The wait is finally over! Yes, Game 1 in the battle for the National Lacrosse League’s holy grail starts up Sunday in Georgia.
The two seed Rush visit the first ranked Swarm to start the Best-of-Three series in what is setting up to be an evenly matched classic Champion’s Cup.
NLL staff members Andy McNamara, Mia Gordon, Tyson Geick, and Brian Shanahan deliver their game predictions every week. Here are the playoff standings:
| TEAM | WINS | LOSSES | GB |
| 1. Tyson | 5 | 1 | — |
| 2. Andy | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 3. Shanny | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 4. Mia | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Send us your picks @NLL on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using the specific game hashtags for each match-up below.
Champion’s Cup – Game 1
(2) Saskatchewan Rush at (1) Georgia Swarm – Saturday, 5:05pm ET
Andy
The immovable force versus the irresistible object! This show down between the NLL’s top two seeds has the makings of an Ali/Fraser, Hulk Hogan/Andre The Giant, Red Sox/Yankees type of epic encounter.
Saskatchewan was below .500 on the road during the regular season (4-5) and lost Week 1 in Georgia for the only meeting between the two clubs. That was a lifetime ago, and the bye week evens out any sort of travel disadvantage. I see a feeling out process early on as the Rush grind away and pull off a close victory.
Pick to Win: Rush
Mia
While the Swarm have been solid at the hive all season long, I feel like the Rush’s experience will give them the edge.
Pick to Win: Rush
Tyson
I think the Rush will use their experience to their advantage and will come out with something to prove.
It may have been the first game of the season, but the last time these two teams met, the Swarm beat the Rush with a come from behind win. A much more structured approach of the Rush will beat the freestyle approach of the Swarm in Game 1.
Pick to Win: Rush
Shanny
Pick to Win: Swarm
Tweet @NLL your prediction using #SASvsGA
Get a full breakdown of the “X-Factors” for each team heading into Game 1 here: https://t.co/qjcLCvi1uO
Andy McNamara has been a play-by-play commentator for the NLL on TSN, NLLTV.com, and world lacrosse tournaments since 2011. He’s also a sport talk host and anchor on TSN 1050 sports radio. Follow Andy on twitter @AndyMc81.
