The dust has settled and we finally have our match-ups for the Atlantic Division play-in games. On Friday night the Raleigh Flyers head to DC to take on the Breeze (a game you can watch for free, live on the DraftKings Dream Stream via Youtube or Twitch). And on Saturday night the Atlanta Hustle tests their talents against the New York Empire (this will also be free to watch on AUDL.TV). This week offers only a small slate with just these two games, so let’s go ahead and break them down and give the best bets for this weekend’s AUDL Playoffs.
Raleigh Flyers vs DC Breeze (-1.5)
After a 13-goal losing effort versus the Atlanta Hustle on July 17th, the DC Breeze have been on a mission: roll opponents and build momentum going into the postseason. They subsequently won five straight after that blowout, with four of those five wins by seven goals or more. Their matchup against Raleigh during that streak produced a one-goal, double-overtime thriller. All four of Raleigh’s regular-season losses came by one goal (twice to DC, once to New York, and once to Atlanta). I do not see this game ending any differently. Although I expect DC to come out on top, the Flyers have enough raw talent to keep themselves close the entire game and I expect the Flyers to cover the 1.5 goals.
Pick: Raleigh Flyers (+1.5)
Atlanta Hustle vs New York Empire (-1.5)
The lone matchup between New York and Atlanta brought us a one-goal win in favor of the Hustle. Neither team held a lead bigger than three goals throughout that back-and-forth match. Since that loss, the New York Empire won six straight contests. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hustle has dropped two of their final three games coming into the postseason. This included a loss to one of the worst defenses in Tampa and a loss to Raleigh, who went on a 7-1 run to end the game. The win they had to close the season was not at all impressive, as the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds literally threw the game away in the closing seconds. It seems like New York and Atlanta have had polar opposite narratives heading into the playoffs, and this is why I like New York to cover the 1.5 goals.
Pick: New York Empire (-1.5)
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