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MLL Week 16: Playoff Picture

September 17, 2019 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL) News Release

After a pair of Saturday night games this weekend, with Chesapeake defeating Denver 11-10 and Boston defeating Atlanta 19-9, we can begin to get a better view of what the 2019 MLL Playoffs will look like. Atlanta has already claimed the 4thÂ seed and now the battle for 1st, 2nd, and 3rdÂ will all be determined on the East Coast this weekend, in the final games of the season.

Week 16 Schedule

Denver Outlaws at Chesapeake Bayhawks

Dallas Rattlers at Boston Cannons

Atlanta Blaze at New York Lizards

Denver's Scenarios

Denver clinches the #1 seed with a win

Denver takes the #2 seed with a loss AND a Boston loss

Denver takes the #3 seed with a loss AND a Boston winÂ

Denver is in the best position to get the top seed, despite losing to Chesapeake last weekend. Denver has a 50% chance of clinching the top spot this week, guaranteeing themselves the #1 seed with a win in a rematch against Chesapeake. With a loss, Denver could either end up at the #2 or #3 spot, depending on the result of Boston's matchup against Dallas. If Denver loses, they would be setting themselves up for another rematch against Chesapeake in the Semi-Finals, which would be the teams' third week in a row facing each other.

Chesapeake's Scenarios

Chesapeake clinches the #1 seed with a win AND a Boston loss

Chesapeake takes the #2 seed with a win AND a Boston win

Chesapeake clinches the #3 seed with a loss this weekÂ

Chesapeake also has a shot at the #1 seed with a 25% chance, resulting if they get another win over Denver and if Boston loses. With a loss this week, Chesapeake will automatically clinch the 3rd seed, sitting below Boston and Denver.

Boston's Scenarios

Boston clinches the #1 seed with a win vs Dallas AND a Denver loss

Boston takes the #2 seed with a Denver win

Boston takes the #3 seed with a loss AND a Denver winÂ

Boston also has a 25% shot at the #1 seed, needing another win this week (extending their win streak to 3 games), as well as a loss by Denver which would enter them in a first-place tie with Chesapeake who they beat out by a 2-0 head-to-head record. However, if Denver wins their matchup against Chesapeake, Boston is guaranteed second place in every scenario, regardless of their own win or loss.

Atlanta's Scenarios

Atlanta has already clinched the #4 seed

Atlanta doesn't have any upward mobility this week, already clinching the #4 seed after losing to Boston by a huge 10-goal deficit on Saturday. Atlanta still has the potential to finish the season with a winning record, at 9-7, but would lose the tie-breaker against any other playoff team when taken to head-to-head record.

This week, every possible scenario ends in some head-to-head tie for either 1st, 2nd, and/or 3rd place. Each tie is taken to a head-to-head tie-breaker and in the scenario that the head-to-head record is a tie, it is taken to head-to-head goal differential. For example, if Atlanta ends up in a tie, they have losing head-to-head records against Denver (1-2) and Chesapeake (1-2), however they are tied with Boston at 2-2, but go on to lose in a head-to-head goal differential tie-breaker where Boston has scored +7 more goals on Atlanta this season over their 4 total matchups (Boston having boosted themselves above Atlanta after a 10-goal win over them this past weekend).

Head-to-Head Records

Denver

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Atlanta (2-1)

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Boston (2-1)

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Chesapeake (1-2) with one matchup remaining

Chesapeake

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Atlanta (2-1)

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Boston (0-2)

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Denver (2-1) with one matchup remaining

Boston

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Atlanta (2-2) with +7 Goal Differential advantage

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Chesapeake (2-0)

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Denver (1-2)

Atlanta

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Boston (2-2) with -7 Goal Differential disadvantage

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Chesapeake (1-2)

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Denver (1-2)

Check out the Major League Lacrosse Statistics

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