Really tough to call this one over two legs. Ipswich have been so flaky recently, don't know why but they just seem to not click. Belle Vue again can be flaky, inconsistent and away from have been poor at times but at least Belle Vue have been here and done this before. They have got good experience and at home they can be deadly when it's all clicking.  Going for a 52-38 home win..

Not many teams ever get put together where you have quite probably one of the best two riders for that position in the league... The top two are both genuinely World Class... Brennan is a perfect third HL level rider, not quite good enough to be a one or five yet consistently, but ideal at Number Three... Both King and Ellis can be very inconsistent as a 3rd HL, but, again, perfect top level second strings when matched against all the other twos and fours... And, in Dan T, they almost had a cheat code at reserve given his development this season... Add in the RS was the best available, (shouldn't he have gone to Brum under the rules?), and you had a team well above the team limit by brilliantly using UK talent in the main... A huge advantage in team building versus the other three in the play offs, (especially when Woffy got injured), so it means all the pressure is on them to deliver now over the next few matches... If they all click then, statistically, they win comfortably., however, they won't possibly ever get a chance to put such a team together again, so, that in itself, will bring some added pressure to deliver the trophy.  

I'm sure this season was the first of 3 years at a 40 point limit. As the limit should average at 42, that means a weaker league. But when they vote for a 3 year plan, it doesn't always last!

I don't know if I thought they'd win every meeting, but I did think Ipswich were massive favourites. I guess that was partly based on them having 2 x near 10 point riders. That hasn't happened this year.

I wouldnt be averse to the points limit going up?

Maybe they feel both Doyle & Brennan wouldn't beat an opponent in heat 13, with Doyle more likely to win heat 12? Personally I'd have the top 2 at 1&5.