The AFL betting season enters its twelfth week of play this week with a full slate of games. Check out how we’re ranking the clubs through the first 11 weeks of the season!

1: Jacksonville Sharks (7-2 SU, 5-4 ATS) (LW: 1) – Even though the Sharks did go up to Spokane and lose a few weeks ago, we tend to believe that they have the best overall resume of any team in the AFL to date. After a week off, a trip to the Jungle could be difficult. It’ll mark the return of HC Les Moss to the city that he coached in for almost two decades.
Up Next: Away @ Orlando

2: Spokane Shock (7-2 SU, 4-5 ATS) (LW: 2) – Spokane needed some magic at the end of their AFL betting affair with the Predators on Saturday, but they walked out of Orlando with a victory to tie Jacksonville for the best record in the league. QB Kyle Rowley chucked three picks though, and he’ll need to improve upon that if the Shock is to avoid getting bounced this week.
Up Next: Home vs. Tulsa

3: Milwaukee Iron (7-3 SU, 6-4 ATS) (LW: 4) – A dominant second half performance against the Gladiators moves Milwaukee up a slot in this week’s AFL Power Poll. The 82 points scored was the second highest point total of the season. A win in the Windy City this week could effectively lock up the Midwest Division.
Up Next: Away @ Chicago

4: Arizona Rattlers (6-3 SU, 5-4 ATS) (LW: 3) – Shame on the Rattlers for needing to stop a two point conversion against Oklahoma City to pick up a home victory on Friday night. The fun and games are almost over for Arizona, but another win should be in the cards this week.
Up Next: Home vs. Bossier City

5: Chicago Rush (7-3 SU, 5-4-1 ATS) (LW: 5) – With almost an entire new receiving corps, QB Rush Michna still had a fantastic game, going 16/19 for 217 yards and six scores against the lowly Blaze on Saturday night. This was merely a tune up for this week’s rematch against the Iron in which revenge will clearly be on the minds of the members of the Rush.
Up Next: Home vs. Milwaukee

6: Tampa Bay Storm (6-3 SU, 3-6 ATS) (LW: 6) – Between the win at Alabama and Orlando’s loss to Spokane, the Storm were arguably the biggest winners in the 11th week of AFL betting action. For the third straight game, Tampa Bay had to hold on for dear life at the death, but HC Tim Marcum will take wins any way he can get them.
Up Next: Away @ Utah

And the rest…
7: Tulsa Talons (6-4 SU, 7-3 ATS) (LW: 9)
8: Alabama Vipers (5-5 SU, 5-5 ATS) (LW: 8 )
9: Orlando Predators (4-5 SU, 5-4 ATS) (LW: 7)
10: Iowa Barnstormers (4-5 SU, 4-5 ATS) (LW: 11)
11: Cleveland Gladiators (4-6 SU, 6-4 ATS) (LW: 10)
12: Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (3-7 SU, 6-4 ATS) (LW: 12)
13: Bossier City Battle Wings (3-7 SU, 6-4 ATS) (LW: 13)
14: Dallas Vigilantes (1-8 SU, 1-8 ATS) (LW: 14)
15: Utah Blaze (1-8 SU, 2-7 ATS) (LW: 15)

The AFL betting season enters its seventh week of play this week with a full slate of games. Check out how we’re ranking the clubs through the first six weeks of the season!

1: Milwaukee Iron (4-1 SU, 4-1 ATS) (LW: 2) – The Iron solidified themselves as the top team in the game this week when they absolutely pummeled Chicago 71-48. The schedule sets up quite nicely for Milwaukee going forward, as it may not be playing a playoff team until June 19th when it takes on Chicago again.
Up Next: Home vs. Utah

2: Chicago Rush (4-1 SU, 2-2-1 ATS) (LW: 1) – QB Russ Michna and the special teams self-destructed for Chicago in an awful stretch of just over two quarters worth of play that saw the Rush get outscored 64-35 against Milwaukee. Expect some vengeance to be had when the Barnstormers come a calling to the Windy City this week.
Up Next: Home vs. Iowa

