Folks, WE'RE BACK! After a week away on vacation with friends and family, I am back in the mines digging for picks, looking for gems and WINNERS for the people.
Which one I am? I swear to god if you say Sneezy...
I didn't have any picks for Week 14, but I never had a chance to run through my card from Week 13. Let's take a look at those and where we are at on the year.
Week 13 Review
Green Bay Blizzard vs Massachusetts Pirates - Pirates +4.5 - WOULD HAVE been a Winner if I didn't panic
Due to a last minute injury update, I flipped the pick to Green Bay -4.5. Pain. - Loser
Green Bay wins 36-33, Pirates cover
Frisco Fighters vs Quad City Steamwheelers - Quad City +11.5 - Winner
Quad City wins outright 52-49
Duke City Gladiators vs San Antonio Gunslingers - Under 95.5 - Winner
Combined for 91 points
Tulsa Oilers vs Jacksonville Sharks - Under 87.5 - Winner
Combined for 87 points
Vegas Knight Hawks vs Sioux Falls Storm - Over 98.5 - Loser
Combined for 86 points
Arizona Rattlers vs San Diego Strike Force - San Diego -5.5 - Loser
Arizona wins outright, 47-46
Tucson Sugar Skulls vs Bay Area Panthers - Bay Area -13 - Winner
Bay Area wins 51-12
A 4-3 week that would have been 5-2 if I didn't flip to Green Bay last second. Dang, man.
But the beauty of the IFL is that we have another weekend slate ahead of us -- but not too many more. We need to cherish these precious weeks left in the season.
2024 IFL Record: 40-41-1
LET'S FIND SOME WINNERS!
Massachusetts Pirates vs Jacksonville Sharks (Saturday 6/22, 6:05PM CT)
The Play: Over 82
Please score points. Please.
Both of these teams should be so much better than they actually are, and it is astonishing to see how far Massachusetts has fallen from grace since the beginning of the season. After starting 4-0, they've gone 2-6 since and are in danger of dropping out of the playoff picture if they continue to lose games like they have.
The Pirates scored 50+ for only the 2nd time last week and Jacksonville has looked decent on offense the past couple of weeks all things considered. I hate this pick the more that I type about it, but I can't trust either team to cover the spread.
The total line being 82 is perfect because if it was 3-4 points higher I'd be scared away. This one has my brain in a pickle, and I'd just like to see some points please! It's now or never for the Massachusetts offense.
Prediction: 48-40 Massachusetts
Tulsa Oilers vs Iowa Barnstormers (Saturday 6/22, 7:05PM CT)
The Play: Over 85.5
"Is this heaven?"
These teams are 4-7 & 4-8 on the year and SOMEHOW still in the playoff hunt. The Eastern Conference is truly a marvel.
Tulsa seems to have gotten into a rhythm on offense after being DOA for a month and Iowa hit a speedbump last week for Quad City but seems to be humming with Daniel Smith at QB... wait a minute. Daniel Smith? The former Tulsa QB? THAT'S IT, I'M CHANGING MY PICK -- MID-BLOG!
The REAL Play: Iowa +1
I LOVE REVENGE GAMES! Daniel Smith legacy game loading.
Combined with the fact that Tulsa WR Joshua Crockette was placed on Season IR earlier this week, Iowa is the play.
Prediction: 44-42 Iowa
Green Bay Blizzard vs Quad City Steamwheelers (Saturday 6/22, 7:05PM CT)
The Play: Under 90.5
I despise the black line only being on one side of this but I'll live..maybe.
I manifested a Quad City victory two weeks ago vs Frisco, but I just don't think I have the cosmic energy to create another. Quad City didn't look great on offense last week, but has a chance to keep this one close if they.. wait for it..
RUN THE DAMN BALL. GREEN BAY IS TREMENDOUS AGAINST THE PASS, NOT SO TREMENDOUS AGAINST THE RUN. RUN IT.
Fully expect Green Bay to win this one, but the -11 spread scares me. I'd expect both teams to really get physical at the line of scrimmage run the ball often.
