The Quarterfinals of the 2012 AFL season is upon us, and here at Cappers Info, we are taking a look at all of the games that are on the AFL betting lines and making our Arena Football predictions for the week ahead!
Quarterfinals AFL Matchup: Utah Blaze @ San Antonio Talons
Date: Friday, July 27th, 8:00 ET
Arena Football Quarterfinals Odds: San Antonio +3 (123.5)
The Talons are playing in their first ever playoff game, and they get to do so at home in their de facto expansion season. That being said, we just aren’t all that sure that they are ready for the big time in any way, shape, or form. QB Aaron Garcia did win the ArenaBowl last year, and he did it with a lot of his same teammates, but this Utah team really knows how to get up and down the field offensively. Expect to see QB Tommy Grady get passed last week’s struggles against the Philadelphia Soul to turn in a fine performance in what should be an upset in the Lone Star State on Friday night.
AFL Quarterfinals Pick: Utah Blaze +3
Quarterfinals AFL Matchup: New Orleans VooDoo @ Philadelphia Soul
Date: Saturday, July 28th, 7:00 ET
Arena Football Quarterfinals Odds: Philadelphia -12 (117)
Be very, very careful, Philadelphia… The Soul have the best team in the AFL this year, and it isn’t even all that close, but this is a very dangerous first round matchup. The VooDoo have never won a playoff game in franchise history, and they are only back in the second season for the second time ever. They slumped into the playoffs on a three-game skid, and now they have to face the best offense in the history of the league. That being said, these two teams were tops at +/- for turnovers this year, and if New Orleans can hang onto the football, it only takes one mistake to sway a game, particularly at this level. We have a lot of confidence that if there is a team that can beat the Soul before the ArenaBowl, this is it. Don’t be shocked if there is an upset in the deck.
AFL Quarterfinals Pick: New Orleans VooDoo +12
Quarterfinals AFL Matchup: Georgia Force @ Jacksonville Sharks
Date: Saturday, July 28th, 7:00 ET
Arena Football Quarterfinals Odds: Jacksonville -8.5 (96)
The Sharks have had all sorts of good luck in the playoffs in their history, and this should be no exception. They were able to blast Georgia last year in the conference title game, and this year’s version of the Force really just aren’t all that good. QB Bryant Moniz has been a waste of a starting quarterback, and he is going to easily be the worst of the eight that are on the field this weekend. Jacksonville needs to get to 50 to win this game, and we think that that will be an easy enough task against a team that just turns the ball over far too much to be successful.
AFL Quarterfinals Pick: Jacksonville Sharks -8.5
Quarterfinals AFL Matchup: San Jose SaberCats @ Arizona Rattlers
Date: Saturday, July 28th, 10:00 ET
Arena Football Quarterfinals Odds: San Jose +6.5 (115.5)
From an historical standpoint, it doesn’t get much better than this for AFL fans. The SaberCats and the Rattlers are the two most storied franchises in league outside of Tampa Bay and Orlando, neither of which are in the playoffs. QB Nick Davila and QB Mark Grieb have gone back and forth for the last two years trying to get the upper hand on the other. The first two games this year were both incredibly close, and both were determined by a single great play late in the game. In the end though, it is very difficult to beat the same team three times in the same season. With home field advantage on their side, we think that the Rattlers are going to be able to dispose of the SaberCats with one or two Grieb mistakes in what might prove to be the last game that he plays in his storied career.
AFL Quarterfinals Pick: Arizona Rattlers -6.5
