NCAA Conference Championship Games 2018 | Ticket King Inc.

We have reached one of the most the most sacred weekends in the yearly sports calendar, college football’s Conference Championship weekend. Let’s go through the games one by one, and we’ll predict the scores.
PAC-12 Championship Game, Utah vs. Washington- This one takes place on Friday night in San Francisco. This will be a lower-scoring game than some of the others this weekend as both teams have great defenses. On offense, Utah is all about the running game, led by 1,000-yard rusher Zack Moss leading the way. On offense, Washington features one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Jake Browning. The Utah defense will give Browning a good chance to show off his skills for NFL scouts. Final score: 27-20 Washington.
Big 12 Championship Game, Texas vs. Oklahoma- This one takes place at “Jerry World,” AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This will of course be the second match up of the season between these two teams, with Texas winning a barn burner 48-45 in week seven. Expect more of the same, an ultra-high scoring contest. Final Score: 59-52 Texas.
AAC Championship Game, Memphis vs. Central Florida- Of all of the notable conference championship games, this one will be the least interesting. Central Florida is undefeated with the nation’s longest winning streak. Depending on what happens everywhere else, UCF could sneak into the college football playoffs. Final score: 38-16 Central Florida.
SEC Championship Game, Alabama vs. Georgia– The one everybody’s waiting for. A year ago Georgia took down the mighty Crimson Tide and gave the selection committee a headache trying to explain Alabama’s presence in the playoffs. Can Georgia do it two years in a row? The laundry list of players who could affect the outcome of this game is too many to count, so let’s just skip right to the final score. Final Score: 31-24 Alabama.
ACC Championship Game, Clemson vs. Pittsburgh- The high-powered Clemson Tigers vs. the reliable tugboat known as the Pittsburgh Panthers. Pittsburgh may be having a good season, but I don’t think they have enough to stay with Clemson. Final Score: 45-28 Clemson.
Northwestern vs. Ohio State– For just the third time ever, the Wisconsin Badgers are not playing in this game. In their place is the Northwestern Wildcats, who are playing for a trip to the Rose Bowl. Pat Fitzgerald has built this program up from nothing with two-star recruits by focusing on attention to detail. I have brought him up before as a potential replacement for Mike McCarthy in Green Bay. But for now, he his program in the biggest game in its history. On the other side are the immortal Ohio State Buckeyes. Can Northwestern pull off one of the most improbable championship game upsets in recent memory? I don’t think they will, but if they do, and Texas beats Oklahoma earlier in the day, the playoff committee has a massive problem on their hands. Final Score: 38-27 Ohio State.

WWE-Raw Returns to Milwaukee | Ticket King Inc.

WWE-Raw comes to the Fiserv Forum on November 26. This event is sure to please, as Seth Rollins and Rhonda Rousey are on the bill. Also scheduled to appear are Dean Ambrose, Braun Stroman, Dolph Ziggler, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Alexa Bliss, and Baron Corbin.

In other WWE news, Brock Lesnar took the Universal Championship belt from Braun Strowman on November 2nd, in a “vacant title” match that saw Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, making appearances. There were twelve matches in that event, with the final event being a tag team event featuring “D-Generation” against The Brothers of Destruction.

Bucks Tickets for Fiserv Forum | Ticket King Inc.

The Milwaukee Bucks opened the 2018 season very hot. The team started off with seven straight wins. The fans couldn’t be happier. All of this comes on heels of the grand opening of the Fiserv Forum. All of this action makes Bucks tickets a popular item around Milwaukee. Even the night that Bucks’ star player Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out, the team took care of business. If they stay hot throughout the long 82 game season, we’ll surely see them head to the NBA playoffs.

Giannis might be grabbing all the headlines for the Bucks, but Khris Middleton Eric Bledsoe, and Malcolm Brogdon are all playing solid ball right now. Eric Bledsoe is averaging 31 minutes per game right now, and shoots a solid 79.5% from the free throw line. The man ranked third in steals last year, and cannot be taken for granted when he’s in the lineup. Malcolm Brogdon is picking up just shy of 30 minutes per game, averaging 13 points, and just over three rebounds. He’s new to the NBA, and on the right path.

