Tampa Bay Storm: Arena Football Betting Picks & Odds
Arena Football Picks February 26th, 2008Tampa Bay Storm (9-7 in 2007, lost in first round to Columbus)
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Odds to win ArenaBowl XXII: +600
Was there a better feel-good story in 2007 than the Tampa Bay Storm? With the death of the wife of FB Nyle Wiren and the father of FB Torrance Marshall, the Tampa Bay family was shaken. Football was clearly the 2nd thing on the Storm players’ minds, but in spite of that and a 1-6 start to the season, they rallied together to roll off seven victories in eight games to clinch a home playoff game. Most of the Storm remains intact, which will immediately pay dividends for the five-time champs as they contend for the ArenaBowl once again in 2008.
2007 Highlight: Emotions ran high in the Week 17 clash between the Storm and the Austin Wranglers. While it was the last game in Austin Wranglers AFL history, the Storm knew that a win would preserve them a home playoff game. In a game that was back and forth the entire way, the Storm tied the game for the final time with 0:51 remaining on WR Terrill Shaw’s 3rd TD grab of the night. Austin kicked a FG with 0:30 left, but Marshall’s one-yard TD plunge with 0:08 remaining sealed the deal for the Storm.
2007 Lowlight: Coming off of their first victory of the season, the Storm headed into Orlando to take on their arch-rivals after getting beaten by 25 points in their first outing of the season. For the second straight game against the Storm, the Predators defense was unrelenting, holding Tampa Bay to 37 points in the 61-37 victory, and knocking out starting QB Stoney Case for the season in the process.
Key acquisition: WR Sedrick Robinson (1636 all-purpose yards, 9 TDs in 2007 for Austin). In a free agent move that slipped quietly under the radar, the Storm landed Robinson, widely known as one of the best kick returners in the AFL. He has experience at both WR and DB, and can be a great asset in all three phases of the game for the Storm.
Key loss: FB Rodney Filer (94 rushing yards, 9 TDs in 2007). The only significant loss for the Storm in the off-season wasn’t even on the team most of 2007. Racking up nine TDs in just four games, Filer suffered a leg injury that ended his season against the New York Dragons. Marshall replaced Filer well as the FB, and he should continue to carry that load in 2008.
2008 Preview: The only starting positions that the Storm have to fill from the end of last season are at OL and DL. The entire receiving corps is intact, as is the secondary. If second year QB Brett Dietz can keep his consistent play from the end of ’07 going, the Storm should be a major player in the playoffs again in ‘08.
2008 will be a success if… Dietz avoids a sophomore slump. Not all of Brett Dietz’s games were phenomenal by any stretch of the imagination, but he only threw seven interceptions over the course of 300 pass attempts. If he continues to protect the football and let his receivers do all the dirty work, there will be no stopping Tampa Bay this season.
It’s been five years since the Storm have won a divisional championship, and Head Coach Tim Marcum has probably seen enough of other teams at the head of his division.
Prediction: 11-5, 1st place Southern Division