USFL Championship Game Spread Odds & Pick: Maulers vs. Stallions
After 10 weeks of regular season action, the USFL playoffs kicked off last week. The North Division Championship matchup was between the 4-6 Michigan Panthers and the 4-6 Pittsburgh Maulers. Despite being a matchup between two teams with a losing record, the game was exciting. Pittsburgh came away with the 31-27 overtime victory, scoring a season-high in points.
While the North Division Championship was a close contest, the South Division Championship game was a blowout. The 8-2 Birmingham Stallions defeated the 7-3 New Orleans Breakers, 47-22. Quarterback Alex McGough was outstanding in the victory. He had 310 passing yards and four touchdowns against the Breakers. The quarterback added 84 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
It's the final game of the 2023 USFL season, so let's look at which side of the 7-point spread bettors should take this week.
USFL Championship Game Spread Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
The Maulers had a 4-6 record during the regular season but were better than the record suggested. Their four wins came by an average of 14 points per game, with all four coming by at least eight. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh kept most of their games close. Only two of their six losses came by more than seven points. The Maulers’ average margin of defeat in those other four contests was only 4.5 points per game. Furthermore, three of Pittsburgh’s last four losses were by six points or fewer. More importantly, the Maulers ended the regular season on a two-game winning streak with an average margin of victory of 16 points.
Birmingham entered the 2023 season as the favorite to win the championship. They started the year strong, winning their first two games by an average of 28.5 points per game. Furthermore, the Stallions won both games by at least 17 points. Unfortunately, the team went 1-2 over the next three weeks, with their only win coming over the Maulers. However, Birmingham ended the regular season on fire. The team won their final five regular season games, with an average margin of victory of 10.2 points per game. Meanwhile, the reigning champions made a statement last week with their 47-22 win over the Breakers.
Last year’s USFL Championship Game was an exciting matchup. The Stallions got the 33-30 victory over the Philadelphia Stars. Will Birmingham win their second consecutive title? They are the heavy favorite. The Stallions’ moneyline is -295, while the Maulers’ moneyline is +245. More importantly, these two teams only met once during the regular season, with Birmingham getting the 24-20 victory in Week 4.
While the Stallions got the win, it was an ugly victory. Alex McGough had only 157 passing yards and two interceptions in the game. Meanwhile, the Maulers struggled on offense. Their only touchdown came on a 34-yard run by Troy Williams. Kicker Chris Blewitt made all four field goal attempts in the game.
These teams went on two different paths after the Week 4 matchup. Pittsburgh went 3-3 over their final six games, winning two consecutive to end the regular season. Meanwhile, Birmingham lost their next game but won their last five contests during the regular season, including two by 14 or more points. While the Stallions will likely win Saturday's matchup, bettors should expect the Maulers to cover the seven-point spread.
Pick: Maulers +7 (-110)
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.