The Sideline Whisperer

Predictions for Saturday, January 19th, 2013

By The Sideline Whisperer

I'm liking 2013! Last time out, I was only a couple of points away from a second straight perfect week to start this new calendar year. However, I have a feeling things could get a LOT tougher this week with several potential upsets on the cards as some of the better teams in Division 2 go on the road to face difficult matchups. Still, let's see if I can't keep this hot start up. Photo Credit: Angie Pachcinski. Posted on 1/17/2013 6:20:51 PM		But before I get to the picks, as a late Christmas present I've decided to give you, my loyal readers, an outlet to let me hear your thoughts on this column, games etc. I might well use some of the messages I get in future columns, so fire away to sidelinewhisperer@rugbyfl.com. [Note: actual results in parenthesis] Division 2 Miami RFC (0-7) at Boca Raton (5-2) - While Boca would certainly be heavy betting favorites here in this one -- if Vegas did Florida rugby lines -- I think this is one of those classic danger games. Coming off what could be a devastating one-point loss to Naples last week and a road game with huge rivals Fort Lauderdale coming up on the 26th, you would forgive the Buccaneers if their mind wasn't exactly in this one from the start. And when you add in the fact that Miami, who played Tridents hard last week in defeat, can only be spoilers at this point and will have nothing to lose, Boca has to be very, very careful in this contest. I fancy the home team to edge things, pulling away late, but an upset here would not surprise me in the least. Boca Raton 28 (29), Miami RFC 14 (11) Naples (6-1) at Fort Lauderdale (3-3) - Naples took the lead in the South Division with their 11-10 win over Boca last week, and won't have an easy task here to hold on to that first-place spot. Lauderdale only lost 22-15 to the Hammerheads over on the west coast, and coming off a bye will be nice and rested. At 3-3, the Knights still have an outside shot at making the playoffs, but they surely know that victories this week and next against Boca will be a must. This is definitely the toughest game of the week to pick, and while I'd love to have the cojones to pick a tie, I'll take the Hammerheads in a very tight affair. Naples 21 (24), Fort Lauderdale 19 (18) Krewe (5-0-1) at Daytona (1-4) - While the records of the teams in this contest might lead one to assume an easy victory for the road team, I have a feeling the Coconuts are better than their 1-4 mark suggests and are getting stronger. They crushed Jacksonville in early December and then only lost by nine last week on the road to a very tough Orlando side. Undefeated Krewe, meanwhile, have to lose sometime, right? Going out on a limb here (unlike in the first two games above), I'll pick Daytona to cause the upset in this one. Daytona 28 (46), Krewe 25 (22) Orlando (4-1-1) at Jacksonville (1-3) - According to our highly unofficial standings, Orlando are currently in first place in the North Division, despite their loss to Krewe. With the exact points system a little unclear (the South site has no bonus point opportunities listed on their Excel file). we'll just assume that, with only one loss, they are clearly still in the mix for a playoff spot, no matter where they stand exactly. Jacksonville, meanwhile, have given up an average of 59.3 points in their last three games (all losses), with their lone win coming against the Pelicans back on Nov. 3. While Orlando might not take their strongest side on the road this weekend, I think they'll have plenty to take care of business. Orlando 35 (21), Jacksonville 10 (31) Division 3 Gainesville (2-1) at Sarasota (1-2) -- Talk about a roller coaster season so far for the Hogs. They've won twice by a total of 167-0, but sandwiched between those victories was a 66-0 loss at Brevard. This road trip is a long one, the sort that wives usually frown on, so whether Gainesville takes a close to full side or not could make the difference. The Saracens, meanwhile, managed to put up a respectable 33 points on Brevard last week, but also allowed a half-century. I think the Hogs win this one by a couple of tries, but I can see the upset being on the cards if Gainesville brings a less-than-stellar squad the 180 miles to the southwest coast. Gainesville 31 (31), Sarasota 20 (24) Treasure Coast (0-2) at Brevard (3-0) -- Red Eye continued to show they are the class of Florida D3 last week with a 50-point haul against Sarasota, and things should be even easier this week against local rivals Treasure Coast. The only slight worry I have is that Brevard might be looking slightly ahead to next weekend's potential title decider against Palm Beach, however I think they have plenty of talent to handle this road bump with no problems. Brevard 55 (37), Treasure Coast 5 (17) The Sideline Whisperer sidelinewhisperer@rugbyfl.com Last Week (1/12/13): 5-1 Overall: 23-10 (69.6%)

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