I am sure there is a no-duh answer to this, but I haven't figured it out yet.
At the top left of the Manager's Center, under Opponent Scouting Report it lists the team you play next. After the team name is a number in parentheses, followed by the box to click for detailed scouting. So, what is the number in parentheses? It's not the team's place in the standings. It seems to range from 1 to 4, though. I give up.