Week 17 was peak IFL. We had a team score 81, we had a team that averages 35 PPG scoring 69 (nice), we had A MIRACLE come back in San Jose, and of course we had Quad City puking all over themselves yet somehow coming away with a win to stay alive in the playoff race.
Just another week in #TheIndoorWar baby!
But with the madness comes the excruciating "how was I so good at picks last week, but so bad this week" the resides within the brains of every gambler out there.
Week 17 Review
Massachusetts Pirates @ San Antonio Gunslingers - Over 94.5 - Winner
Combined for 113 points
Jacksonville Sharks vs Iowa Barnstormers - Jacksonville +5.5 - Winner
Jacksonville wins outright 69-43
Sioux Falls Storm @ Quad City Steamwheelers - Quad City -6.5 - Loser
Quad City wins 45-44, Sioux Falls covers
Vegas Knight Hawks vs San Diego Strike Force - San Diego -2.5 - Loser
San Diego wins 60-59, Vegas covers
Frisco Fighters vs Duke City Gladiators - Duke City +10.5 - Loser
Frisco wins 81-55 (lol)
Northern Arizona Wranglers @ Bay Area Panthers - Under 92.5 - Loser
Combined for 93 points (on a GW Deuce with 4 seconds left)
Tucson Sugar Skulls vs Arizona Rattlers - Arizona -10.5 - Loser
Arizona wins 44-37, Tucson covers
The universe giveth, the universe taketh away. Starting off 2-0 got the blood PUMPING. But then it got really bad really quickly. It hurts being on the right side of multiple picks, but just not being able to cover.
NAZ-Bay Area cover 92.5 with the Wranglers miraculous comeback is something I can't even be mad at. It was absolutely ELECTRIC to see that happen in real time.
Quad City & San Diego winning but not covering when they certainly had the opportunity to if they could just get a stop on defense on their opponents final possession instead of letting them score a TD and go for 2 and not get it? Not mad at all, why do you ask?
I feel like I've been on a roller coaster these past few weeks: great week, bad week, great week, bad week. But you know what that means? This upcoming week is going to be a GREAT WEEK!
2024 IFL Record: 52-52-1
LET'S FIND SOME WINNERS!
Green Bay Blizzard vs Jacksonville Sharks (Saturday 7/13 @ 6:05 PM CT)
The Play: Over 89
This is the Jax Sharks Twitter admin, right?
I don't love taking a Green Bay Over, but Kaleb Barker has this Sharks offense humming the past couple of games. It's going to be a MUCH different experience this go around going up against future All IFL First Teamers Ravarius Rivers, Abdul Rafiq-Wahid & Scean Mustin, but they don't have to put up 69 to make this work.
Score a manageable 40 and have Green Bay do the rest and we can get out of here with a W. Green Bay really needs this win to keep their hopes of home field advantage throughout the playoffs alive, so I would expect them to come out swinging and this one.
Prediction: 51-41 Green Bay
Sioux Falls Storm vs Iowa Barnstormers (Saturday 7/13 @ 7:05 PM CT)
The Play: Sioux Falls +1.5
Storm was kinda underrated in the Marvel universe tbh
Iowa gets boatraced by Jacksonville in their own barn and loses by 26.
Sioux Falls narrowly loses by 1 to Quad City on the road in OT.
And Iowa is favored -1.5? Nah. Nope. This is a rat line.
Sioux Falls QB Jiya Wright looked great on the ground last week and pretty good through the air the week before. Considering Iowa gave up 69 points to the worst offense in the IFL last week & Sioux Falls was pretty stingy on defense last week, we could see the best Jiya Wright game yet.
Prediction: 49-40 Storm
Quad City Steamwheelers @ Tulsa Oilers (Saturday 7/13 @ 7:05 PM CT)
The Play: Tulsa +4.5
IFL is gonna make this East playoff race last one more week
The script writers are about to go crazy with this one.
East Playoff scenarios:
Quad City wins and they're in.
Tulsa needs to win this week, win next week and have Quad City lose next week to get in.
Tulsa just recently signed LB Calvin Bundage, who played football at Oklahoma State and is 'coming home' in a way to play for the Oilers. Given the above scenario, who do you think Tulsa plays next week to potentially get in the playoffs?
That's right, Calvin Bundage's former team -- the Massachusetts Pirates. If Tulsa wins this game, Tulsa plays the Pirates for a potential playoff birth.
Do I sound insane and a little Pepe Silvia-ish right now? Certainly, but that's what it takes sometimes to win in this league.
Also, Quad City's Quarterback-and-Forth (TM) continues this week. Don't love that.
Prediction: 46-40 Tulsa
San Antonio Gunslingers vs Tucson Sugar Skulls (Saturday 7/13 @ 8:05 PM CT)
The Play: San Antonio -7.5
Tim Duncan = TD. Touchdown = TD. Hmmm.
By far the easiest pick of the week. Don't overthink this one.
San Antonio is the better team and is looking to stat pad with them being officially out of the playoff race. The defense is still a scare here but Tucson's offense has been a revolving door over the past few games. Look for a 20/26 for 180 yards & 5 TDs stat line from Sam Castronova. GunzUp.
Prediction: 54-34 San Antonio
Vegas Knight Hawks vs Northern Arizona Wranglers (Saturday 7/13 @ 8:05 PM CT)
The Play: Over 101.5
Let's have ourselves an evening
Is 101.5 a lot of points? Absolutely. But both of these offenses have the ability to put up points quick, fast and in a hurry.
The last time these teams played each other, they combined for 110 points and it was back and forth action ALL GAME. NAZ is playing inspired footballed lately and Vegas is knocking on the door of the playoffs.
If Vegas wins this game, they secure a playoff spot.
If NAZ wins this game, they can clinch a playoff spot in the final week of the season.
Let's just have out there and root for points, ya heard?
Prediction: 56-53 NAZ
Duke City Gladiators vs Bay Area Panthers (Saturday 7/13 @ 8:05 PM CT)
The Play: Under 85.5
Coach Keefe about to have this defense DIALED after last week.
Bay Area's defense has been tremendous, especially at home, for the majority of the season. Even last week they looked great, having given up only 23 to a high powered NAZ offense through the first 51 minutes of the game. NAZ just got very fortunate to recover multiple onside kicks and keep the Panthers defense on the field for the last 9 minutes of the game.
Well coached teams in this league bounce back from games like last week, and Bay Area might have the best coaching staff in the IFL. I'd expect a heavy dosage of Shane Simpson on the ground in this one as they fight to lock up the number 1 seed and home field advantage in the West.
Prediction: 44-33 Bay Area
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