Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters by 2There's no denying that both the Hanshin Tigers and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters have been chomping at the bit this season, prowling and swine-swatting all over the shop.
Looking at the recent Hanshin Tigers games, they're roaring like a well-oiled V8 engine, in fact you could say they've been carving through the competition like my Aunt Edna at a Thanksgiving turkey. Bar one stumble against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, they've taken down everything in their path.
Now, the hilarious thing about the Nippon-Ham Fighters – and don't laugh, this is serious business – they're seeming to bear up pretty well against the odds, too. Yeah, they've taken a swift right hook from the Tigers recently, but they've been hog wrestling some of the stronger teams quite proficiently otherwise, don't you think?
The Tigers do have the slight edge, having won the last match 1-0 against the Fighters. However, if we roll back the tape, the Nippon-Ham Fighters have delivered some severe pig slaps to the Tigers in previous matches. I’m reminded of a similar punch hole in cheese, lots of anticipation but not a lot of substance.
Regular season records show Tigers with their claws marginally sharper boasting 31 wins to 20 losses, while the Fighters have a 29-21 record. Of course, if you're into that sort of thing… counting and numbers, I suppose.
All it comes down to really, is which version will turn up on the day - the Tigers that were barely tickled by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, or the ones that seized the win over the Fighters? The world wrestles on tenterhooks, or should that be tiger-hooks? Still, I'm leaning towards the Fighters. Can't completely ignore their overall recent form, can we now?
Albert’s Prediction: Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters by 2.