If you did not know better you would say a Southern Steel win tonight was a certainty.
It has won seven matches in a row heading into its elimination final against the Northern Stars in Invercargill.
The most recent of those was a 63-46 thrashing of the Stars in Invercargill a week ago.
The Stars have won just one of their past eight - by one goal over the last-placed Northern Mystics.
The Steel has also not lost in Invercargill since 2016.
It has the experience of winning the past two titles.
In Lenize Potgieter it has arguably the ANZ Premiership's best shooter.
The Steel also has an in-form trio of Silver Ferns, backed by an increasingly impressive defensive unit.
The Stars have none of that.
They are in their first playoffs after finishing bottom in their first two years.
There are no current Silver Ferns in the side.
Temepara Bailey and Leana de Bruin offer experience, but age can only be effective for so long and that may be showing.
Goal shoot Maia Wilson had a strong start but has faded and is shooting at only 82%.
Kayla Cullen has only managed a handful of full games all season.
The Stars have won just six games compared to the Steel's 12.
If there was ever a playoff game to bet the house on, this would be it - wouldn't it?
Nothing is sport is guaranteed.
The All Blacks were never going to lose to France in the 2007 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal.
Team New Zealand could not possibly surrender its 8-1 lead over Oracle in the 2013 America's Cup.
Did anyone actually give Buster Douglas a chance of beating Mike Tyson?
Or perhaps a bit closer to home - who thought the De Bruin-led Waikato Bay of Plenty could upset the unbeaten Southern Steel in the 2016 ANZ Championship conference final?
Perhaps the fact that happened suggests the Steel will not let that happen again - particularly against a team led by none other than De Bruin.
It is a loss the players who have been around long enough have not forgotten.
But it should act as a reminder to us all.
Anything can happen in a one-off game.
