Quote: Saddened! "Perversely, it's probably better to finish 8th than any position above bar 1st. If 8th, you have easy away games and your two difficult games are at home.
What I don't get is whether you keep your points during this spell? If it's a top 4 play off only, what happens to the 5-8 teams? They just finish? Yet the team that finishes bottom gets a lucrative play off game?'"
You play 23 rounds and finish in the top 8, You keep your points, and play a further 7 rounds to finish the regular season. Then 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd in a straight knockout winners to the gf.
I wouldn't say playing vs 1st is any more lucrative, but it is better than playing 1st away. Reading straight off the bat, there doesn't seem to be much advantage other than 1st, but I'm sure if there is any it will become clear in time.