Week 9: Dozen Trivia Preview

After last week ended with an all-timer, we head into the second half of the Dozen regular season with a league deeper than ever before. Of course, we have the top 4 who look the part in the defending champs, The Experts, but nipping at their heels are Uptown Balls, Booze Ponies, & of course Ziti. It is the 5-8 spots though that interest me, & I'm sure many other stoolies feel any of them could find a groove come June.

Tuesday Night

#12 Red Team (0-2) vs. #10 Grinders (1-1)

Though the rankings give this a close matchup feel, I'm afraid that may be far from the actual story. The Red Team, though entertaining, has undoubtedly struggled to get the wheels off the ground so far. This could be it for any playoff shot this season, so desperation may be in the air. As for the Grinders, they are a fringe playoff team, but one that if they can get it going here & sneak in, you may not want to see them with the veteran leadership in Gruden & the ticking time bomb of Frank the Tank.

Keys

1. Can Jake Malasek control the pop culture categories? Dante is sneaky good with those at times.

2. Who takes the college sports questions? This is where the Red Team may have the advantage.

3. Will Frank the Tank continue the hot start to the season with the new team?

   
   

Odds via Dozen Trivia Network

Prediction: Grinders 13, Red Team 9

Thursday Night

#15 Hoagies (0-3) vs. #8 Po'Boyz (1-3)

Two teams coming off matches against the top 2 teams in the league with what may be the furthest results from each other. The Po'Boyz took Uptown Balls to OT, just falling short, while the Hoagies took one of the worst losses in the league's history to the Experts. While the Hoagies are all but out of playoff talks, they still have time to play spoiler. For the Po'Boyz, they have the strongest 1-3 record in the league, but a loss here would be a killer for their playoff hopes.

Keys

1. Gia has to be on; she needs to hit mashup & all the pop culture for them to stay close.

2. Which rookie can give their team the extra punch: Content Connor or T-Bob?

3. Can the Hoagies recover mentally from the epic loss to The Experts?

   
   

Odds Via Dozen Trivia Network

Prediction: Po'Boyz 15, Hoagies 10

Sunday Night Showdown

#6 Minihane (2-1) vs. #3 Booze Ponies (2-1)

MAJOR MATCHUP! The Final Four rematch from Boston last year; this could be one of the best we get to see this regular season. For both teams, they look to have found their groove after early season hiccups. This could be a huge decider in seeding for June to help teams avoid one another. For the specific players, you have to wonder: will this be the turning point for Klemmer or the final nail in the coffin?

Keys

1. Which Klemmer shows up? 7-8 pts or 3-4? This could be the match's difference.

2. Can Willy C continue to be a major contributor? He is averaging around 6 pts a game!

3. Will the Minihane intimidation factor cause a stir for the Ponies? They did handle the Dave mystique last match well.

Odds Via Dozen Trivia Network

Prediction: Booze Ponies 14, Minihane 13 (OT)

We are heading into the second half of the season with still at least 8 teams who think they can take the crown, but as we all know, only one can. The matchups are going to keep getting tighter & more important each week. Sunday will be a movie as two giants trying to prove they are the league's best go up against each other. Make sure to stay dialed in as the tournament grows closer & closer.