VSiN Week 7 Point Spread
May 25, 2018 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Albany Empire News Release
WASHINGTON AT @ ALBANY (-14, 92) 6 p.m. ET, Saturday
It's no surprise that when Washington interim head coach Benji McDowell pulled the trigger on a change at quarterback, the fortunes of the Valor seemed to change. Enter Shane Austin, who immediately sparked the Washington offense and led touchdown drives on four of his first five possessions at the helm. Austin looks like a huge upgrade for the Valor at signal-caller, with timing on his throws and great decision making in the pocket. Austin's insertion into the lineup meant life for wide receiver Reggie Gray, who pulled in four touchdowns and 171 receiving yards. Expect a much better offensive attack from Washington going forward. McDowell also deserves credit for injecting energy into what looked like a listless Valor defense, as Washington pulled in two interceptions.
The Valor's opponent this week is the most improved team from Week 1, the Albany Empire. The Empire was already endowed with great talent on the defensive side of the ball in its inaugural season, but the offense has really come together in the last few weeks to complement arguably the best defensive line in the league. Tommy Grady has a talented group of wideouts at his disposal, and the offense has erupted for 141 points over the last three weeks! Malachi Jones, the receiver we mentioned last week, had himself another game with 63 yards, and two scores. It all comes back to Joe Hills, who really relieved the pressure on this offense back in Week 2 when he arrived.
Looking at the number for this contest, the immediate thought is to take the points, and that is exactly what I will do. With Austin at quarterback, there is no reason for the Valor to be catching nearly 20 points. Expect Washington to be greatly improved on offense and stay well within the spread throughout the meeting. I expected this to be in the range of 10 points. Take the Over now that the Valor's offense has been corrected.
VON TOBEL'S PICK: Washington, Over
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