3: Jacksonville Sharks (4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS) (LW: 4) – The Sharks could be the best team in the AFL that no one is talking about right now. It took some controversial calls and some timely mistakes by Tampa Bay, but Jacksonville successfully escaped the St. Pete Times Forum with a ‘W’ on Friday night for the biggest win in the franchise’s brief history. J’Ville is now a full game clear of the field in its division.
Up Next: Home vs. Dallas

4: Tulsa Talons (3-2 SU, 5-0 ATS) (LW: 5) – It was yet another game that came down to the wire, but Tulsa made it through their battle with the Vipers to move to a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS at home. The Talons have to hit the road again next week in what could be a very hostile Quicken Loans Arena.
Up Next: Away @ Cleveland

5: Alabama Vipers (3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS) (LW: 3) – Alabama has proven that it can play with anyone in the AFL, but eventually, games like this most recent one in Tulsa have to start going the Vipers’ way. There’s no excuse for a loss next week, as a lousy Orlando team coming off of its first win of the year comes to town.
Up Next: Home vs. Orlando

6: Spokane Shock (3-2 SU, 2-3 ATS) (LW: 8 ) – The Shock pulled the upset in Arizona last week by hanging on by the skin of their teeth. Spokane held two last second touchdown attempts out of the end zone, leading it to a big victory in conference to get over .500 once again. This Sunday’s duel in the Sooner State should be very interesting.
Up Next: Away @ Oklahoma City

And the rest…
7: Tampa Bay Storm (2-3 SU, 1-4 ATS) (LW: 6)
8: Arizona Rattlers (2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS) (LW: 7)
9: Cleveland Gladiators (2-3 SU, 3-2 ATS) (LW: 12)
10: Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS) (LW: 13)
11: Dallas Vigilantes (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS) (LW: 9)
12: Iowa Barnstormers (2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS) (LW: 10)
13: Bossier City Battle Wings (2-3 SU, 3-2 ATS) (LW: 11)
14: Utah Blaze (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS) (LW: 14)
15: Orlando Predators (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS) (LW: 15)

Courtesy of Mike Rose at Handicapperspicks.com
Week 3 AFL QB Power Rankings

In addition to our weekly power poll of all of the teams in the AFL, we’re also going to take a look at how the quarterbacks stack up in this pass happy league. Here’s a look at the top five signal callers through two weeks of play.

1: Chris Greisen, Milwaukee Iron (30/36, 327 yds, 9 TDs, 0 INTs) – Not many quarterbacks can say that they’ve completed 23 straight passes at any level of competition, but that’s what Greisen did against the Shock two weeks ago. He led the Iron offense to 74 points, which could be the first of many 70+ point efforts for this team if he and WR Damian Harrell can remain on the same page.

Last Week’s Stats: Bye

2: Raymond Philyaw, Bossier City Battle Wings (54/75, 630 yds, 16 TDs, 0 INTs) – Philyaw is one of the true gamers in the history of the AFL, and he proved it once again by tossing nine tuddies against the Predators in an offensive spectacle last Saturday night. He’s now got 16 touchdowns without a pick on the season for an offense that hasn’t turned the ball over in two games.

Last Week’s Stats: 26/33, 324 yds, 9 TDs, 0 INTs vs. Orlando

3: Kyle Rowley, Spokane Shock (50/72, 518 yds, 13 TDs, 1 INT) – The Shock have a quarterback on their roster that can really be a nuisance to the defenses in this league. He doesn’t have the biggest arm in the world, but if he plays anything like he did against Utah, he’s going to be tough to contain. Particularly at home where he’s grown very comfortable playing in front of the Spokane faithful.