Also taking the spotlight is Khris Middleton, a five year pro that’s averaging 15 points per game right now, but will certainly ramp that up as the season progresses. He’s the third best three point shooter in Bucks history, with over 563 to his name. Middleton brings down over five rebounds per game. At the time this post goes live, the Bucks are second in the Eastern Conference, just one game back of the Toronto Raptors. Both teams have yet to lose at home. Check out all the NBA action at the new Milwaukee Fiserv Forum.

Concerts Coming to Fiserv Forum | Ticket King Inc.

One thing is for sure, the concert lineup at the Fiserv Forum is sure to please just about everyone.
It’s the first year for the new venue and just about “everyone” wants to perform there.  The venue holds 17,000 people for sporting events, and more for concerts. The first musical act to play there was The Killers, and Violent Femmes. In October alone, there are seven shows booked, on top of the Bucks games. This Friday night, Chris Young will headline, with Dan and Shay as an opening act. On 10/28 it’s the return of Fleetwood Mac. To start the month of November, Josh Groban will make a stop in Milwaukee. Parking at the Fiserv Forum is easy. Check that link.
Before the year is over, there is an evening of UFC fights, WWE, and Impractical Jokers at the Fiserv. Travis Scott plays on 12/9, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra will close out 2018 with two shows on 12/30, and the Harlem Globetrotters will once again hit the wood on New Year’s Eve.
Some of the bigger acts to hit the stage in 2019 include Elton John on February 19, Panic! At the Disco on January 27th, and Eric Church will play two shows in 3/29 and 3/30. Shows are booked all the way through June of 2019, with New Kids on the Block, Cher, P!nk,  and Carrie Underwood all set to play next spring.

Packers Head to the Bye Week After Unlikely Victory | Ticket King Inc.

The Green Bay Packers entered Monday Night Football this week with a record of 2-2-1, both needingand expecting a win against the hapless San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco came to Lambeau Field with a 1-4 record, and starting a backup quarterback that will take the helm for the rest of the season. What unfolded over the first 57 minutes of that game was a nightmare for the Packers and their fans. The 49ers could not have played a better game. C.J. Beathard, finished the night 16 of 23 for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Granted,they turned the ball over twice in that game but that led to only six points for the Packers. With 2:59 to go in the fourth quarter, the 49ers held a 30-23 lead at Lambeau Field. The Packers got the ball back, going up against a 49ers team that had played their best game of the season, and then Aaron Rodgers ruined their evening.

Rodgers began that drive by going deep to Davante Adams. By the end of the catch and run Adams had picked up 38 yards, putting the team on the 20 yard line. Just after a four-yard completion to Jimmy Graham, the Packers were facing third and six, following the two-minute warning.
Aaron Rodgers threw yet another perfectly placed pass to Devante Adams in the end zone, tying the score after the extra point. Greg Mabin’s coverage of Davante Adams on that touchdown play is exactly how you teach kids in pee wee football how to cover a pass catcher. It was textbook coverage, and Mabin couldn’t have done anything more, or anything else to stop that ball from sailing into Adam’s hands.
Now, it was time for that defense, which had been getting torched all night, to come up with a stop. It didn’t start out well. Following the late hit on the kickoff return, the 49ers were set up near midfield. Two plays later they were in a third down and three when Beathard dropped back to pass, going deep for the game-winner. On this play Kevin King had perfect coverage, turned around just in time, and picked the ball off with 1:07 to go. Needing just three for the win, Rodgers now had a chance to ruin the 49ers dream night, and be the hero once again for the Packers.
 
