Prognostication...or Script Reading?

 The NFL season is over. Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs on winning Super Bowl XLVII.

The NBA and NHL seasons can see the playoffs on the horizon.

The MLB season is just about to begin.

With that, let’s look at all four major leagues and make some predictions that will surely be proven incorrect. This will already get long, so very little, if any, explanation. Just gut feeling. Or, maybe, I have the scripts…

 

NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference

1.       Milwaukee Bucks

2.       Boston Celtics

3.       Philadelphia 76ers

4.       Cleveland Cavaliers

5.       Miami Heat

6.       New York Knicks

7.       Atlanta Hawks

8.       Brooklyn Nets

9.       Toronto Raptors

10.   Chicago Bulls

Western Conference

1.       Denver Nuggets

2.       Memphis Grizzlies

3.       Sacramento Kings

4.       Pheonix Suns

5.       Dallas Mavericks

6.       New Orleans Pelicans

7.       Los Angeles Clippers

8.       Golden State Warriors

9.       Minnesota Timberwolves

10.   Utah Jazz

Play-In Tournament:

Toronto Raptors over Chicago Bulls

Atlanta Hawks over Brooklyn Nets

Chicago Bulls over Brooklyn Nets

Minnesota Timberwolves over Utah Jazz

Golden State Warriors over Los Angeles Clippers

Minnesota Timberwolves over Los Angeles Clippers

 

Round One:

Milwaukee Bucks over Chicago Bulls

Boston Celtics over Atlanta Hawks

Cleveland Cavaliers over Miami Heat

Philadelphia 76ers over New York Knicks

Denver Nuggets over Minnesota Timberwolves

Memphis Grizzlies over Golden State Warriors

Pheonix Suns over Dallas Mavericks

New Orleans Pelicans over Sacramento Kings

 

Round Two:
Milwaukee Bucks over Cleveland Cavaliers

Boston Celtics over Philadelphia 76ers

Denver Nuggets over Pheonix Suns

Memphis Grizzlies over New Orleans Pelicans

 

Conference Championships

Milwaukee Bucks over Boston Celtics

Memphis Grizzlies over Denver Nuggets

 

NBA Championship

Milwaukee Bucks over Memphis Grizzlies

 

NHL Playoffs

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

1.       Boston Bruins

2.       Tampa Bay Lightning

3.       Toronto Maple Leafs

Metropolitan Division

1.       Carolina Hurricanes

2.       New Jersey Devils

3.       New York Rangers

Wild Card

1.       Pittsburgh Penguins

2.       Washington Capitals

 

Western Conference

Central Division

1.       Dallas Stars

2.       Winnipeg Jets

3.       Colorado Avalanche

Pacific Division

1.       Las Vegas Golden Knights

2.       Edmonton Oilers

3.       Seattle Kraken

Wild Card

1.       Los Angeles Kings

2.       Calgary Flames

Round One

Boston Bruins over Washington Capitals

Tampa Bay Lightning over Toronto Maple Leafs

Carolina Hurricanes over Pittsburgh Penguins

New York Rangers over New Jersey Devils

Las Vegas Golden Knights over Calgary Flames

Dallas Stars over Los Angeles Kings

Colorado Avalanche over Winnipeg Jets

Edmonton Oilers over Seattle Kraken

 

Round Two

Boston Bruins over Tampa Bay Lightning

Carolina Hurricanes over New York Rangers

Dallas Stars over Colorado Avalanche

Edmonton Oilers over Las Vegas Golden Knights

 

Conference Championships

Boston Bruins over Carolina Hurricanes

Edmonton Oilers over Dallas Stars

 

Stanley Cup Final

Boston Bruins over Edmonton Oilers

 

MLB Playoffs

Here’s a crazy prediction: all 12 of the teams that made the playoffs in 2022 will make the playoffs again in 2023. On top of that, there will be very little different in the seeding.

AL East

1.       New York Yankees

2.       Toronto Blue Jays

3.       Tampa Bay Rays

4.       Baltimore Orioles

5.       Boston Red Sox

AL Central

1.       Cleveland Guardians

2.       Minnesota Twins

3.       Chicago White Sox

4.       Kansas City Royals

5.       Detroit Tigers

AL West

1.       Houston Astros

2.       Seattle Mariners

3.       Texas Rangers

4.       Los Angeles Angels

5.       Oakland A’s

 

NL East

1.       New York Mets

2.       Philadelphia Phillies

3.       Atlanta Braves

4.       Miami Marlins

5.       Washington Nationals

NL Central

1.       St. Louis Cardinals

2.       Chicago Cubs

3.       Milwaukee Brewers

4.       Pittsburgh Pirates

5.       Cincinnati Reds

NL West

1.       Los Angeles Dodgers

2.       San Diego Padres

3.       San Francisco Giants

4.       Arizona Diamondbacks

5.       Colorado Rockies

 

Playoffs

American League

1.       New York Yankees

2.       Houston Astros

3.       Cleveland Guardians

4.       Toronto Blue Jays

5.       Seattle Mariners

6.       Tampa Bay Rays

National League

1.       Los Angeles Dodgers

2.       St. Louis Cardinals

3.       New York Mets

4.       Philadelphia Phillies

5.       Atlanta Braves

6.       San Diego Padres

 

Wild Card Round

Tampa Bay Rays over Cleveland Guardians (2-1)

Toronto Blue Jays over Seattle Mariners (2-1)

New York Mets over San Diego Padres (2-0)

Atlanta Braves over Philadelphia Phillies (2-1)

 

Divisional Series

New York Yankees over Toronto Blue Jays (4-1)

Houston Astros over Tampa Bay Rays (4-1)

St. Louis Cardinals over Atlanta Braves (4-3)

New York Mets over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2)

 

Championship Series

New York Yankees over Houston Astros (4-2)

St. Louis Cardinals over New York Mets (4-3)

 

World Series

New York Yankees over St. Louis Cardinals (4-2)

 

(Yes, it pains me as a Red Sox fan to predict the Yankees’ success this year. It is 1000% exacerbate by the fact that the Red Sox will finish in last place in the division for a second straight year. I try to be an impartial analyst. I do think the NL East will be the strongest division as the Mets, Phillies and Braves and will all be very good teams. The Dodgers and Cardinals get better seeding based on playing weaker divisions and raking up more wins as a result).

