Pro football returns to San Diego on Sunday when the Fleet host the Legends in Week 2 of the Alliance of American Football. Kickoff from SDCCU Stadium is at 8 p.m. ET. San Diego lost the Chargers to L.A. following the 2016 season, but now there's palpable excitement for the Fleet's first home game. With offensive genius Mike Martz as head coach, fireworks from the Fleet are expected, especially against an Atlanta team that was shelled 40-6 in its opener. Sportsbooks list San Diego as a 9.5-point favorite, with the over-under for total points scored set at 44 in the latest Legends vs. Fleet odds. Before you make any Legends vs. Fleet picks or AAF predictions, see what legendary pro football handicapper Hammerin' Hank Goldberg picked.
A beloved national treasure, Hammer finished the NFL season in style: Over the final six weeks, he went 12-3-2 (80 percent) against the spread on his best bets, including going 3-0 on conference championship Sunday and nailing the easiest under ever in Super Bowl LIII. Anyone who has been following him lately is up big.
This is the same handicapper who enjoyed 15 winning seasons in his 17-year ESPN run. In 2017, Hammer competed against 10 top handicappers in the Las Vegas Review-Journal NFL Challenge and beat them all, finishing 50-29-6 in against-the-spread picks.
Now, after contacting his unmatched coaching sources, Hammer found one side of the Legends vs. Fleet spread has all the value. He's sharing his pick over at SportsLine.
Hammer knows the Fleet are turning to quarterback Philip Nelson, who's familiar with Martz's system. As an East Carolina senior in 2016, Nelson completed 68 percent of his passes with a 141.5 rating. In 10 games he threw for 16 touchdowns, rushed for two more and even caught a scoring pass.
Nelson got his feet wet in Week 1, completing 5 of 10 throws for 68 yards and rushing three times for 20 yards. After a full week of practice with the starters, Nelson is poised to shine in front of the Fleet's loud home crowd. He'll likely hook up multiple times with former Dallas Cowboys tight end Gavin Escobar, who hauled in four catches for 66 yards last week.
But just because the Fleet are at home and playing for an offensive genius doesn't mean they'll cover a massive spread Sunday night.
Atlanta is determined to bounce back, and has the talent to do so. While it's unclear if Matt Simms or Aaron Murray will start at quarterback, whoever get the nod should get the ball out quickly to his play-makers. Wideout Justin Thomas caught all four of his targets last week, while running back Lawrence Pittman averaged an eye-popping 8.0 yards per carry.
Head coach Kevin Coyle has a strong defensive reputation, having served as Miami Dolphins' defensive coordinator from 2012-15. Coyle looks forward to matching wits with Martz and trying to shut down the Fleet.
Hammer is leaning under 44, but his stronger play is on the side. He says a mismatch at one position will determine the spread winner.
Who wins Legends vs. Fleet? And what mismatch makes one side of the spread a must-back? Check out the Week 2 AAF schedule and odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Hammerin' Hank Goldberg's strong pointspread pick for Atlanta-San Diego, all from the legendary pro football handicapper who ended the NFL season hitting 80 percent of his best bets.
Sunday, Feb. 17
Orlando Apollos at San Antonio Commanders (+6), 4 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network
Atlanta Legends at San Diego Fleet (-9.5), 8 p.m. ET, NFL Network