The drive didn’t start out well. On third and 17, Rodgers dropped back to pass and was sacked yet again, forcing a fourth down. An illegal contact penalty on Richard Sherman gave Aaron Rodgers one more chance. That is about the worst thing that can happen to a Packers opponent these days. On the next playRodgers dropped back to pass, saw the wide open space in front of him and peeled off 21 yards on a busted play. After a spike of the ball, the Packers were on their 46 with 19 seconds left. The next three plays by the Packers were absolute perfection. 8 yards down the left sideline to Davante Adams and out of bounds to stop the clock. 19 yards down the right sideline to of all people, a rookie, Eq. St. Brown, for a first down, an once again, out of bounds to stop the clock. After a quick snap and throw over Adams head to make sure there would be no time left after the field goal, Mason Crosby came on and put the game-winner through the uprights. You could not have written at a better script than that.
Yes, they barely beat a team they should have blown out. But at the same time, based on how this game unfolded, they should have lost. This is a bottom line league, and a win is a win, regardless of how it looks. They do have issues to fix during the bye. Let’s line them up below.
1) First and foremost, Mike Pettine has to find a pass rush without an all-out blitz. Somebody somewhere on their depth chart at either defensive endor outside linebacker has got to start getting to the quarterback without a blitz.
2) Mike Pettine also needs to get this secondary organized. The talent is there, but they are disorganized at the back end.
3) The friction between Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy has got to stop. Between now and the end of this season they need to make peace and lead this team to victory.
4) They need to get a running game going. They have three good running backs, and they need to give them the ball more, specifically Aaron Jones.
After their bye, the Packers begin the “gauntlet” part of their schedule, four road games in five weeks against the Rams, Patriots, Seahawks, and Vikings. We are about to find out who these Packers really are.

Brewers vs Dodgers Tied Up at One Game Each – NLCS | Ticket King Inc.

After two games, the 2018 NLCS is tied and what a pair of exciting games it has been. In game one, The Brewers knocked around Clayton Kershaw and chased out of the game him early. Kershaw’s final numbers for the night? Three innings pitched, six hits, two walks, five runs, 74 pitches thrown. However not all hope was lost for the Dodgers. Trailing 6-1 in the eighth inning, they picked up three runs when shortstop Manny Machado singled to left center, scoring Joc Pederson and Chris Taylor. Matt Kemp then singled to center, scoring Max Muncy. They picked up another run in the ninth inning when Chris Taylor tripled to right field, scoring Joc Pederson. The Dodgers’ comeback came up one run short as Corey Knebel settled down on the mound, and finished the game with the Brewers winning 6-5.
Game two started out the same as game one, with Milwaukee jumping on Dodgers starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu early on a pair of home runs by Orlando Arcia and Travis Shaw. However, game two tells a much different story late. Two of the Brewers best relievers, Corbin Burnes and Jeremy Jeffress fell apart in the seventh and eighth innings. After Cody Bellinger singled to score Max Muncy, Knebel loaded the bases and walked in run two. He was replaced with Jeremy Jeffress who got through the rest of the seventh. In the eighth though, following a Chris Taylor walk, Justin Turner hit a home run to left field, giving the Dodgers the lead. Kenley Jansen picked up the save in the night.
Right now the Dodgers have to be very feeling relieved. Since the Brewers smacked Clayton Kershaw around in game one, it gave the team the confidence it probably needed. The Brewers have to take a deep breath, and relax. They only need one win in Los Angeles and they have the best bullpen in the league right now. A solid bullpen can help the team with road wins in the postseason.
For the Dodgers, up until game time today, we wondered if after only throwing 74 pitches in game one, Clayton Kershaw would ask Dave Roberts for the ball in game three. That way, he can pitch game seven on full rest if it goes that far. Either way, if this series goes seven games, we will see Kershaw two more times. So the Dodgers have to be thinking that in one of the three games Kershaw doesn’t pitch, they need to get closer Kenley Jansen the lead one time.
For the Brewers, the question now is, do they hope lightning strikes twice facing Kershaw, or do they focus on the three games he won’t pitch if it got to seven? If they focus on the latter that means Ryan Braun and Christian Yelich are going to have to figure out how to time Walker Buehler’s 99 mile per hour wipeout fastball and knock it out of the park once or twice. If they don’t face Buehler then they will face the curveball specialist Rich Hill who the Brewers don’t match up well with either. Whatever way you want to look at it, this is shaping up to be a great NLCS.