 

NFL Offseason

Let’s predict some notable free agent signings, one trade, and the first round of the draft.

Free Agency

Interior Offensive Line

Ben Powers – Houston Texans

Connor McGovern – Houston Texans

Dalton Risner – Houston Texans

Isaac Seumalo – Atlanta Falcons

Rodney Houston – New York Jets

 

Offensive Tackles

Orlando Brown Jr. – Baltimore Ravens

Mike McGlinchey – Cincinnati Bengals

Kaleb McGary – Atlanta Falcons

George Fant – New York Jets

Eric Fisher – Miami Dolphins

 

Defensive Line

Javon Hargrave – Philadelphia Eagles

Daron Payne – Green Bay Packers

Fletcher Cox – Atlanta Falcons

Dre’Mont Jones – Las Vegas Raiders

Zach Allen – Minnesota Vikings

 

Edge

Arden Key – Atlanta Falcons

Melvin Engram – Pittsburgh Steelers

Marcus Davenport – Detroit Lions

Yannick Ngakoue – Chicago Bears

Brandon Graham – Atlanta Falcons

 

Linebackers

Lavonte David – New York Giants

Devin Bush – Pittsburgh Steelers

Tremaine Edmunds – Seattle Seahawks

Deion Jones – Chicago Bears

Leighton Vander Esch – Las Vegas Raiders

 

Defensive Backs

Jessie Bates III – Cincinnati Bengals

Jamel Dean – Atlanta Falcons

James Bradberry – Detroit Lions

Jordan Poyer – Buffalo Bills

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson – Philadelphia Eagles

 

Tight Ends

Evan Engram – Jacksonville Jaguars

Dalton Schultz – Cincinnati Bengals

Mike Gesicki – Tennessee Titans

Hayden Hurst – Seattle Seahawks

Robert Tonyan Jr. – New York Jets

 

Wide Receivers

Odell Beckham Jr. – Buffalo Bills

Jakobi Myers – Tennessee Titans

JuJu Smith-Schuster – Baltimore Ravens

DJ Chark – New York Giants

Mecole Hardman – Kansas City Chiefs

 

Running Backs

Saquan Barkley – New York Giants

Tony Pollard – Philadelphia Eagles

Josh Jacobs – Las Vegas Raiders

Miles Sanders – Chicago Bears

Kareem Hunt – Denver Broncos

 

Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers – traded to the New York Jets!

New York Jets receive: Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay Packers receive: 2023 picks 13, 43, 112; 1^st Round; 2025 2^nd Round; WR Elijah Moore

Jets trade Zach Wilson to Arizona for 6^th round pick

Lamar Jackson – Baltimore Ravens

Derek Carr – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Geno Smith – Seattle Seahawks

Jimmy Garoppolo – Tennessee Titans

Daniel Jones – New York Giants

Drew Lock – Indianapolis Colts

Baker Mayfield – New Orleans Saints (one-year deal)

Sam Darnold – Dallas Cowboys (backup)

Jacoby Brissett – Las Vegas Raiders

 

NFL Draft

TRADE –

Houston Texans get: 2023 pick 1; 2024 6^th Round

Chicago Bears get: 2023 picks 2, 12, 104, 203; 2024 2^nd Round

 

1.       Houston Texans select QB Bryce Young, Alabama

2.       Chicago Bears select DI Jalen Carter, Georgia

3.       Arizona Cardinals select EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Alabama

4.       Indianapolis Colts select QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

5.       Seattle Seahawks select EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech

6.       Detroit Lions select CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

7.       Las Vegas Raiders select QB Will Levis, Kentucky

8.       Atlanta Falcons select WR Quentin Johnson, TCU

9.       Carolina Panthers select QB Anthony Richardson, Florida

10.   Philadelphia Eagles select CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

11.   Tennessee Titans select T Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State

12.   Chicago Bears select S Brian Branch, Alabama

13.   Green Bay Packers select EDGE Lukas Van Ness

14.   New England Patriots select T Peter Skoronski

15.   Green Bay Packers select WR Jordan Addison, USC

16.   Washington Commanders select DI Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh

17.   Pittsburgh Steelers select T Broderick Jones, Georgia

18.   Detroit Lions select DI Bryan Bresee, Clemson

19.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers select EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson

20.   Seattle Seahawks select CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State

21.   Los Angeles Charges select WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State

22.   Baltimore Ravens select CB Deonte Banks, Maryland

23.   Minnesota Vikings select EDGE Andre Carter II, Army

24.   Jacksonville Jaguars select G O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida

25.   New York Giants select WR Zay Flowers, Boston College

26.   Dallas Cowboys select TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah

27.   Buffalo Bills select T Anton Harrison, Oklahoma

28.   Cincinnati Bengals select EGDE Nolan Smith, Georgia

29.   New Orleans Saints select QB Tanner McKee, Stanford

30.   Philadelphia Eagles select G Steve Avila, TCU

31.   Kansas City Chiefs select EDGE Will McDonald IV

(Miami forfeited a 1^st round pick as part of an investigation into illegal tampering)