The FIRST BIG Showdown: PCL Week 6

Boom baby!  Not only were my predictions Top Friggin' notch last week, all of my featured predictions were correct.  Every. Single. One. Read it and weep, (or rejoice, you know, pending on what teams you were going for).

But this week there is really only one match-up that leaps out at me. The San Diego Surfers, the UNDEFEATED team, are facing down another league leader, and many people's picks to win the PCL, the St. Louis Arch Bishops.  

Let's BREAK IT DOWN. 

Arch Bishop's Keys to Victory

Don't be so So: It's easy to sit back and think "Hey, we're armed with a Super GM playing at the top of his game.  But having such a high rated player does cause some averaging issues, and they may well pay for it on their bottom board.
Adapt to the Fast Pace: With Finegold, Akobian, and So on the team, there is a TON of classical talent on hand. But these are NOT classically timed games.  Online chess is a different beast, and ratings may be smaller than they appear.
Keep up the Energy: The Archbishops are using no substitutions, and four games at this time control can be VERY tiring.  A loss of concentration from Finegold or Akobian could cost them dearly.
Surfer's Keys to Victory

Contain So: There's just no way around it, So's a beast.  The Surfer's have to limit his point potential to run away with this one.  Dreev and Khachiyan are going to anchor this battle, and a lot of their teams success hangs on those last two rounds.

Use their Depth:  The thing which has made the Surfers so formidable is that they are one of these teams which are NOT top heavy.  A few smart substitutions can get a fresh mind up against a tired one, and that might net a few crucial points. 

Draw the Games out: This will highlight the difference between the top heavy team and the balanced team.  

THE BOLD PREDICTION

This is going to be a close one, as one would expect when quite possible the two best teams in the league go against each other.  

For the rest of my predictions, check below!

Eastern

Odisha v Gorky 9-7 for the Express
Shymkent v Budapest 6-10 Budapest
Amaravati v Johannesburg 9-7 for the Yodhas!
Mumbia v Riga 7-9 for the Magicians.
Norway v Delhi 10-6 for the Gnomes
Ljubljana v Belgrade 10-6 Direwolves. WINTER IS COMING

Central

Abuja v Cannes 9.5-6.5 For the Blockbusters
Lagos v Apeldoorn 5-11 for the Apes
Stockholm v Marseille 7-9, the Migraines are going to take it!
Dublin v Amsterdam 7-9 Misquitos
London v Hamburg 9-7 The Towers are my TEAM.
Reykjavik v Lions 7-9 For the lions to beat the rheeling Puffins

Atlantic

Buenos Aires v Philadelphia 9-7 Hard fought Kraken win
Patagonia v Toronto 8.5-9.5 DRAGONS BARELY stomach the Pengiuns.
Montclair v Cardinals 11-5. Cardinals will be sleeping with the fishes!
New York v New Jersey 7-9 for the Knockouts
Carolina v Atlanta 7-9 for the Kings. LOVE ME SOME CAROLINA THOUGH
Miami v Montreal 9-7 for the Champs!

Pacific

Portland v Pittsburgh 5-11 Portland ruined my prediction last week, and this week they'll pay!
Minnesota v Webster 6-10 A tough matchup for the blizzards.
Dallas v San Francisco 7-9 for the Mechanics
Rio v Seattle 9.5-6.5 to for the Ospreys
San Diego v St Louis 9-7 for the Surfers
Las Vegas v San Jose 9-7 for the Desert Rats!