Last Week’s Stats: 21/29, 224 yds, 6 TDs, 0 INTs vs. Utah

4: Justin Allgood, Tulsa Talons (36/59, 456 yds, 13 TDs, 1 INT) – If you can beat Dallas and Tampa Bay in back-to-back weeks, you deserve some recognition for it. For lack of a better word, Allgood has been all good in his two starts, tossing just one pick in his first AFL experience after graduating from the ranks of the deuce like several other members of this Tulsa team. His stats weren’t great against the Vigilantes, but he did put up seven total TDs and led the team to 63 points.

Last Week’s Stats: 10/23, 182 yds, 5 TDs, 1 INT vs. Dallas

5: Russ Michna, Chicago Rush (40/55, 576 yds, 14 TDs, 1 INT) – If not for a ton of fumbles against Iowa in Week 1, Michna would be further up on this list, especially considering the fact that his Rush stand 2-0 through two weeks of play. Michna broke into this league two years ago when he replaced Matt D’Orazio as the man in the Windy City, and now HC Mike Hohensee knows that he has a real winner leading his offensive attack.

Last Week’s Stats: 22/27, 315 yds, 8 TDs, 0 INTs vs. Cleveland

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Inside the AFL Week 2 Box Scores
Courtesy of Mike Rose at Handicapperspicks.com

Week 2 of the 2010 Arena Football betting season will forever go down as the week of the underdog. All but one of the five managed to cover the spread with Alabama (+3’), Tulsa (+10’), and Bossier-Shreveport (+2’) all winning outright.

Cleveland Gladiators 56 Chicago Rush 59

This week’s NFL Network broadcast started off with a flurry. The Rush found the end zone on their first offensive snap of the game when QB Russ Michna connected with WR Samie Parker on a 42-yard pass and catch to take a quick 7-0 lead. The Gladiators responded quickly when QB John Dutton and WR Ben Nelson hooked up on a 15-yard scoring strike to tie it up; 14 points were put on the board less than three minutes into the game. The clubs exchanged scoring blows throughout the rest of the first half. Cleveland blew its shot to take the lead at the break when Dutton threw his first INT of the game. Both clubs put 28 points on the board after the first 30 minutes of play. The clubs exchanged leads throughout the 3^rd quarter, but they entered the final 15 minutes of regulation tied at 42 apiece. The Rush grabbed the lead on two occasions before scoring the final points of the game when K Chris Gould split the upright from 12-yards out to move the Rush to 2-0 on the season. Michna was stellar in this one completing 22 of 27 passes for 315 yards to go along with eight TDs and no interceptions. Dutton threw for 379 yards and six TDs, but his three picks ultimately proved to be the Glads downfall.

Jacksonville Sharks 49 Alabama Vipers 63

QB Aaron Garcia and the visiting Sharks held a 28-21 lead at the break. After extending the lead to 14 (35-21) at the start of the 3^rd quarter, the Vipers defense stepped up and kept the Sharks off the board long enough to take a 42-35 lead. With the Sharks already scoring on special teams and Garcia picking the “D” apart through the air, HC Dean Kokinos decided to onside kick the rest of the way. The move paid off handsomely for the home team. The Vipers defense continually kept the Sharks out of the end zone with a smaller field to work with and also recovered a number of onside kicks. When it was all said and done, Alabama outgained Jacksonville 284-190 with QB Kevin Eakin throwing for 244 yards and four TDs. FB/LB Dan Alexander rumbled for 40 yards and four TDs on 13 carries, and the defense forced three Jacksonville turnovers. One of the few teams in the league that utilizes its ground attack, the Vipers dominated the time of possession battle 43:08 to 15:52.

Spokane Shock 68 Utah Blaze 34

In the most lopsided final score of the week, the Shock toyed with the Blaze to bounce back from the Week 1 home defeat they absorbed against Milwaukee. QB Kyle Rowley completed 72 percent of his passes for 224 yards and six scores with WR Huey Whittaker hauling in 12 (2 TD) of them for 95 yards. The Shock took a 35-14 lead with them into the break with the home team Blaze scoring the 14-points by way of special teams. Both Blaze QBs Mike Affleck and Brett Elliott were non factors in this one throwing for a combined 164 yards and two TDs. Spokane gained 310 overall yards and were only faced with having to convert three third downs throughout the games entirety. Utah has plenty to shore up on both sides of the ball if it expects to compete in this league any time soon.

