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New season, new record... let's put last year behind us yeah? There were quite a few shakeups this offseason and I don't think the lines have tightened up yet.
Baltimore at Omaha (-5) - After 12 seasons with the Arrowheads, QB Harrison was traded in for a younger model. The Harrison to Dole connection was the most oppressive in the league but drastic changes were needed in order to beat the Bulldogs. While QB Womble has shown flashes of potential, is he really the answer after 7 uneventful seasons with TEX?
BAL, on the other hand, does not come into this season with any earthshaking changes. 7-9 wasn't a great record but they did post encouraging performances against OMA, DUR, and SHR. Winnable games slipping through their fingers cost them a playoff berth and they instead opted to keep the majority of their team intact. One exciting addition will be rookie LB Winslett, projected to take this scary defensive front to the next level.
Omaha has had the upper hand in this matchup historically but Baltimore are no slouches. I think it will take a little more time for QB Womble to get comfortable and DE Hitchcock and FS Leskun will slow that down significantly. I'm not going to say the Bombers win this week but they should cover the +5: 24-20 OMA.
Tennessee at New Orleans (-3) - When was the last time the Voodoo were favored by Vegas? This NOS team certainly has potential after GM BGBob blew up the previous roster but will they be able to hit the ground running against a solid Tennessee? The defense has many of the same pieces as last season but on offense... QB recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, rookie RB, two rookie WRs, a new LT... it doesn't look great.
Both of these units put up good defensive numbers in 2061: TEN was a top 10 secondary and excellent pass rushing but struggled against the run. NOS was a top 10 team against the run, but rarely pressured opposing QBs enough to stymie passing.
At the end of the day, I think it will come down to the team with the more consistent roster. NOS will be the better team eventually but I'll take the visitors here: TEN wins 27-20. It will be interesting to see how the Militia decide to incorporate their rookies-- through preseason play we've seen that LB Giles, LB Edwards, C Lindsay, and G Cox could all challenge the incumbent starters.
Las Vegas at Honolulu (-4) - I've taken the underdog in this matchup just about every time it has come around... and I think it has been profitable. Though HON won both meetings last season, the four before those were split. QB England put up stellar numbers during his first stint with the team and there's no reason to think he won't do it again. The Sharks have added a few more pieces to their roster that could play this week too-- LB Bernstein, CB Lyle, DE Stavros all look like promising upgrades.
The Rounders have been a very consistent roster and this season is no different. All of the big names are coming back and this crown jewel of this team-- the elite defensive front-- has even gotten an upgrade in DT Ogden. DROY LB Hargreaves looks to pile on the accolades with this stacked unit and the Sharks will have to be on their game to keep QB England's shirt clean.
Player matchups aside, both of these teams have the talent and coaching to win this and it's just a value play to take the points.Give me the visiting Rounders to win outright: 30-24.
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GL Division Champions: 2057, 2059, 2065
EFC Champions: 2057
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