Playoff preview: (2) Jack vs. (3) Joe

No. 2 Jack (13-5-4) vs. No. 3 Joe (15-7-1)
Line: Jack -3.5
A breakdown after the jump


Season series: Jack 1-0-1 (Week 2 tie 9-9; Week 12 Jack 9-8)
Career playoff records: Jack 0-1, Joe 3-0
All-time head-to-head: Joe 3-1-2
Playoffs head-to-head: Never met
Last playoff appearance: Jack 2007, Joe 2008

Hitting
Who knows what the heck to expect from these two offenses? One week Joe hits 12 homers, the next he hits 4. Jack has a ton of injuries to deal with, and it's been a while since he's had a meaningful week. Will B.J. Upton play? Will Troy Tulowitzki make it through the week? A lot of questions, but, still, Jack has the better offense.
Advantage: Jack

Pitching
All year, Joe's had the best league's pitching, and that doesn't change here. He's riding his staff out and is going to need to win most of the categories to win this week.
Advantage: Joe

Managing
Joe's managing nearly cost him last week. Neither one has to worry about moves - 18 for Jack, 20 for Joe, by far the two lowest of any playoff team. Very impressive. Joe is 4-0 in the playoffs, so his experience could come into play.
Advantage: Jack

Prediction (2-0 record): 12-7 Jack