posted July 11, 2008 at 12:55 in Other Articles

We’ll get one step closer to the football wagering extravaganza as ArenaBowl XXII is set to take place on Saturday. The Philadelphia Soul take on the Cleveland Gladiators in the National Conference Championship, and the San Jose SaberCats face the Grand Rapids Rampage over in the American Conference Championship.

And after the sports betting favorites went a combined 1-3 against-the-spread during the divisional round of the playoffs last week, AFL betting fans might want to take a closer look at this week’s matchups before making their picks.

The Rampage made it to the American Conference Championship by knocking off Chicago 58-41 as an 8-point underdog last week. Rampage QB James MacPherson threw for 326 yards with six touchdowns and an interception on the day, while Kenny Higgins picked up three touchdowns in the victory.

The SaberCats rolled over Colorado in the divisional round 64-51 as an 11-point favorite. James Roe, who suffered a leg injury, caught three TD passes in that contest; he could miss Saturday’s conference championship. Mark Grieb had 283 passing yards and seven touchdown strikes in the win over the Crush.

Cleveland was also an upset winner last week, as they defeated Georgia 73-70 as a 6.5-point underdog on the AFL odds. Gladiators quarterback Raymond Philyaw hit Robert Redd in the end zone late in the fourth quarter to lock up that win. Philyaw finished the game with 295 passing yards and eight touchdown passes. Redd had three touchdown receptions on the day.

The Soul got past the divisional round with an extremely close 49-48 win over New York as a 9.5-point favorite. Matt D’Orazio and Larry Brackins hooked up for the winning touchdown as time expired in that contest. D’Orazio continued his strong play in the win with 258 yards passing and six touchdowns. Chris Jackson scored four TDs in the contest.

San Jose defeated the Rampage 66-58 as a 10.5-point road favorite back in Week 2; in Saturday’s game the SaberCats are pegged as a 5-point favorite. Meanwhile, Cleveland and Philly split their two-game series during the regular season; on Saturday the Soul are listed as a 6.5-point favorite on the AFL odds.

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