posted June 6, 2008 at 18:53 EST in Other Articles

Saturday evenings match-up between the (8-6) Orlando Predators and (6-7) Tampa Bay Storm gives AFL bettors the opportunity to take part in a crucial National Conference clash that holds enormous playoff ramifications. Offshore sportsbooks taking action in last weeks Orlando game had themselves a nice payday after the ‘total’ was bought down five-points after Head Coach Jay Gruden announced back-up QB Jake Eaton would get the starting nod. Both clubs combined to put 113 points on the board to cash tickets for those brave enough to back the over, but the Preds dropped its second game in a row both SU and ATS when they fell 60-53 as 10-point home favorites. Turnovers put them in too big a hole even though they almost pulled it off outscoring the Rattlers 40-31 in the second half. They come into this Week 15 online betting affair 4-3 SU and 2-4-1 ATS on the road, and losers in four of its past six games, which has them in danger of breaking its streak of 16 consecutive playoff appearances with two regular season games remaining. As for the Storm, they suffered a gutwrenching defeat at the hands of the Georgia Force last week who took its first lead of the game as time expired when QB Chris Greisen plunged in from the one-yard line. K Carlos Martinez extra point attempt rang true, and the Storm absorbed its worst loss of the season after looking so good with only a minute left in the game. The 56-55 final did cash Tama Bay Storm tickets, but the loss dropped Head Coach Tim Marcum’s club to 6-7 overall and into last place of the Southern Division. The Storm now sits in the National Conference's eighth spot and is one game out of a playoff berth with three games left to go. Tampa’s gone 3-3 SU and 3-2-1 ATS at home this season.

It doesn’t matter what either of these team’s records are when they meet up since the game always pans out to be a war. That’s the main reason why this rivalry got the nickname “The War on I-4”. With both clubs fighting for its post-season lives, this is sure to be a good one. Tampa Bay seemed to have turned its season around when it paid a visit to “The Jungle” back in Week 9 and came out a 48-41 SU winner as six-point underdogs. The win snapped a four-game losing streak against their hated rivals, but Orlando enters tonight’s contest 12-8 SU and 11-9 ATS in their L/20 overall confrontations.

Oddsmakers installed the Storm 3.5-points better than the visiting Desperados with the ‘total’ set at 108. BetUS.com offers all the Week 15 Arena Football lines, which includes this crucial National Conference clash.

Orlando failed to cover the spread in its only road game as an underdog of 3.5-7 points this season when they got trounced by Philadelphia back in Week 1, and they’re 2-4 SU and ATS in that role the L/3 seasons. They’ve also been dreadful to their betting backers on the road going a woeful 2-6-1 ATS its L/9 road games. Tampa comes into thiscrucial home game winners of four in a row ATS, and they’ve gone 2-1 SU and 2-0-1 ATS its L/3 home games. Tampa would love nothing more than to sweep its hated rival after the Preds did just that in each of the previous two seasons.

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