Prediction: 41-34 Green Bay
Bay Area Panthers vs Duke City Gladiators (Saturday 6/22, 7:05PM CT)
The Play: Bay Area -14
RUN IT
This is one of my two "don't overthink this, ya dummy" plays of the week. Bay Area is very good and coming off of a stinger last week against San Diego. Duke City is 1-10.
At this point in the season Bay Area has much, much more to play for and is still fighting to maintain the number one seed and homefield through the play offs. I think they roll Duke City in this one, but Duke City QB Hasan Rogers has a chance to make things interesting with a backdoor cover.
Very curious to see how Rob Keefe adjusts his defense to Rogers' style, but Bay Area wins big here.
Prediction: 48-29 Bay Area
Sioux Falls Storm vs Frisco Fighters (Saturday 6/22, 7:05PM CT)
The Play: Under 91.5
Siri play "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John
This is going to be a very physical game. Frisco had a staggering 174 rushing yards last week after signing RB Justin Rankin, coming in at 6.7 yards per carry amongst QB TJ Edwards, Rankin & RB Martez Carter.
But Sioux Falls has been stout against the run this year, giving up only 55.2 yards per game on the ground for best in the league (with Frisco being 2nd best at 56.6). Both teams' identities are built around running the football and using their QB as a weapon on the ground.
This will be a big time strength on strength match up in this one and would expect a lot of long drives that eat up a lot of clock. I'd expect Frisco to win, but maybe closer than you'd think.
Prediction: 44-37 Frisco
Arizona Rattlers vs Vegas Knight Hawks (Saturday 6/22, 8:05PM CT)
The Play: Over 98.5
"How hot is Arizona? Both physically & metaphorically right now?"
Arizona is quietly one of the hottest teams in the IFL over the past couple of months, as QB Dalton Sneed is coming off of a 7 TD performance last week and the Rattlers have been climbing the rankings slowly but surely over the past month.
Vegas has been recalibrating a bit over the past month and seems to have gotten back on the path last week with a double digit win against Duke City. Both offenses are coming off of 50+ point performances, but getting there in different ways. Arizona has been lights out passing the ball while Vegas has been running the ball well to find the end zone.
2-time IFL Defensive Player of the Week Vegas LB Makel Calhoun was placed on the Short Term IR this week and Arizona switched up some of the faces on the defensive line with some new signings and releases. Hot offenses facing some defenses with new faces in the mix — LET’S BREAK 100 BOYS!
Prediction: 60-54 Vegas
San Diego Strike Force vs Tucson Sugar Skulls (Saturday 6/22, 8:05PM CT)
The Play: San Diego -11.5
This could get ugly, folks.
This is the second of my two "don't overthink this, ya dummy" plays of the week. San Diego is very good and coming off of a potentially season defining performance last week against Bay Area in Cali Clash III. Tucson is 2-9 and begging to be put out of their misery.
San Diego is fighting for their playoff lives right now and will look to make an example out of Tucson. Tucson, on the other hand, has scored 30 points combines over their last 2 games.
Tucson has shuffled deck in their secondary with some new additions, which is music to Nate Davis' ears. This smells like a Rudy Johnson 3+ TD game & expect San Diego's defense to terrorize Tucson often.
Prediction: 47-25 San Diego
San Antonio Gunslingers vs Northern Arizona Wranglers (Sunday 6/23, 5:05PM CT)
The Play: San Antonio +6.5
We've got ourselves a DUEL in the DESERT, folks!
This isn't a pick against Northern Arizona, but more so a pick for Sam Castronova. He has been unbelievable and emerged as the MVP favorite at this point, and he has the Gunslingers knocking on the door of a playoff spot despite starting the season 0-3.
This has quickly turned into a CRUCIAL game in the playoff hunt, where San Antonio could catapult themselves into the playoff picture with a win and some help. I can’t help but take the Gunslingers and the points here. This will be a very entertaining shootout.
Prediction: 50-47 San Antonio