NFL MVP Predictions for 2018 | Ticket King Inc.

T.J. Bryce has looked deep into his crystal ball, and has come up with his NFL awards, winners, and MVP pick for 2018. We know that his predictions are bold, and we welcome any comments below.
In the first two parts of our three-part 2018 NFL Preview, I covered the AFC and NFC all the way through their respective conference championship games. Here are my choices for awards and the winner of the Super Bowl between the Panthers and Steelers.
Rookie of the Year
1. Saquon Barkley/RB/Giants- Probably the best player in the draft, Barkley went second overall to the Giants. He is quite possibly the most polished running back coming out of college in recent memory. He could very well sneak onto the MVP balloting as well, depending on how the Giants perform this season as a team.
2. Roquan Smith/ILB/Bears- The trade for All-Pro pass rusher Khalil Mack is going leave Smith with open lanes to get to the quarterback and tackle the running back all season. This is good news for Smith.
3. Derwin James/DB/Chargers- The most talented defensive player in this draft will play safety in the Chargers defensive scheme.
4. Rashaan Evans/ILB/Titans- Evans is going to be a tackling machine in this defense.
5. Josh Jackson/CB/Packers- Jackson has been nothing but impressive so far since day one of offseasonworkouts.
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Harrison Smith/SS/Vikings- This is the best defensive football player in the world right now. End of story.
2. Joey Bosa/DE/Chargers- Bosa is on his way to becoming the best pass rusher in the league.
3. Luke Kuechly/LB/Panthers- Kuechly will once again lead the league tackles. This is the Brian Urlacher of this generation.
4. Aaron Donald/DL/Rams- A new contract, and a big-time season in the makings for Donald.
5. Danielle Hunter/DE/Vikings- Could possibly lead the league in sacks with all the attention focused on Everson Griffin on the opposite side.
MVP
1. Cam Newton/QB/Panthers- I hinted at this in part two, but this will be Cam Newton’s best season to date. He wins his second MVP award.
2. Ezekiel Elliott/RB/Cowboys- He’s not aging, he’s not coming back from injury, and he is ready to play 2018 angry over his suspension last season, which he fought to the bitter end. I expect Elliott to flirt with Chris Johnson’s record for yards from scrimmage in a single season of 2,509.
3. Todd Gurley/RB/Rams- Todd Gurley is an elite running back, but I don’t think he quite as good as Elliott, nor is he going to have as much of a workload this season as Elliott.
4. Kareem Hunt/RB/Chiefs- With new quarterback Pat Mahomes now under center, the Chiefs will rely on Hunt early and often.
5. Leonard Fournette/RB/Jaguars- Will have a great season but won’t win the MVP award mainly because of the Jaguars 7-9 campaign.
Super Bowl
Steelers vs. Panthers – It all comes down to this. The last two standing. An aging legend on one side, the league MVP on the other. The Panthers take a 27-24 lead late, then Ben Roethlisberger leads the Steelers down the field, throws the game-winningtouchdown pass right before double zeros on the clock, and rides off into retirement a three-time champion and a Super Bowl MVP.

NFC 2018 Predictions | Ticket King Inc.

