The UFL season kicks off this week for another season of spring football! The league, which merges the XFL and USFL, will have eight teams focused on winning the inaugural championship.
Each week I'll release my weekly picks for the slate of games, finding you the best betting edge possible.
UFL Pick #1 - Stallions -4.0 (-110)
UFL Pick #2 - Battlehawks -7.0 (-110)
UFL Pick #3 - Brahmas +6.0 (-110)
UFL Pick #4 - Showboats -1.0 (-110)
UFL Week 1 Betting Odds
| When | Favored Team | Point Spread Odds | Underdog Team | OVER/UNDER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 30th, 1 p.m. ET | Birmingham Stallions | -4.0 (-110) | Arlington Renegades | 41.5 (-110) |
| March 30th, 4 p.m. ET | St. Louis Battlehawks | -7.0 (-110) | Michigan Panthers | 41.5 (-110) |
| March 31st, 12 p.m. ET | D.C. Defenders | -6.0 (-110) | San Antonio Brahmas | 43.5 (-110) |
| March 31st, 3 p.m. ET | Memphis Showboats | -1.0 (-110) | Houston Roughnecks | 40.5 (-110) |
UFL week 1 Picks & Best bets
Below I break down my picks for opening week of the 2024 UFL season.
Birmingham vs arlington: Stallions -4.0 (-110)
The Stallions have a legacy to uphold, looking to catch their third-straight title. Birmingham has shown it can handle any adversity, entering another season with J'Mar Smith listed as inactive. It didn't stop them last season in the USFL, when Alex McGough took over and ended up winning the MVP.
Now, the Stallions stride into their season-opener confident with a few players with NFL experience on their resume. Starting quarterback Matt Coral is a second-round draft pick who didn't get a chance. He completed over 67% of his passes and over 3,300 yards in his final season at Ole Miss. Birmingham also boasts with WR Amari Rodgers, who has 35 NFL games under his belt, and Taco Charlton, the Dallas Cowboys' 28th overall pick from 2017.
Arlington had an unexpected run to snag the 2023 XFL championship, going a brutal 4-6 in the regular season. I'm easily riding with the more stable (punny) group in this matchup -- the Stallions.
st. louis vs michigan: blackhawks -7.0 (-110)
The largest spread of the week belongs to the Battlehawks. Despite missing the XFL postseason, St. Louis upheld a strong 7-3 regular season record. To say it bluntly, the Battlehawks got snubbed.
This is a good team with leadership coming from AJ McCarron, who lead the league in passing with 2,150 yards. The 33-year-old spent the last few months with the Cincinnati Bengals but asked to be released to return to St. Louis. McCarron's connection with Darrius Shepherd, who caught nearly 75% of his passes across 48 receptions, should continue.
It’s official. AJ McCarron has signed back to the St. Louis Battlehawks
— Gateway Grinders (@gatewaygrinders) February 16, 2024
He personally requested to be released from the Bengals to rejoin STL ⚔️🦅 pic.twitter.com/YT3woZMup0
Michigan enters the opening weekend under new quarterback, E.J. Perry, but it should take some time for him to find his groove. I'm comfortable with taking this 7-point spread.
D.C. vs San Antonio: Brahmas +6.0 (-110)
A bit too generous of a line in favor of the Defenders for me here. I understand Week 1 forces us to consider last season's outcomes. Sure, D.C. was the talk of the XFL with a 9-1 record that finished with an unexpected upset in the championship meeting. But, there's some missing pieces in D.C. that make me uncertain about how they'll look on the field this weekend.
Abram Smith, who topped the XFL with nearly 800 rushing yards, has a torn ACL that will keep him on the sidelines for the season. If we're taking last year into account, then QB Jordan Ta'amu's three interceptions in the title game left a sour taste in my mouth. He'll be forced to take the starting position too, a spot he shared with D'Eriq King in 2023. Is he ready for that? I'm not too sure yet. I'll take the Brahmas to keep a close scoreboard at home.
memphis vs houston: showboats -1.0 (-110)
Put some respect on Memphis' name, here! I don't know what it is but I was constantly rooting for the Showboats during my weekly USFL picks last season. Constantly being pinned the underdogs, Memphis rode a five-game streak at one point.
The Showboats are new-and-improved now with QB Case Cookus joining Memphis. The 28-year-old finished second in passing yards (2,294) and touchdowns (15) last season with the Philadelphia Stars. His lack of an OL, who let him be sacked 29 times, definitely interfered with his ability to shine. But if Cookus finds a proper fit with sturdy protection, he will be explosive.
UNE BOMBE DE 35 YARDS DE CASE COOKUS POUR COREY COLEMAN !!! #USFL pic.twitter.com/jRkuhqUVYd
— Spring Football News (@SpringFBnews) April 15, 2023
How To Bet On USFL Betting Odds:
While you can bet on spreads and point totals, one of the easiest ways to bet on USFL betting odds is through a moneyline. This moneyline bet means you simply pick which side you think will win between the favorite (signaled with a minus sign) and the underdog (with a plus).
A USFL moneyline of +200 means that you would win $200 on a successful $100 wager. That’s also equivalent to fractional odds of 2/1, decimal odds of 3.00 and implied odds of 33.33 percent. A negative moneyline of -200 means that you would have to wager $200 in order to win $100 on the favorite.
