The Indoor Football League provides.
When you are cold with your picks, it provides heartbreak, sorrow and a little bit of misery.
When you are hot with your picks, it provides joy, jubilation and the ultimate feeling of gratification.
Guess how we're feeling right now?!
Like my guy Bobby Parr here, we're in the groove and we're feeling C O N F I D E N T.
Week 8 Review
Jacksonville Sharks vs Tulsa Oilers - Over 82.5 - Winner
Combined for 91 points
Green Bay Blizzard vs Sioux Falls Storm - Over 79.5 - Winner
Combined for 84 points
Frisco Fighters vs San Antonio Gunslingers - Frisco -7 - Loser
Frisco wins by 5 points
Quad City Steamwheelers vs Iowa Barnstormers - Over 83.5 - Winner
Combined for 108 points
Vegas Knight Hawks vs Bay Area Panthers - Under 88.5 - Loser
Combined for 105 points
Northern Arizona Wranglers vs San Diego Strike Force - Over 88.5 - Winner
Combined for 99 points
4-2 on the week, 11-3 in the past 2 weeks.
I felt like I was picking way too many Overs last week, but the truth was that I wasn't picking enough -- Overs went 6-0 last week! And I managed to actually pick a Green Bay game correctly! What a week for Off The Wall.
But the job isn't done -- we are hardly at the halfway point of the IFL season and we've got many more picks to win. We're just scratching the surface. It takes all of use to will these picks to glory. Everyone put their hands in middle and put our energy together!
2024 IFL Record: 24-23
Let's keep it going and dive in to FIND SOME WINNERS!
Quad City Steamwheelers vs Sioux Falls Storm (Friday 5/10, 7:05PM CT)
The Play: Sioux Falls -1.5
The odds of Halle Barry having ever been to Sioux Falls is like +3000, right?
This game is such a toss up. Both with their own QB issues at hand, both are better than their records indicate and both can't seem to get out of their own way at times.
I'm leaning toward Sioux Falls here with the anticipation that Lorenzo Brown Jr will be starting at QB for the Storm. He gave the offense a boost last week when he came into the game and finished with 3 rushing TDs on the day.
It feels like this has to be his team moving forward if the Storm want a chance to climb back into the playoff race. I really Quad City, but their QB is so confusing. I can't put any stock in picking them just yet.
Prediction: 45-40 Sioux Falls
San Diego Strike Force vs Vegas Knight Hawks (Friday 5/10, 9:05PM CT)
The Play: San Diego +12.5
Anchorman night. 2025. Who says no? Your move Strike Force!
This is my most anticipated game in all of indoor and arena football this weekend, and to me a -12.5 line is INSANE for this game I have watched every minute of each of these teams this season and Vegas is definitely the best team in the league so far this year -- but San Diego is not ~that~ far behind them.
They have 2 losses, correct, but they are by a combined 4 points to the defending league champions - where 2 individual plays were the difference in 2 losses and still being undefeated on the year. San Diego is also 5-1 so far this year against the spread.
I thought this line was going to be closer to -4.5, so I am getting 8 points of value off of the Off The Wall eye test? Yes please.
Prediction: 54-50 Vegas
Jacksonville Sharks vs Frisco Fighters (Saturday 5/11, 1:05PM CT)
The Play: Jacksonville +17
Roy Scheider would have loved the IFL. I just know it.
This line is the largest line we've seen so far this season, and it makes sense. Frisco is tied for 1st place in the Eastern Conference & Jacksonville is tied for last place in the Eastern Conference. I certainly think Frisco is going to win, but this reeks of a backdoor cover spot.
Frisco is 2-4 ATS so far this year and they've only covered one of their double digit spreads that they have been favored by (and only covered that one with a TD with 7 seconds left in the game).
Jacksonville started to look like they were turning the corner last week on offense and their defense has been able to keep them in most of their games despite the lack of offensive support, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them jump out to an early lead
Jacksonville is 4-2 ATS despite their offensive woes, so I think they will cover here, but I see Frisco ultimately winning the game.
