Fall 2013 Classic SNES A1/A2 Betting Odds

[NorthwayNative]

Do you like to gamble? Well here's your chance to make some big money betting on the greatest tournament in all of sports, the SNES "A" league playoffs. SNES "A" is STACKED this year, featuring a ton of great veterans, some new school smashers, and dark horse contenders lurking in the shadows.

If you're new to betting, I'll give a quick breakdown on how the odds work:

If someone has - odds, they are considered a favorite and the return on your money will be less than what you bet. For instance, if someone has odds of -200 (or 1:2), you must bet $200 to win $100 (or $20 to win $10, $2 to win $1) if they are -1000 you have to bet $1000 to win $100 (or $100 to win $10, $10 to win $1).

If someone has + odds, they are considered an underdog and you will receive more than your initial bet if you win. For instance if someone has odds of +200 (2:1) , you will win $200 off of a $100 bet (or $20 off of $10, $2 off of $1) if they are +1000 you win $1000 off of $100 (or $100 off of $10, $10 off of $1).

Simple enough? Let's get down to the betting lines.

A1 - What most consider to be the premier SNES league, this division is jam-packed with talent and features some of the greatest players to ever play the game.

Oilers442 -150

Annatar +125

Boknows +185

C4outlaws +300

Nhltrippin +650

McMarkis +1200

Matticefire +1500

Stheds2000 +4000

With a record of 31-9 and an absolutely ludicrous 2.42 GAA (for some perspective, the next best GAA in A1 was 3.82) Oilers442 not only boasts the best record in all of "A" but also the most staunch defense (led by Dave "Charlie" Manson) and goaltending. Couple that with his amazing puck-movement, scoring skills, and Craig Simpson domination, you have the odds-on favorite to hoist the cup.

Not far behind him are two offensive gunslingers in Annatar and Boknows, each putting up an insane amount of goals this year, with Mike Gartner and Alex Mogilny causing anti-depressant prescriptions amongst goalies to skyrocket. I give Annatar the edge due to superior winning % (.725 vs .600) but both of these guys are offensive masters and a dangerous matchup for most everyone in the league. C4outlaws is a wily, well-rounded veteran who can beat anyone on any given day and is a great value bet at +300. Can he overcome Cassels puck-bobbling tendencies and Burke's swiss cheese glove hand to shock the world? He has a tough road ahead of him as he meets Annatar in the 1st round.

Nhltrippin and McMarkis both had solid seasons and are looking to ruin someones special night. They come into the playoffs riding 5 and 4 win streaks respectively which means these mofo's are coming into the playoffs HOT. If you're looking for a big return on your bets, look no further. Matticefire and Stheds2000 both had respectable, yet still sub .500 seasons, hence their long odds. They are not to be counted out though, and could make you rich if you're willing to gamble on the big dogs here. Regular season stats are all out the window, and as the 2012 LA Kings proved, even the #8 seed can step it up when all the chips are on the table.

A2 - While not as deep as the A1 division, A2 is not to be underestimated and features several elite players, as well as numerous less experienced players who are improving at a frenetic pace and will be a force to be reckoned with in years to come.

Pondhcky -110

JBalicki +100

NorthwayNative +150

Matticefire +375

BlackDevil19 +620

Joe Baker +900

Omega-Red +4250

Boasting a record of 29-11, Pondhcky ruled over A2 with an iron fist this season. His well-rounded Bruins proved to be too much for most teams in the league and his offensive line of Ruzicka, Neely, and Oates was firing on all cylinders throughout the year. Add to that his Bobby Orr-like puck rushing ability with Ray Bourque and you've got one fearsome opponent. He also put up the best GAA in A2 with a 3.21 He comes in as a slight favorite over his two biggest rivals, Jbalicki and NorthwayNative.

Balicki did his fair share of smashing this year, finishing with an impressive 28-9 record. His GFA (4.93) and GAA (3.59) prove that he can score a lot while keeping the puck out of his net, which is always a recipe for success. His Nordique team put up great numbers throughout the year, and the stats for his forwards speak for the fact that he likes to move the puck around (104 pts for Sundin, 93 for Sakic, and Nolan with 84) instead of relying on one star player to provide all his offense. He comes in at even money ($100 bet wins you $100).

NorthwayNative proved that he likes to make goalies cry, as his 5.93 GFA with Hartford was 2nd in all of "A" behind Boknows. He also put up the best winning % in the league with a .788, although he only completed 33 games. Sadly, Balicki and Northway weren't able to play their games as one works during the day and the other works at night. This makes a potential matchup between the two exciting as they have no idea what the other guys style is lie. The return on him is +150 as he comes into the playoffs motivated to avenge his regular season losses at the hands of Pondhcky's Bruins.

Matticefire and Blackdevil19 are looking to turn things around after respectable, yet somewhat disappointing seasons. Both players have an offense-centric attack (each putting up a +4 GFA) but need to tighten up their defense if they hope to go deep in the playoffs. Matt's Devils and Black's Sabre's have their eyes on the prize, and are looking for the big upset over the favorites, which they can definitely achieve as they are both very intelligent and skilled players. Matt had the better win % with a 23-17 record, so he comes in at a +350 dog while BD was a bit below .500 and comes in at +620. Can they bring their squads together and overcome the heavy favorites? Scott Stevens and Mogilny say yes.

Joe Baker and Omega-Red both struggled a bit during the regular season, but also showed signs of brilliance. Both teams put up a lot of goals but their downfall was giving up too many, so they have a lot of work to do on the defensive side of the puck if they want to pull off the big upset. Baker is coming in at +900 while Omega comes in as the biggest dog of the bunch at +4250.

***I didn't include Etevans (who made the playoffs) since he and Northway already played their playoff series, which Northway won. However, he had a nice year as the Habs, with a record of 23-17. He had a fantastic 124 point season with Kirk Muller which deserves mention, and is a very tough and highly skilled offensive-minded player. I would've put his odds at around +500 since he had a very good year and had an offense capable of smashing any player in the league. Look for him to come back even stronger next year.

There you have it! I say we all start with a hypothetical $10,000 and post our bets in the thread. Whoever makes the most money wins bragging rights as the most savvy bettor on the site. If I could afford some kind of prize to get the winner I would, but alas, Northway is a poor son of a B despite working all the damn time.

If you have a problem with any of my odds, feel free to suggest what you'd change about them. Friendly trash talk is encouraged but please keep any bickering or drama the hell out of this thread. Good luck everybody!

Edited November 17, 2013 by NorthwayNative

[kingraph]

Love this!

I don't know the snes guys well enough to make an informed bet, but the gambler in me has no problem betting anyway!

$5,000 on BoK. He won with Buffalo before and lost in the finals with them another time. He also coughed up $45M to secure Mogilny in the upcoming SNES dynasty league. Something about this...

I'll parlay my other $5k on Northway Native. He's already one round closer, good odds, highest win %, and he put up this wonderful odds thread. Also, he had a 22 game win streak in SNES B last season that was ruined by yours truly and he likes when I mention that.

Good luck to all!

(but especially Bok and Northway as I have 10 G's riding on you buds!!)

[NorthwayNative]

C'mon suckers, who's your money on?

I'm gonna go ahead and put $5 g's on myself ala Pete Rose, and then I'm gonna put $3,500 on Oilers, as well as $1,500 on C4. If Oilers wins I'll get $750, If C4 wins I get $1000. If they both lose I'm screwed!