Tuesday Lines

Game of the Night

#6 I.B.S. (-1) vs #9 White Whale, 8:30pm

No one tells people that results don’t matter and to chill out more than Oolie does.  Until he starts winning.  Then he’s all about the competitive side.  Well, I.B.S. has started winning, and the team has gotten brash.  Oolie does the talking, with the Ram Bros as backup muscle.  The big move for I.B.S. was re-acquiring Killer B, who played for Y&B last year after a contract dispute.  His first week back was his best ever, averaging nearly 200.  While he won’t stay there, he certainly offers IBS a strong ace.  Now he just has to get 7 more games in to qualify for the playoffs.  White Whale doesn’t look like they’d win this one on paper, but they are the posterchildren for playing to the level of their competition.  They still have a core that reached two BoPo finals, plus a BoPo champion.  With the exception of a guest appearance by Jeltz/Pequod, they haven’t had any eye-catching scores, just waves of solid, team based performances.  The more I think about it, the more I think they can pull this upset.

6pm Games

#2 Binga’s (-7) vs #14 Saucy Posse: One reason Binga’s is an excellent team is that they don’t really care about standings, power rankings, what have you.  They know that all of that gets shaken out in the playoffs.  In the meantime, they are beating everyone in their path, and are rolling as well as any team in the league right now.  General Tso is a true all-star, Cookie is getting better and better, and Layne can roll with the top women in the league when she’s on.  Their Zion train is rolling.  As for SauPo, this is their last chance to make an impression.  They need a strong showing for their confidence heading into the playoffs.  It’s probably a good thing this team doesn’t play on St. Patrick’s Day.

#5 Team Micaela (-11) vs #17 Gutterballs: This one looks like a mismatch, but the Gutterballs always surprise me.  Stevie Strikes seems to have his game back, and Bama and Gutterboy are equally capable.  With Mona Laudley putting in all that practice time, too, these guys continue to be loaded with talent.  The Gutterballs have been master point-getters, so they have some cushion built in.  They will have to feel good if they can keep the outcome in doubt heading into game 3.

#12 Sweet Rolls (-9) vs UREA!: The Sweet Rolls are in a logjam for the 4th place Tuesday slot.  With a game in the final week against Team Micaela, they need all the points they can get in this one.  UREA! is a bit streaky, but when T-$ is around, they always have a weapon.  Tecumseh is also competing in the race of the Iron Arm trophy for most games rolled.

Incredibowls (-13) vs Madbotts: The Incredibowls are currently stuck in the play-in round, but are only 4.5 points out.  They need all the points they can get, so expect no mercy when they play the Madbotts.  The Madbotts locked up a play-in game weeks ago, so they can focus on other things, like dancing and looking excellent.

Bowlderdash (-7) vs Lesbowlians: The exact same scenario as the Incredibowls/Madbotts game.  Lesbowlians have some confidence, though, after coming back for 4 points in game 3 vs. White Whale.

8:30 Games

#18 Roll Another (-3) vs Pud’s Taxi: Roll Another only has 3 points in two weeks, and their confidence is down after last week’s shutout.  They’ll get a chance to rebuild it against a Pud’s team that has yet to live up to last year’s standards of bowling or dancing.  This a big game for Pud’s to avoid the play-in round.

Strikes of Hazzard (-1) vs Three Livers: Oh how the mighty have fallen.  Three Livers has been a perennial contender, though they seem to drop off a little each season.. When’s Wilma getting back?  Strikes were ranked as high as tenth this season, but then Uncle Jesse left and shit hit the fan.  Even his return hasn’t been able to staunch the bleeding.  If this game is close, as expected, then both teams will likely end up in the play-in round.  Oh my.

#12 D.-G.U.T.S. (-7) vs Pinups: Maybe Chunk will make a surprise appearance for the Pinups and save the day.  Probably not.  They did show some signs of life with Bulj Temptingly wading into the trash talk arena to take shots at BEER.  That seems to be a popular move for desperate teams.  Still, it shows pizazz.  Cap’n Collection has his team peaking heading into the playoffs, in true sports radio fashion.  Look for them to grab another bundle of points and flirt with a top ten ranking.

#19 Balls Of Fury (-7) vs 5 O’Clock Somewheres:  The Furious ones have been a revelation this season, proving they can play with anyone and earning their expansion spot.  They try to grab a few more points in the standings while the getting is good.  The 5 O’s have also been a revelation, as captain Tillie has them unfied and happy and well-dressed.  Her team appears to be locked in to a play-in game, but they can still be dangerous at times.