The quest to reach Arena Bowl XXI is about to begin as the new season starts March 1st. With a new television agreement with ESPN we can honestly say that this year looks to be the most exciting one yet! To get you ready for the season we’ll take a look at a couple of teams that you will want to keep an eye on when you think about laying down your money. As we’ve stated in the past, the niche sports like Arena Football can offer a lot of advantages to the astute bettor. Put yourself in that category and take advantage of line value throughout the AFL season. Now onto five teams and some quick thoughts on them as the 2007 season quickly approaches:
Chicago Rush
The defending Arena League Champions barely got into the playoffs and then cruised to the title. They return with a good portion of their roster, while making a major free-agent pick up in one of the leagues top pass rushers EJ Burt. Their solid defense will help in defending their title, but as for value in their games there will probably not be as much. The fact is last season’s late success will have them rated higher than they should be. In fact, you might want to take a look on the opposite side of the number in their games as that is where the value might be. This is particularly true early in the season.
Orlando Predators
Last season’s runner-up will again be strong but that is not anything new to the rest of the league or to the AFL bettor. The Predators have been one of the most consistently successful teams during their time in the league. Like the Rush, Orlando will be tough on defense again. The key for the Predators is that the offense should be much improved with new quarterback Shane Stafford. They probably won’t be undervalued too often. The Predators might be a good team to stay away from as their track record has been pretty consistent and they have already caught the attention of most AFL bettors.
Dallas Desperados
Last year’s team had the best record in the league (13-3). Looking closely at their statistics that truly was not a surprise. Their offense led the league with 929 points scored and the defense took care of things as well. The Desperados’ defense gave up a league low total of 710 points. Dallas should be very good again this season. Also, with a chip on their shoulders after not living up to their regular season record during the post season, the Desperados might be a solid team that you’ll want to take a look at playing on week in and week out early in the season. Get the most you can out of this team before the odds maker catches up with their value.
Kansas City Brigade
Last year’s team finished with the leagues worst record at just 3-13 and this group will probably end up near the bottom of the league again this year. Last season they were the leagues lowest scoring team with just 704 points scored. Of course as we all know, in arena football – scoring is the name of the game! They will be improved but they again lack depth and that will come into play offensively which will make them underdogs more often then not. The fact of the matter is that you can’t win in this league if you can’t score.
Georgia Force
We’ve saved the best for last as this is our key team to watch this year. Much like Chicago of last year, the Force finished with a record just good enough to get into the playoffs (8-8). As for this season, we see this team taking the next step to AFL greatness. They have a very strong group of receivers and their offensive and defensive lines might be the best in the league this year. Last season, they had the leagues 5th best scoring offense. That unit returns pretty much intact this season, while the defense allowed the third fewest points and should be dominant once again. We see them sneaking out of the gate with great value early on so watch them closely. If they play as we think they will, and as they are capable of, they might just be a team you can count on to cover on a consistent basis throughout the season.
As we mentioned at the top, the added television exposure to the league will bump up the volume of interest and hopefully the insight we have given you here will keep you ahead of the betting public this year. Just remember the title of this article “Football Profits…in March” and make it a reality for yourself. The numbers are soft in this league and that’s why the profits can be large. Best of luck all season long and check in here again for more AFL insight as the season gets underway.