Dallas Vigilantes 59 Tulsa Talons 63

Head coach Mitch Allner and his Talons sit atop the Southwest Division standings along with Bossier after it disposed of the heavily favored Dallas Vigilantes on Saturday night. The four point win was the former AF2’s second win over an original AFL mainstay this season. The team exhibited the passion and tenacity required to upend a loaded squad like Dallas even though the Vigilantes dominated the stat sheet outgaining the Talons 361-188 while holding onto the pigskin for nearly 16 more minutes. Both QB’s Shane Stafford and Justin Allgood tossed five TDs a piece, and their main targets, Derek Lee and Donovan Morgan, had big games. Once Dallas grabbed a 17-point lead (45-28), the Tulsa defense stepped up to force three fumbles to close out the game and secure the impressive outright victory. Tulsa didn’t play well, but it stepped up in the fourth quarter and proved to the rest of the league that it’s an outfit with a never say die attitude.

Orlando Predators 67 Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings 73

The highest scoring game of the week wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicates. In a game where defense proved to be highly optional, the Battle Wings raced out to a 13-0 lead and never looked back. The teams then traded scores on nine consecutive possessions. The only stop occurred with one second left before the break. Orlando decided to kick a FG, but the move blew up in its face after WR P.J. Berry returned the miss 56 yards for a score. Both QBs were sensational in this one, or the defenses were just simply awful; pick your poison. Bossier QB Raymond Philyaw tossed nine TD passes, of which six went to the aforementioned Berry (Off Player of the Game). Orlando QB Nick Hill had a fine debut throwing for an obscene 380 yards and four TDs. Look for both of these offenses to continue posting lofty point totals in the coming weeks.

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Chicago Rush vs. Cleveland Gladiators
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NFL Network continues its coverage of the 2010 Arena Football League betting season on Friday night with a showdown between the Cleveland Gladiators (0-1, 0-1 ATS) and the Chicago Rush (1-0, 1-0 ATS) from Allstate Arena.

The boys from the Windy City got the job done at Iowa last week, forcing the Barnstormers into six turnovers and capitalizing for the biggest win of the weekend, a 61-43 decision. QB Russ Michna had an adequate game, but HC Mike Hohensee will tell you that he expects better out of his veteran leader. He went 18/28 passing for 261 yards and six scores, but he also threw an interception and fumbled the ball three times, losing all three.

The story was the defense for Chicago, which stood tall, forcing those six turnovers and stopping the Barnstormers on downs once as well. The Rush also only allowed 21 of their 46 passes faced to be complete. DB DeJuan Alfonso had an interception returned for a touchdown, while DBs Nygel Rogers and Josh Ferguson hauled in two picks apiece.

The Gladiators looked as though they were ready to roll to a huge win at halftime against the Arizona Rattlers last week, as they took a 35-14 lead into the locker room. However, it wasn’t meant to be. The second half started with WR Trandon Harvey returning a kickoff for a touchdown, which started a 21-0 run for Arizona to make the lead disappear in a span of about 12 minutes. Kick coverage was a problem once again in the fourth quarter, when DB Terrance Sanders literally went untouched into the end zone after fielding the ball off of the slack net. Special teams and QB John Dutton both had major problems for the hosts. Dutton may have thrown for 287 yards and seven touchdowns, but his four picks were just too much to overcome. WR Ben Nelson looked great in his first game as a Gladiator, picking up 154 yards and four TDs through the air. DL Anthony Hoke recorded an interception and picked up a sack in his first ever AFL game.

As of the time of this publication, the Rush have dropped from 10.5 point favorites on the opening AFL lines down to eight point choices. Courtesy of Mike Rose at Handicapperspicks.com