These are gonna be wrong anyway, so I'm gonna have fun and give some tortured rationalizations.
Men
1. Patrick Chan
2. Daisuke Takahashi
3. Jeremy Abbott
4. Michal Brezina
5. Samuel Contesti
Okay, so here's the dealio. It's the last chance for many of these skaters to have an international judgment before the Olympics. For Chan, it's the only chance (no GPF, no 4CC). Additionally, there is the added pressure on some of those who are looking to make the GPF (I'm thinking Abbott and Takahashi in particular). Meanwhile, Brezina has added pressure simply because he has expectations now (see Rippon at NHK). For Chan, it's just about getting these programs out there. But what of his health? The quad that he wants to put in? Eh, who knows. I predicted Takahashi and Abbott at NHK and they disappointed me, and Chan is using the same short as last year, so his comfort level should be enough.
Women
1. Joannie Rochette
2. Akiko Suzuki
3. Laura Lepisto
4. Alissa Czisny
5. Caroline Zhang
Rochette seems to have taken the correct lessons from CoC and move forward. I'm more curious about Suzuki, truth be told. With Asada disappointing and Nakano missing the GPF for the first time in three seasons, does she rise up. It would be pretty darn cool if after all this time she actually made the Olympics (having never even gone to worlds) and making the GPF virtually assures that, right (my understanding is that the top competitor in the GPF and the National Champion are assured spots). I'm quite excited for her (though sad for Nakano and Suguri at the same time. That much vaunted depth in ladies really sucks for some). Meanwhile, I think Lepisto will garner the bronze though I think Czisny could get it if she nails her jumps (always a big if). Between Nagasu and Zhang, I'm gonna go with the latter. Wonky jump technique harms GOEs, but underrotations like Nagasu suffers harms it much more.
Dance
1. Virtue/Moir
2. Faella/Scalia
3. Pechelat/Bourzat
4. Samuelson/Bates
5. Weaver/Poje
I'm predicting F/S because I love their FD, and I hate P/B's. The rest is self explanatory.
Pairs
1. Dube/Davison
2. Savchenko/Szolkowy
3. Murkhotova/Trankov
4. Langlois/Hays
5. Denney/Barrett
Hey, you see what I'm doing here. Yep, I'm gonna predict Canadian sweep. Stupid, huh!
Okay, why? I think most people agree that the top three teams are gonna be our medalists. But which order? S/S definitely have the edge here, and I probably should predict them. It makes sense. However, their last two events were riddled with mistakes (Nebelhorn, TEB) and they have a new program now (apparently). If they debut their new program, will it be comfortable enough to win? And M/T? Do we think that the clean long program was a fluke - are they all of a sudden gonna transform into long program skaters now? So you know what, I'm gonna go with D/D. Just cause. It'd be neat. If I'm wrong, well, take a gander at these prediction threads and just see how wrong I can be, and come back and tell me if this sounds so ludicrous.
Still does? Humbug.