Playoff Predictions: 2020 S1 Semifinals

Week 9: Prequarterfinals (January 13) ✅✅❌✅✅

Week 10: Quarterfinals (January 20)

• [QF] Caughtfish Defence (Gela) vs. UnFourTwoNat (Nat)
  Prediction: 22-21 | Result: 22-17 ✅
• [QF] For the Injustices of Fat Hadrians everywhere (Kate) vs. Toasted Defender Karbon Tax (Mehmet)
  Prediction: 20-19 | Result: 21-17 ✅
• [QF] Mussel aTrophy (Sully) vs. Kelseys Grammer: A Sub Par(ity) Performance (Kelsey)
  Prediction: 19-20 | Result: 17-26 ✅
• [QF] Laura S’cored (Laura) vs. ... - --- .--. - .... . - .-. .- .. -. (Mikey)
  Prediction: 21-20 | Result: 11-18 ❌
• [5th play-in] Burnt Toast (John) vs. Trout on toast (Morgan)
  Prediction: 22-23 *universe*| Result: 15-26 ✅

So the predictions went 4-1 again blah blah no one cares let's talk about Marie-Ange. Despite being traded 3 times this session, Marie-Ange has won every single game she's played in. Everywhere she goes she cuts a swath of Parity destruction, dragging her unappreciative GMs inexorably to victory. Her 10-0 record makes a mockery of every team in the league and indeed of the very principles that undergird Parity itself.

Anyway, it's her fault I didn't go 5-0 this week. The predictions are now 8-2 overall. Geofford's coin went 2-3 this week bringing it to 5-5 overall.

Week 11: Semifinals (January 27)

• [SF] Caughtfish Defence (Gela) vs. For the Injustices of Fat Hadrians everywhere (Kate)
  Prediction: 21-22 *universe*
• [SF] Kelseys Grammer: A Sub Par(ity) Performance (Kelsey) vs. ... - --- .--. - .... . - .-. .- .. -. (Mikey)
  Prediction: 20-21 *universe*
• [5th SF] Toasted Defender Karbon Tax (Mehmet) vs. Trout on toast (Morgan)
  Prediction: 21-22 *universe*
• [5th SF] Laura S’cored (Laura) vs. Mussel aTrophy (Sully)
  Prediction: 21-19
• [7th play-in] UnFourTwoNat (Nat) vs. Burnt Toast (John)
  Prediction: 22-20

My algorithm has evidently learned from its mistakes and is calling Team Marie-Ange (Mikey) to edge out Kelsey and advance to the finals. If the game does go to universe, as I've predicted, I think we all know who's scoring that winning goal.

The other semi also looks like a nailbiter with Kate ultimately triumphing over Gela. The Colantonio Brothers have had a great start to the playoffs and their veteran poise may be the difference in this one.

In the consolation brackets, Morgan looks set to eke out a spot in fivals where he'll meet pre-tournament favourite Laura. In a rematch of week 8, Nat has the edge over John to make the 7th place final.

I'm aware of how many universe point games I've called recently and it has everything to do with how tight these teams really are. I'm using the same algorithm as last year, but there were much clearer favourites then and the score calls reflected it. Kudos once again to the GMs for making the league so competitive this season!