For our Ticket King NFC 2018 preview, we turned to T.J. Bryce to give us his picks, winners, losers and (Panthers, I’m talking about you) the wildest of winner picks for the year. You may not agree with T.J.B. but we are going to move forward and post this. Take it away T.J.B.
When I look at the NFC, I see a stark contrast when compared to the AFC. To begin 2018, the NFC is the most loaded conference in recent memory. All but about two teams are serious playoff contenders even though the records may not show it, because after all, somebody has to lose.
East
1. Eagles        12-4- The reigning Super Bowl champions are a trendy favorite according the Vegas books. However, Carson Wentz will not be ready for week one and Nick Foles had a lousy preseason, so there are no guarantees here. I will say this though, this is the one team that could stick “Joe Shmuck” at quarterback and win.
2. Cowboys   10-6- After a tumultuous 2017, “The Boys” are ready to get back in the saddle, and the return of their All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott will help. Elliot should be an MVP candidate this season. 
3. Redskins    7-9- What a mess this team has turned into. After finally finding a franchise quarterback in Kirk Cousins, they rubbed him the wrong way and have replaced him with the veteran Alex Smith
4. Giants        7-9- Okay, maybe I was too high on this team a year ago. But the Beckham contract is finally done, so that is a start.
South
1. Panthers      13-3- The Panthers already had an incredible defense and now have a reloaded offense to go along with it. This could be Cam Newton’s best year to date.
2. Falcons       10-6- Another solid year for the Falcons, not much else to say here.
3. Saints          8-8- The Saints had magic last year. I don’t think history repeats itself in 2018. Drew Brees is an old man who needs to call it a career.
4. Buccaneers 4-12- Jameis Winston will sit the first three games and I don’t think the Buccaneers will recover from that.
North
1. Vikings     12-4- This is a great team. But are the Vikings Super Bowl worthy now with Kirk Cousins under center?
2. Packers     10-6- This the true wild card team of 2018. If Aaron Rodgers can get back to being Aaron Rodgers, and that defense comes together under new DC Mike Pettine, they could win 14 games. Or, it could go the other way. Rodgers is nowhere close to his old self and the defense struggles. If that happens this is a 6-win team, so I settled on the middle.
3. Lions         8-8- New year, same old Lions.
4. Bears      5-11- The Bears have given up a ton of draft capital for two players now. That may come back to bite them in the long haul.
West
1. Rams         12-4- The Rams made a ton of changes this offseason, turning themselves into an All-Star team, but as we have seen in the past. All-Star teams do not necessarily mean Super Bowl.
2. 49ers          9-7- Okay before we crown Jimmy Garoppolo as the second coming of the Dali Lama, let’s see how he performs for an entire season first.
3. Seahawks   8-8- This team is a mess right now, and I mean a mess. The only reason they win 8 games is because of Russell Wilson.
4. Cardinals    3-13- The Cardinals have a new franchise quarterback, but he may not be the man under center out of the gate.
NFC Playoffs
Seeds: 1. Panthers 2. Eagles 3. Rams 4. Vikings 5. Cowboys 6. Packers
Wild Card Weekend
Rams vs. Packers- The Rams are an All-Star team now. The Packers pull the upset 34-27, because, well, that is what they do.
Vikings vs. Cowboys- Ezekiel Elliot has a monster season, but he has never faced a run defense like this before, so it ends here. Vikings cruise on 30-16.
Divisional Playoff Weekend
Panthers vs. Packers- This is the new bad matchup for the Packers. The Panthers are just too much, and they move on 34-20.
Eagles vs. Vikings- A rematch of one of the biggest playoff blowouts in recent memory. This is much a closer game, but one the Eagles still win 27-20.
Conference Championship
Panthers vs. Eagles- This is a fantastic matchup on paper. This could be one of the best football games ever played. The Panthers win 30-27 as Newton marches them down the field just enough in the last two minutes for Graham Gano to kick the game-winningfield goal.

Packers vs Raiders Preseason Game | Ticket King Inc.

Please note, Mike McCarthy announced that Rodgers and many “key starters” on the offensive side will not play in this game. This announcement came after we posed this article. We’re keeping it up on our blog anyway. Go Packers! 

