Stump the Stiffs: Week 1, 10-30-15

Welcome to the very first ever Stump the Stiffs. Stump the Stiffs is a weekly pick em’ challenge that pits Stiffs writers against Stiffs and Reddit commenters. This week we take a stab at picking four NBA games on the slate for tonight as well as the winner of the World Series. All picks were made prior to the start of the Series, so don’t beat us up too much if we picked the now trailing 2-0 Mets. For our first week we’ve kept it in house with Stiffs moderator Muneer Barkatullah (aka Mancar), Denver Nuggets sub-Reddit master Alec Gwin (aka /u/IdRatherBeLurking) and myself making the picks. Starting next week though the commenters will square off against a different Stiffs writer each week. Be sure to reach out to the moderators or Alec if you want to get involved.

Zach Mikash (@ZachMikash): I can’t pick against the Nuggets on the home opener against a team like the Timberwolves and for the most part, I went with the home team on my picks. If the Mia/Cle game was in Miami I might have gone the other way. The only road team I have winning is the defending champion Warriors. Houston’s home opener was a big let down for them so I don’t expect the crowd to be as pumped when Golden State comes to town. As for the Series, two reasons I’m picking the Mets: 1. They have three stud starting pitchers; 2. My boss is a huge Mets fan and he may read this!

Muneer Barkatullah: Nuggets will return to glory on their home court, the Timberwolves are just the first step. The Cavaliers could struggle with an ailing Lebron James but I see them making a statement to the rest of the Eastern conference from the get go. Rockets will have a tough time against the defending champions but Harden will flop his team to the victory. Wizards prove to be too much to overcome for the (still) up and coming Bucks…although I do see Giannis Antetokounmpo having a BIG game in a close loss. Mets vs. Royals: Cubs….errr… I’m dead inside so I might as well pick the Royals. Both have such a great combination of hitting a pitching that this series could come down to a few errors in 2 or 3 games. Might as well give it to the Royals…I mean Kansas City has got to have something sometime.

Alec Gwin (@alecgwin): I can’t faithfully call myself a Nuggets fan if I pick the T-wolves over our Nuggets on opening night. I think there will be a buzz in The Can tonight that’s been sorely missing the last two years, and our boys will feed off that. It will be a close game between the Heat and Cavs, but I have the Cavs pulling through in the end. The Rockets and their home crowd will still be in shock from the upset handed to them by the Nuggets on Wednesday, and I expect the Warriors to prove why they are the best team in the league. Bucks/Wizards is a toss up. I’m banking on the more experienced Wizards roster proving their worth over the young talent of the Bucks. Since Baseball ended for me in June, I’m picking the Mets.

So there you have it! Kudos to Alec who called the Rockets losing to the Nuggets as his picks were in prior to the game on Wednesday night. We’ll make sure to keep track of how each group fares and award the ultimate prize of bragging rights at the end of the season.