USFL Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Week 3 (2023)
The USFL’s North Division is on display on Sunday. The Philadelphia Stars play the Pittsburgh Maulers at noon ET, and the Michigan Panthers host the New Jersey Generals at 4:00 pm ET to close the week. The Stars were manhandled last week but couldn’t have a softer matchup for bouncing back. And the Panthers are 2-0 and face last year’s best team from the North Division during the regular season. So can the favored Stars and Panthers handle their business this week?
USFL Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Week 3 (2023)
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Philadelphia Stars vs. Pittsburgh Maulers
The Stars were sloppy last week in the rainy conditions in Canton, Ohio. And Michigan’s defense was unrelenting, pressuring Case Cookus. None of that matters for them this week against the USFL’s laughingstock.
The Maulers were 1-9 and outscored by 96 points in 2022. They’ve since replaced their former head coach Kirby Wilson with Ray Horton, but the Maulers remain a joke. They’ve been outscored by 24 points during their 0-2 start to the 2023 campaign.
Hilariously, they haven’t scored an offensive touchdown in two games. They scored a defensive touchdown and a punt return touchdown in Week 1 before producing just three points in Week 2. Their lack of scoring is only part of the story. They’re also dead last in yards per game (160.0). The second-worst team has 239.0 yards per game, and everyone else has tallied more than 270.0 yards of offense per game.
It’s remarkable how inept the Maulers are. Meanwhile, the Stars have scored 37 points and allowed 47 this season. Philadelphia’s offense was sharp in the opener before sputtering against Michigan’s stout defense last week. The Maulers have a mid-pack defense, and it’s not enough to carry the weight around their neck the pitiful offense represents. So, the Stars should bounce back convincingly against the lowly Maulers.
Pick: Philadelphia Stars -6.5 Points (-110)
Michigan Panthers vs. New Jersey Generals
The Panthers have distanced themselves from the stench of Jeff Fisher’s leadership in 2022. Mike Nolan has his club clicking on all cylinders. Michigan has allowed the second-fewest yards per game (248.0), tied for the USFL lead in sacks (8.0) and forced a staggering eight turnovers, four more than the second-highest total in the league.
Conversely, the offense is above average, too. They’re third in yards per game (321.5) and have scored 53 points. Both units are pulling their weight. As a result, Michigan’s outscored their opponents by 30 points.
The Generals are 1-1, with 30 points for and 30 points against. They were steamrolled by the Stallions in Week 1 before recording a lopsided win against the Maulers in Week 2. Interestingly, their 17-point loss wasn’t as bad as it appeared, and their 17-point win wasn’t as convincing as the final margin suggested.
The Generals had more total yards in Week 1 than the Stallions. However, they converted only one of four trips to the red zone into a touchdown and turned it over two times in Week 1. In Week 2, the Generals led by only three points going into the fourth quarter before scoring two touchdowns to extend their margin late.
Overall, the Generals are roughly an average team, and the Panthers are an above-average club. Michigan also has a genuine home-field advantage at Ford Field in Detroit. Finally, the Generals have a run-first offense, and the Panthers have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game (71.5), albeit influenced by facing the pass-first Stars. The Panthers should win in front of their home fans, and the 4.5 points aren’t too much to lay.
Pick: Michigan Panthers -4.5 points (-110)
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.