We have reached week three in the NFL Preseason. This week is commonly known as “dress rehearsal” week, meaning that teams play all of their starters through the first half and many even well into the third quarter. The backups finish out the game, and we usually don’t see guys that are deep down on the depth chart get much playing time. Week three of the preseason is where teams run their usual stuff the entire game. So this is “Go Time” where coaches make adjustments during the first half, and really hope to show that their team is ready.
First and foremost, we will get an extended look at Aaron Rodgers in this game. Most fans think Rodgers will play the entire first half this game, maybe even the third quarter. If he is out after just a couple of possessions it would come as a surprise. How will he look in extended play? This is the next step in his full return. Time to put that rebuilt throwing shoulder to the test in some real game time. At some point in this game, the coaches will tell him to “wind up and let it fly deep down the field,” just to see if he’s got the arm in a real time, real game situation. How will that shoulder respond? How will the rest of his body react to it? How will the throwing motion look? These are all questions that this game hopes to have answered before Packers fans can all relax.
Joining Rodgers in extended time will be the rest of the crew. That group will certainly be starters plus key non-starters. That means the three receivers at the top of the depth chart- Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison, and Randall Cobb will play, plus all three rookies. After the impressive showing last Thursday night, Rodgers will get to work with all three tight ends,  Jimmy Graham, Lance Kendricks, and Marcedes Lewis. For the run game the healthy backs will get playing time. Jamal Williams, Ty Montgomery, Aaron Jones, Devonte Mays head up that group, with a few new faces there. How will all of these guys look together? How will Aaron spread the ball to them? Here’s a thought. Now that Jordy Nelson is gone, who will Rodgers start to favor besides Adams and Cobb? When one of those rookies drops a couple of Rodgers’ bullets, he’ll surely pass on to the next man.  
How will the “new look” defense fare against this Raiders offense? The Raiders have a new head coach in Jon Gruden and the team has the chance to be a force on offense. The Packers have a new defensive coordinatorin Mike Pettine who comes from the Rex Ryan tree. How will the defense look in extended time against a real and potentially good, offense? Is Oren Burks for real or is it just preseason competition he is playing so well against. The closer these teams get to “real time” play, with actual starters, the more we will have answers to our questions.  

Have the Brewers Made the Right Moves After the All Star Break? | Ticket King Inc.

The Milwaukee Brewers have weathered that ugly string of losses leading up to the All Star Break, and their shoddy play just after the Mid Summer Classic. The Brewers are now 8-5 over their last 13 games. On top of that, they get a day off to gather themselves before playing three against the Padres at Miller Park. Right before the trade deadline, the Brewers made two big moves to shore up their infield. The moves that they made should bode well for them for the rest of the season.
The first move was acquiring third basemen Mike Moustakasfrom the Kansas City Royals on July 28. To getMoustakas, the Brewers had to give up quite a bit. Milwaukee traded away two of their best prospects, right-handedpitcher Jorge Lopez and prized young outfielder Brett Phillips. This trade doesn’t really make sense to some fans. Travis Shaw was struggling lately, but he was having a decent year. Did the Brewers see something more than your average fan did? To more than a few of us, the trade seemed like overkill for a slumping Shaw. The second move they made was acquiring second basemen Jonathan Schoop from the Baltimore Orioles for Jonathan Villar, shortstop Jean Carmona, and right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz. From the Brewers standpoint, they got the better end of this deal. Schoop has struggled out of the gate for Milwaukee, but he is too good of a player to keep struggling like that. These two moves essentially send Travis Shaw to the bench. There is a possibility Shaw won’t be too happy sitting on the bench and he could be moved before the waiver wire deadline of August 31. The move they didn’t make that everyone expected them to was to go after a starting pitcher. However, the starting pitcher market was very bleak outside of the two Mets starters, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. On top of that, the Mets were asking for way too much for either one of those two.
So now the Brewers have their somewhat-revamped roster, and now have an off day before hosting the San Diego Padres for three games. After that, the brutality of their second-half schedule picks back up as they head out on the road for eight games against the Braves, Cubs, and Cardinals. Those five games against the Cubs and Cardinals will determine a lot in the divisional positioning in the National League Central going down the stretch.