2024 UFL Championship Odds & Picks: Stallions vs. Brahmas (Sunday)
The 2024 UFL season is nearly in the books. Eight teams headed into Week 1, believing this could be their year. However, only one team can come away as champions. Before diving into the UFL Championship Game, let's recap the USFL and XFL Conference Championship games from last week.
While the Birmingham Stallions got the 31-18 win over the Michigan Panthers in the USFL Championship Game, the matchup was closer than the final score. The Panthers had an 18-12 halftime lead before a wild third quarter. There were eight turnovers in the game, with each team committing four. The third quarter was a turnover feast, with multiple quarterbacks throwing an interception in that period. Birmingham scored 13 points in the final frame, earning the double-digit victory.
Meanwhile, the XFL Championship Game was a closer matchup. The San Antonio Brahmas got the 25-15 victory over the St. Louis Battlehawks. A.J. McCarron and the Battlehawks' offense struggled, totaling 239 total yards. By comparison, Chase Garbers had two passing touchdowns, playing a critical role in the Brahmas' offense totaling over 400 yards last week. Furthermore, St. Louis had no answer for Anthony McFarland Jr. The former Pittsburgh Steelers running back averaged over 10 yards per rushing attempt.
However, all that happened last week. Now, it's time to move on to the UFL Championship Game. Let's look at my favorite bet from Sunday's matchup between the Stallions and Brahmas.
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UFL Championship Game Odds & Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Birmingham Stallions vs. San Antonio Brahmas
The Stallions have been the clear-cut top team in the UFL this year, posting a 9-1 record during the regular season. They had the top-scoring offense, averaging 26.5 points per game, totaling 30 or more in half of their regular season contests. Meanwhile, Birmingham had the second-best scoring defense, surrendering 18 points per game during the regular season. However, their defense had regressed in the second half of the year, giving up 22.4 points per game over the final five regular-season contests.
San Antonio had a below-average offense in 2024. They averaged 19.2 points per game during the regular season, the third-fewest in the UFL. However, the Brahmas' identity was their defense. They surrendered only 15.3 points per game on defense, the fewest in the league by 2.7 points per contest. San Antonio was one of the hottest teams entering the playoffs, winning five of their final seven games. Furthermore, they surrendered 15 or fewer points in all but one of those matchups.
While the Stallions had a 9-1 regular season record, their lone loss was against the Brahmas. San Antonio defeated Birmingham 18-9 in Week 9. The Brahmas defense held Adrian Martinez to only 56 rushing yards in that game. More importantly, San Antonio looked like a championship team last week, while Birmingham looked sloppy at times. Despite defeating the Stallions in their only regular-season matchup, I can't pick the Brahmas to win Sunday's game. However, I will back them and the 3.5-point spread.
Pick: Brahmas +3.5 (-110)
Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.