The gambling gods giveth, the gambling gods taketh away. I went from a week where I was able to read the board like it was a Dr Seuss book to a week where it felt like I was reading War & Peace in Mandarin.
Highly entertaining week of football across the board but gut punch after gut punch on the picks card:
Week 12 Review
Quad City Steamwheelers vs Green Bay Blizzard - Quad City +10.5 - Loser
Green Bay wins 64-36
Arizona Rattlers vs Jacksonville Sharks - Under 92.5 - Loser
Combined for 103 points
Iowa Barnstormers vs Sioux Falls Storm - Sioux Falls -6.5 - Loser
Iowa wins outright 47-45
Massachusetts Pirates vs Frisco Fighters - Over 86.5 - Winner
Combined for 100 points
San Diego Strike Force vs Tulsa Oilers - San Diego -8 - Push
San Diego wins 42-34
Northern Arizona Wranglers vs Vegas Knight Hawks - Under 100.5 - Loser
Combined for 110 points
Duke City Gladiators vs Tucson Sugar Skulls - Over 91.5 - Loser
Combined for 41 points
1-5-1. Oddly satisfying in its symmetry but just rechid on the soul. HOWEVA! This is a new week. Let's have the best Saturday of our gambling lives today, shall we?
2024 IFL Record: 36-38-1
LET'S FIND SOME WINNERS!
Green Bay Blizzard vs Massachusetts Pirates (Saturday 6/8, 12:05PM CT)
The Play: Massachusetts +4.5
GIFs you can hear - HEY YOU GUYSSSS
There's just something about that purple & seafoam green turf in Lowell, MA.
Since 2022, the Pirates have only lost 3 games at home -- and all have been by less than this 4.5 point spread. They had a great bounce back on offense last week with the return of Isaac Zico to the fold and have a great opportunity here to get back in the mix of potentially hosting a home playoff game -- but it will not be easy.
Green Bay has been ROLLING as of late, putting beat downs on the other 2 teams currently in the Eastern conference playoff race (Frisco, Quad City), so they are looking to complete the Infinity Gauntlet of the Eastern conference in this one.
If Massachusetts can get Zico & Jimmie Robinson involved early and get the ball out of Alejandro Bennifield's hands quickly, they have a solid chance of getting another home W. This will be a close one.
Prediction: 46-44 Green Bay
Frisco Fighters vs Quad City Steamwheelers (Saturday 6/8, 6:05PM CT)
The Play: Quad City +11.5
Save us Steamb...er... Steamwheeler Willie!
I simply refuse to stop being hurt by Quad City apparently. Last week the Steamwheelers were in a similar situation as double digit dogs against Green Bay and just didn't show up.
If you'll allow me to attempt to convince myself that this week will be different:
This time they are at home.
They played Frisco earlier in the year on the road and very nearly covered the spread if it wasn't for a last second touchdown by Frisco to even further ice the game.
They maybe read my blog about running the damn ball with PJ Vander and will listen to my cries to help them help me.
This one probably ends in heartbreak for your boy but I can't help but feel like we are on the verge of a Quad City upset win that doesn't make any damn sense in these next couple of weeks -- and they desperately need this win to keep on track in the playoff race.
Frisco is probably going to do the Frisco thing where they jump out to a 20 point lead early aren't they? Sigh
Prediction: 50-44 Frisco
Duke City Gladiators vs San Antonio Gunslingers (Saturday 6/8, 6:05PM CT)
The Play: Under 95.5
Good news for IFL fans: the San Antonio Gunslingers offense is back in action this week!
Bad news for IFL fans: the Duke City Gladiators offense is back in action this week..
Sam Castronova was a little banged up a few weeks back against Bay Area and all signs are indicating he should be fine after their bye week, but a big part of Castonova's game is his ability to run and make an impact on designed runs & scrambles. Being a little banged up, I'd imagine they don't utilize him as much there and stick to being a little pass centric.
But San Antonio isn't going to be the problem for the Total here.
Duke City's offense was a rough watch last week. Despite getting their first win, they only score 21 points -- all in the second half. THEN factor in that they recently traded 2 of their main WRs to Tucson early this week for 'Future Considerations' (lol what) and this offense, which is pretty bad as it is, is going to be actively trying to figuring things on the go.
Prediction: 45-36 San Antonio
Tulsa Oilers vs Jacksonville Sharks (Saturday 6/8, 6:05PM CT)
The Play: Under 87.5
We haven't seen a catastrophe with oilers this bad since..
I've let my thoughts on Tulsa be known over the past few weeks on the podcast, but on offense they are just a mess. It is rumored that their offensive coordinator stepped down a few weeks back (which would explain why the usually defensive minded Coach Marvin Jones was on the field with the offense over the past couple of games) and they simply have not been able to get anything going offensively.
The good news is that RB Jarrod Ware is active after spending some time on the Short Term IR & WR Josh Crockett should be back in the mix a little more -- but I can't put any trust in tis offense at this point.
For Jacksonville, they tried a new QB last week in N'kosi Perry, who played pretty well all things considered with his running abilities but Jacksonville didn't make any second half adjustments -- AGAIN. The Sharks already released Perry and signed a new QB, so it seems like they are either going back to Fred Payton Jr at QB or throwing yet another option out there.
Just reeks of an uggo game.
Prediction: 38-33 Tulsa
Vegas Knight Hawks vs Sioux Falls Storm (Saturday 6/8, 7:05PM CT)
The Play: Over 98.5
Plz
This point total was a litttttle higher than I thought it would be, but I still like the Over here.
On the year, Sioux Falls Overs are 7-2 and Vegas Overs are 6-3. If Ja'Rome Johnson makes the start for Vegas at QB, I'll feel much better about this but I think both teams have the ability to score points in bunches.
Vegas' skill position players are amongst the most talented groups in the league & QB Lorenzo Brown Jr for Sioux Falls has gotten this offense on track the past couple of weeks -- they just need to avoid those crucial self inflicted wounds to keep up.
I was close to picking Sioux Falls +10.5, but I'll ride with the Over.
Prediction: 57-48 Vegas
Arizona Rattlers vs San Diego Strike Force (Saturday 6/8, 8:05PM CT)
The Play: San Diego -5.5
"-5.5? No problem" - this guy, probably (maybe)
This is going to be one of the most pivotal games of the season for the Western conference playoff picture, as both teams sit at 6-4 on the year and neither can afford a loss -- let alone to each other.
In their matchup earlier in the season in Arizona, the Strike Force won 55-45 in a game that saw Nate Davis get hurt early and couldn't finish the game. Arizona was also without QB Dalton Sneed, so this will be an entirely new matchup but I still like San Diego here.
Defensively San Diego has played really well the past 3 games and offensively they have had to battle through some injuries but they started to mesh pretty well last week with Rudy Johnson in the RB role and Arthur Jackson III getting back to his early season form.
Regardless of the outcome, this is going to be an exciting game!
Prediction: 54-45 San Diego
Tucson Sugar Skulls vs Bay Area Panthers (Saturday 6/8, 8:05PM CT)
The Play: Bay Area -13
Just pretend it says Bay Area on the chest
Tucson QB Mylik Mitchell was placed on the RTR list this week and the Sugar Skulls signed a new QB in Zach Reader, who was recently released by the Iowa Barnstormers.
A new QB with two new WRs recently acquired via trade from Duke City (Laughinghouse, Gonzalez) in a road game against the best team in the IFL that has gotten better and better over the past several weeks.
Tucson was already going to be outmatched in the game, but Bay Area is probably going to roll early and win big here.
Prediction: 48-30 Bay Area