Prediction: 48-43 Frisco
Tulsa Oilers vs Green Bay Blizzard (Saturday 5/11, 3:05PM CT)
The Play: Tulsa +7.5
It's that time, folks!
Before you even ask, no I'm not picking Tulsa just because we had LB Tre Harvey on the podcast this past week. But I will say, it certainly doesn't hurt!
Tulsa drastically underperformed on offense last week and gave up 3 scores on 4th on defense, something we typically don't see them do. If we also follow the hills and valleys approach of the past 4 weeks, last week was a valley (44 points on offense, with a garbage time TD) so we're due for an offensive rebound! Only issue with that logic is that it's Green Bay's defense they will be up against. Green Bay's offense has been in a funk recently, and I love Tulsa's defense in this spot.
I think Tulsa wins outright and it is going to be extremely close to the Total of 84.5.
Prediction: 46-40 Tulsa
Massachusetts Pirates vs Iowa Barnstormers (Saturday 5/11, 7:05PM CT)
The Play: Over 82
Pirates football is BACK
This play is operating under the assumption that Alejandro Bennifield will be back at QB for the Pirates (and some other pieces return from injury). Pirates are by the better team, but have been playing down to the level of each of their opponents this year...except for when they last played Iowa.
That being said, the last time they played Iowa was the last game that Kyle King did not start at QB for the Barnstormers. Iowa has looked much better with him at the helm. I don't trust Iowa enough to cover +10.5, but I also don't trust Massachusetts enough to cover -10.5.
So let's go with the Over!
Prediction: 50-42 Massachusetts
San Antonio Gunslingers vs Duke City Gladiators (Saturday 5/11, 7:05PM CT)
The Play: Over 93.5
Use you imagination to replace Russell Crowe with Joe Mancuso.
This line is a little higher than I thought it would be, but the more I look into the more I like the Over here. Joe Mancuso is likely to step into the starting QB role for Duke City (who has had their fair share of QB woes this year) and had the bye week to get comfortable with the offense. The past couple of QBs that Duke City tried to plug into their offense were run first thinking, and Mancuso is not that.
Duke City has good weapons on offense, but just needs somebody to get them the ball. I think Duke City's offense has a resurgence against a San Antonio defense that has been reminiscent of Swiss cheese at times this year. With that defense and a dynamic offense, San Antonio Overs are 5-1 so far this year.
Sam Castronova and San Antonio are going to score their fair share of points, so it's on Duke City to get at least 40 on the board in this one.
Prediction: 53-47 San Antonio
Bay Area Panthers vs Northern Arizona Wranglers (Saturday 5/11, 8:05PM CT)
The Play: Under 89.5
They got homie lookin' dainty in this clip smh
It's rare that you see a Rob Keefe coached team get bullied and get 60+ put on them, but that happened last week against the Vegas Knight Hawks. I think this is a prime rebound spot for Bay Area and their defense to snap back into place
Bay Area's offense has been lackluster the past couple of weeks, which only makes the Under that much more attractive. (Bay Area Unders are also 4-2 so far on the year).
Northern Arizona seemed to get back on track last week vs San Diego, but I'm not convinced that they can sustain that again this week against the Panthers. Probably gonna be an ugly one.
Prediction: 41-37 Bay Area
Arizona Rattlers vs Tucson Sugar Skulls (Saturday 5/11, 8:05PM CT)
The Play: Over 87.5
"You will score a dozen TDs... you will score a dozen TDs"
This pick hinges on one player -- Tucson QB Mylik Mitchell. When he has been healthy at the beginning of the year, this Sugar Skulls offense was efficient and lethal in the red zone. With him out, they looked like a shell of their former self. He is slated to comeback after missing a couple of games and the bye last week, so this lives or dies with his participation.
For Arizona, Dalton Sneed had his first game back against Jacksonville a couple weeks back and the offense looked fantastic. They really found their groove in the second half as they pulled away from the Sharks and won the game by 20. Sneed played Sneedball and was efficient on the ground and didn't make costly mistakes.
If Mitchell plays, I would not be surprised to see this game go over 100 points.
Prediction: 56-48 Arizona
Commentaires