Major League Pickleball (MLP) is set to host its eighth regular season stop at Life Time North Shore, a brand new facility in the northern suburbs of Chicago. The event promises to be exciting, with several top teams absent and others looking to make a push for the playoffs.
The top four teams, including the Shock, Fives, Sliders, and Mad Drops, will not be playing in Chicago, leaving the door open for other teams to make a move. The Dallas Flash, who won the MLP San Diego event last week, is considered the odds-on favorite to win in Chicago, although they may face challenges from other teams. The Brooklyn Pickleball Team, for example, is dealing with injuries, including Riley Newman being a game-time decision and Rachel Rohrabacher still recovering from a previous incident.
Top Storylines and Playoff Implications
The race for the top four seeds is heating up, with the New Jersey Fives and St. Louis Shock likely locking up two of the spots. The Sliders are currently in third place with 83 points, while the LA Mad Drops have 71 points and need to earn at least 13 points in their final event to secure a top four spot. The Brooklyn Pickleball Team has 48 points and needs to average finishing second overall in their final two events to guarantee a top four spot.
The following teams are still in contention for the last playoff spot, with the number of points needed to reach the estimated cutoff of 31 points:
- Utah Black Diamonds: need 14 points, must finish third or better in MLP Chicago
- Atlanta Bouncers: need 3 points, must finish eighth or better
- SoCal Hard 8s: seemingly already locked up a playoff spot
- Texas Ranchers: have secured a playoff spot, but hoping for a top 5-8 seed
- Dallas Flash: same as Ranchers above
- Phoenix Flames: need 29 points, must average 15 points per event in the last two events
- Miami Pickleball Club: need 21 points, must average 10.5 points per event in the last two events
- California Black Bears: need 16 points, must average 8 points per event in the last two events
- Chicago Slice: same as Black Bears above
- Las Vegas Night Owls: need 9 points, must average 4.5 points per event in the last two events
The event will be broadcast on Pickleballtv and the Pickleballtv App, with additional coverage on MSG Network on Sunday, July 26. The groups have been broken down into two categories, with the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, Texas Ranchers, California Black Bears, Miami Pickleball Club, and Phoenix Flames making up Group A, and the Dallas Flash, SoCal Hard Eights, Las Vegas Night Owls, Atlanta Bouncers, and Chicago Slice making up Group B.
With the weather not being a factor due to the indoor facility, the focus will be on the action on the court. Will the Dallas Flash be able to capitalize on their momentum from last week's win, or will another team make a surprise push for the top spot? The MLP Chicago event is sure to be an exciting one, with plenty of implications for the playoff standings.
