The Colorado Crush and the Georgia Force, captured their respective conference championships as top seeds and will now meet in Arena Bowl XIX in Las Vegas on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. This will mark the first championship appearance for both franchises.
Fun and frenzy awaits Arena Nation in Sin City, with special events like celebrity appearances, concerts, and skill challenges scheduled regularly throughout the championship weekend. However, don't think for a minute that the league hasn't thought about the impact of a title game in the gambling capitol of the world, which could be huge. In fact, the AFL has gone so far as to subtly embrace the gambling angle by posting spreads on their score tickers and having studio hosts and announcers talk about the odds during games.
What lies ahead then for Sunday could be the most wagered Arena Football league game ever. Oddsmakers have set the line for the game at Georgia -3, and the total at a lofty 106. Keep in mind that this will be the first AFL game held at a neutral location and that these teams have only met one time previously, and not since 2003.
John Elway's Crush captured the American Conference championship Sunday in bizarre fashion, as the game that could have been over in regulation was delayed because of a last-second penalty and an explosion of confetti. Eventually Chicago went on to tie the game and force OT because of that penalty, but Colorado won in the extra session on a 22-yard TD pass by quarterback John Dutton to Andy McCullough.
The Force also survived a tight National Conference Championship contest by outlasting Orlando 60-58 to earn their spot in Arena Bowl XIX. Ironically, that game also came down to the last play as a two-point conversion attempt by the Predators failed, setting off a more timely celebration of fireworks and confetti.
Speaking of fireworks, the game on Sunday should see plenty more as both of these teams are prolific offensively, averaging over 52 PPG each. Colorado, 12-6 SU & 11-7 ATS, has also had its problems defensively, allowing a poor 7.1 yards per play. Meanwhile, Georgia (13-5 SU & 10-7-1 ATS) lost all five of its games on the road. As noted earlier, Arena Bowl XIX will be the league's first neutral field title game.
Here are some other top handicapping angles to consider when handicapping Arena Bowl XIX between now and Sunday:
The StatFox Power Ratings indicate that Georgia should be a 4-point favorite in this game
StatFox Power Trends favoring GEORGIA to cover the spread
GEORGIA is 6-1 ATS (+4.9 Units) in road games versus terrible rushing defenses - allowing >=3 rushing yards/carry after 8 or more games since 1996. The average score was GEORGIA 53.6, OPPONENT 48.2
StatFox Power Trends favoring COLORADO to cover the spread
COLORADO is 6-1 ATS (+4.9 Units) against National Conference, Southern Division Opponents over the last 3 seasons. The average score was COLORADO 44.9, OPPONENT 44.6
StatFox Power Trends favoring the OVER against the total
COLORADO is 5-1 OVER (+3.9 Units) in road games when the total is between 100 and 109.5 points this season. The average score was COLORADO 55.7, OPPONENT 63.2
StatFox Power Trends favoring the OVER against the total
COLORADO is 5-1 UNDER (+3.9 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 3 seasons. The average score was COLORADO 46.3, OPPONENT 50.3
Published by Statfox.com
Fun and frenzy awaits Arena Nation in Sin City, with special events like celebrity appearances, concerts, and skill challenges scheduled regularly throughout the championship weekend. However, don't think for a minute that the league hasn't thought about the impact of a title game in the gambling capitol of the world, which could be huge. In fact, the AFL has gone so far as to subtly embrace the gambling angle by posting spreads on their score tickers and having studio hosts and announcers talk about the odds during games.
What lies ahead then for Sunday could be the most wagered Arena Football league game ever. Oddsmakers have set the line for the game at Georgia -3, and the total at a lofty 106. Keep in mind that this will be the first AFL game held at a neutral location and that these teams have only met one time previously, and not since 2003.
John Elway's Crush captured the American Conference championship Sunday in bizarre fashion, as the game that could have been over in regulation was delayed because of a last-second penalty and an explosion of confetti. Eventually Chicago went on to tie the game and force OT because of that penalty, but Colorado won in the extra session on a 22-yard TD pass by quarterback John Dutton to Andy McCullough.
The Force also survived a tight National Conference Championship contest by outlasting Orlando 60-58 to earn their spot in Arena Bowl XIX. Ironically, that game also came down to the last play as a two-point conversion attempt by the Predators failed, setting off a more timely celebration of fireworks and confetti.
Speaking of fireworks, the game on Sunday should see plenty more as both of these teams are prolific offensively, averaging over 52 PPG each. Colorado, 12-6 SU & 11-7 ATS, has also had its problems defensively, allowing a poor 7.1 yards per play. Meanwhile, Georgia (13-5 SU & 10-7-1 ATS) lost all five of its games on the road. As noted earlier, Arena Bowl XIX will be the league's first neutral field title game.
Here are some other top handicapping angles to consider when handicapping Arena Bowl XIX between now and Sunday:
The StatFox Power Ratings indicate that Georgia should be a 4-point favorite in this game
StatFox Power Trends favoring GEORGIA to cover the spread
GEORGIA is 6-1 ATS (+4.9 Units) in road games versus terrible rushing defenses - allowing >=3 rushing yards/carry after 8 or more games since 1996. The average score was GEORGIA 53.6, OPPONENT 48.2
StatFox Power Trends favoring COLORADO to cover the spread
COLORADO is 6-1 ATS (+4.9 Units) against National Conference, Southern Division Opponents over the last 3 seasons. The average score was COLORADO 44.9, OPPONENT 44.6
StatFox Power Trends favoring the OVER against the total
COLORADO is 5-1 OVER (+3.9 Units) in road games when the total is between 100 and 109.5 points this season. The average score was COLORADO 55.7, OPPONENT 63.2
StatFox Power Trends favoring the OVER against the total
COLORADO is 5-1 UNDER (+3.9 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 3 seasons. The average score was COLORADO 46.3, OPPONENT 50.3
Published by Statfox.com
