both teams know how important this game is. Corona knows they can't win the division but can stop all the top teams from claiming it. Horeb on the other hand knows that a win would keep them in first place and help them achieve their goals of winning the division. What are the keys to victory for both teams? Corona must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, and attack the rim and out rebound their opponent. Horeb on the other hand must play fast and attack the paint, shoot well from the field, minimize the turnovers, and play with a sense of urgency. I expect to see a closer game than most folks but in the end Horeb is the better team and for that reason I'm picking them to win this match up by 8 points as they hold on to the top spot for another week.
New Jerusalem Juggernauts vs White Plains Professors
Battle in the east as the juggernauts of NJ try and drop the last perfect team the professors of WP out of the winning column and prove they are worthy. Both teams were off last week but I know WP was scouting. NJ must keep up with the Jones’s because another loss could drop them right to the middle of the pack come playoff time. WP well what can I say after a down year last year you have set the bar high again and proved that you never left. They have the coaching, the players, the following, and the pedigree to be the best. What are the keys to victory for both teams? NJ must play smart and minimize the turnovers, out rebound their opponent, shoot well from the field, and attack the rim. WP on the other hand must play their style and attack the paint, shoot well from the line, minimize the turnovers, and play solid defense. Look for a close game the first half but by the second half I expect to see WP pull away and defeat the juggernauts by at least 10 points as they continue their dominance.
Well that's all for Milo's Week 7 picks. Players come out and give the fans a show, fans come out and support your teams and lets fellowship together. Remember we are visitors in this land and God wants us to completely depend on him because we can easily get distracted. The one question I have is if Christ was to come today would you be ready? If we could all say yes then God is the center of our joy. However, with all the trials and tribulations going on we sometimes get distracted and God isn't first. Pray that God would give us the confidence and the will power to always put him first not only in bad times but also in good times. Don't get it twisted the devil will allow us to gain certain success if it would keep our minds off Christ. Be vigilant and continue to pray because in the end God will have the final say and if we accept him as our Savior and Lord he would welcome us with open arms. Until next time, this is Milo signing out. God Bless.
