All the AAF needed was a little bit of time. There's no possible way teams can form in January, for the first time, and begin playing in February without having to work out numerous tangles. It always needed a month or so to get on track. Well, here we are in Week 4 (here's how to watch all the games), and it's no coincidence that this slate of games is largely the most appealing to date.
The Saturday schedule is especially appealing. The San Diego Fleet have been a hot team since switching to quarterback Philip Nelson, and the Memphis Express have found some life with Zach Mettenberger behind center. Which quarterback change will work out the best? There's a potentially fun one brewing in Memphis. Meanwhile, the Orlando Apollos head to Salt Lake City take on the Stallions and are less than a touchdown favorite. The Stallions already pulled off one upset as a home dog; do they have another in store?
CBS Sports is here to give you the rundown of every AAF game against the spread. Our picks can be viewed below. Lines are courtesy of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
San Diego Fleet (-6.5) at Memphis Express, O/U 41.5
This is a far more interesting game than it would have appeared just a couple of weeks ago. The Fleet have won two in a row and Memphis, though still winless, has dramatically improved. I'm most interested to see if Express quarterback Zach Mettenberger, in his first full start, can pick up where he left off after tossing a pair of impressive touchdown passes against Orlando. Both defenses have been playing lights out recently, so another tight one should be in store. The Express are also 2-0 against the spread at home, and 6.5 points is enough for me to take them.
Pick: Memphis +6.5, Under 41.5
Orlando Apollos (-4.5) at Salt Lake Stallions, O/U 44.5
The AAF's best team goes on the road with a target on its back. Playing at Salt Lake is the first of four road games over the next five weeks for the Apollos, so we'll see how good this team really is. With quarterback Josh Woodrum healthy, the Stallions should be a threat to cover at home for the second-straight week; whether they'll win outright like they did vs. Arizona is another question. Can Orlando put a plug in Salt Lake's ground game that is sure to chew up the clock? That will be their key to winning.
Pick: Salt Lake City +4.5, Under 44.5
San Antonio Commanders at Birmingham Iron (-7.5), O/U 39.5
The Iron play a brand of physical, slow-burn football that wears teams down over 60 minutes. Can the Commanders, playing on the road for the second-straight week, counter blow for blow? The key thing to watch for San Antonio is the defense. After allowing an average of 26 points in the past two games, the Commanders face a far less explosive, but nevertheless effective offense. The point total is low enough that I still like the over, but the Iron have been good at home in covering.
Pick: Birmingham -7.5, Over 39.5
Atlanta Legends at Arizona Hotshots (-12), O/U 41.5
It would be a shocker if Atlanta pulled off the upset and beat Arizona, one of the top teams in the West division, on the road. The Legends will be playing their third game away from home in a month. However, Arizona was favored by double digits in Week 2 vs. Memphis, and Orlando was a 15.5-point favorite against the Express in Week 3, and both failed to cover. Atlanta has played terribly -- it has the lowest scoring offense and the worst point margin at -62 -- but a double-digit spread just hasn't been an easy cover for the favorite. Personally, I'd advise you to stay away from this line. But, if you must ...
Pick: Atlanta +12, Under 41.5