Getty Birmingham Iron RB Trent Richardson
When the Alliance of American Football kicks off day two of their opening weekend of action, it will also mark the debut of former Alabama running back Trent Richardson. The former SEC Offensive Player of the Year and All-American was unable to find success at the NFL level, and his new team headlines the AAF action on Sunday.
The day features two games with all four teams including plenty of intriguing players and coaches. Before we dive into the actual games themselves and the on-field action itself, let’s start with the schedule as well as how to watch the games.
The first of the two games showcases the Memphis Express against Richardson and the Birmingham Iron. From there, it’s the Salt Lake Stallions against the Arizona Hotshots and their two intriguing quarterbacks. Here’s a look at the best way to watch the action and kickoff times for both.
Alliance of American Football TV Schedule: Sunday, February 10
- Memphis Express at Birmingham Iron
- 4 p.m. EST at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama
- TV: CBS Sports Network (live stream through CBS Sports Network)
A few players to note here for Birmingham include the aforementioned Richardson, another Alabama talent in quarterback Blake Sims as well as former NC State cornerback Jack Tocho. Ex-Troy linebacker Jonathan Massaquoi should also be a name to watch in this game.
The Express roster features two former well-known NFL quarterbacks in Christian Hackenberg and Zach Mettenberger. They also have ex-St. Louis Rams running back Zac Stacy, LSU back Terrence Magee and former Ole Miss wide receiver Damore’ea Stringfellow. Memphis is coached by former San Francisco 49ers coach and ex-player Mike Singletary.
- Salt Lake Stallions at Arizona Hotshots
- 8 p.m. EST at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona
- TV: NFL Network
The Stallions have some former NFL talent spread across the roster starting with running back’s Branden Oliver and Matt Asiata. Wide receiver’s Kenny Bell (Nebraska) and Kaelin Clay (Utah) were both intriguing prospects coming out of college but never managed to carve out roles in the NFL. Former NFL coach Dennis Erickson is Salt Lake’s head coach, only adding to the intrigue of this group.
On the other side, the Hotshots have drawn a decent amount of attention, partially due to a quarterback duo of former Texas A&M standout Trevor Knight and Wake Forest’s John Wolford. They also have an intriguing group of wideouts that includes ex-Philadelphia Eagles receiver Josh Huff and Freddie Martino.
AAF Predictions for Sunday’s Action
AAF Sunday betting lines (Bovada):
Memphis Express +120
Birmingham Iron -3
O/U 46.5
Salt Lake Stallions +150
Arizona Hotshots -4
O/U 49.5
Memphis Express vs. Birmingham Iron
Starting with the first matchup, the Iron enter this game as three-point favorites, which is somewhat surprising. The over/under seems to be a bit high based on the scores we saw from Saturday’s action. With that said, I think that Memphis is able to pull the upset on the road in what should prove to be a low-scoring game. Hackenberg will be key to this matchup, but he has the weapons around him to ease pressure and have success.
Prediction: Memphis Express 21 Birmingham Iron 13
Salt Lake Stallions vs. Arizona Hotshots
I’m riding the offensive talent boasted by the Hotshots here, and I believe the duo of head coach Rick Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Hugh Freeze put together a solid gameplan. While Erickson’s squad should be able to put points on the board, the duo of Wolford/Knight at quarterback for Arizona will prove to be too much here. I’ll take the Hotshots and lay the four points.
Prediction: Arizona Hotshots 28 Salt Lake Stallions 17
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