Beat the Guru: AFL Week 15
Adam Markowitz
Friday July 9, 2010
It's hard to imagine that there are just a few weeks left in the Arena Football League season! Teams are still jockeying for position in the race for the playoffs. I'm still busy trying to figure out how on earth to pick winners in this league, even though a 4-3 week in Week 14 does make me feel at least a tad bit better after that 1-6 debauchery from Week 13.
Thanks to some technical difficulties, I won't be able to update the standings or take care of record keeping from last week. Honors will be handed out next Friday.
Disclaimer: This information should be used for entertainment purposes only. Should you choose to actually lay real money on these games, that’s purely your choice, and neither I nor ArenaFan are responsible. Lines courtesy of Bookmaker Sportsbook as of Friday morning.
Alabama Vipers (+6) @ Orlando Predators - The battle for the final playoff spot in the American Conference and the right to get the snot beat out of them by the Tampa Bay Storm is on the line on Friday night in the Jungle, as the Predators and Vipers have at it. Let's face it. Do either one of these teams really deserve to be in the playoffs? Orlando is 5-7 and probably isn't as good as that record indicates, while Alabama still can't figure out who it wants to play quarterback. Is Tim Hicks really the chosen boy? If the Preds can't win this one, the season is over... and deservedly so. But I tend to think the year will get extended by at least another few weeks, as the Preds sweep the season series.
Guru's Pick: Puny Preds by 10
Tampa Bay Storm (-12) @ Dallas Vigilantes - My, how much fun this game looked a few months ago! The Storm and Vigilantes were supposed to be two of the best teams in the American Conference, and this was supposed to be a battle to determine who the #1 seed in the conference was going to be. Plus, QB Shane Stafford was supposed to be taking on one of his former teams for Dallas. Someone forgot to give the Vigilantes the heads up about that.
Guru's Pick: Storm by 18
Spokane Shock (-3) @ Cleveland Gladiators - The Shock proved last week that they are the best team in the National Conference, as the road to the ArenaBowl most likely goes through the upper northwest. Losing this game wouldn't be the end of the world. It would be the end of it to Cleveland, though. The Glads looked great and full of heart and energy after winning in overtime in Orlando last weekend. The oddsmakers are totally off-base in this game, especially knowing that Cleveland has already taken out the Shock once this year.
Guru's Pick: Upset Special, Glads by 9
Arizona Rattlers (+3.5) @ Chicago Rush - Interesting game here. This very well could be a playoff preview. The Rats were stuffed in their tracks last week in Spokane, while Chicago was beaten in Tampa Bay. What has this league come to that a player is leaving a team in the middle of a playoff push to take an assistant coaching job at some dinky college? Sign of the times, I suppose. As for this game? It's hard not to see this one as a virtual pick 'em. I'll take the points, though the hosts are probably going to be victorious.
Guru's Pick: Rush by just 2
Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings (+17) @ Tulsa Talons - Anyone else looking forward to see this Bossier team take on Dallas in Week 18? This game means far too much for Tulsa to not win it by at least three tuddies. The Battle Wings don't have the ability to beat anyone outside of perhaps Utah and Dallas right now.
Guru's Pick: Talons by 21
Iowa Barnstormers (+3) @ Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz - HC Sparky McEwen has his third career AFL road win under his belt after beating Bossier last week. Both of these teams are somehow still entrenched in the playoff race, though we are trying to figure out why either one really deserves it. Iowa can surprisingly get above .500 with a 'W', and we think there is a good chance that it can snare that much needed victory to keep the pressure on in the National Conference.
Guru's Pick: Upset Special, B-Stormers by 7
Jacksonville Sharks (-20.5) @ Utah Blaze - Note to self: Stop banking on Utah.
Guru's Pick: Sharks by 27
Recap
Orlando -6
Tampa Bay -12
Cleveland +3
Arizona +3.5
Tulsa -17
Iowa +3
Jacksonville -20.5
Tampa Bay -12
Cleveland +3
Arizona +3.5
Tulsa -17
Iowa +3
Jacksonville -20.5
See how well you can do against the Guru. Make your picks here. Winners will be recognized weekly.
Adam Markowitz is an accountant living in Orlando. Adam is an old school AFLer, having followed the AFL since 1991. He attended or covered well over 200 games, including 17 ArenaBowls. Adam worked for the Arena Football League for two years as a columnist and historian before retiring in 2017 when the 50-yard indoor war left the Sunshine State. Adam still muses about the AFL on ArenaFan from time to time, and you can follow him on Twitter @adammarkowitzea.