It may be March still, but football is back!
The United Football League’s second season kicks off, as the defending champions Birmingham Stallions will be looking for another dominant season.
Play gets underway on Friday night in Houston, TX and concludes on Sunday afternoon in Washington, D.C.
Check out my predictions and UFL picks for Week 1.
UFL picks for Week 1
- St. Louis Battlehawks -6
- San Antonio Brahmas -2.5
- Panthers/Renegades Under 38
- Birmingham Stallions -7
Picks made on 3/28 at 7:54 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
United Football League predictions and odds for Week 1
St. Louis Battlehawks vs Houston Roughnecks
Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| Battlehawks | Roughnecks | |
|---|---|---|
| -6 (-110) | Spread | +6 (-110) |
| (-278) | Moneyline | (+225) |
| Over 37.5 (-110) | Total | Under 37.5 (-110) |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings.
The St. Louis Battlehawks won the XFL Conference in the regular season before losing to the San Antonio Brahmas 25-15 in the Conference Championship game.
However, they will have to trot out a new quarterback after losing AJ McCarron. Manny Wilkens, who played in McCarron’s injury absence last season, will likely get the start, but newcomer Max Duggan from TCU will be hot on his tails if he struggles.
The rest of the offense is still very talented and returns their leading rusher and receiver. They also brought in former NFL wideout Denzel Mims.
Meanwhile, the Houston Roughnecks were the worst team in the league last year at 1-9.
They did however almost completely revamp their roster from last season.
Ultimately, I just cannot see the new Roughnecks competing with the experienced Battlehawks.
It will take very bad quarterback play from Wilkens and Duggan for this to be a game.
Pick: Battlehawks -6 (-110 at Caesars)
San Antonio Brahmas vs Arlington Renegades
Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| Brahmas | Renegades | |
|---|---|---|
| -3 (-102) | Spread | +3 (-110) |
| (-155) | Moneyline | (+130) |
| Over 37 (-110) | Total | Under 37 (-110) |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings.
The San Antonio Brahmas went 7-3 last season and defeated the Battlehawks in the XFL Conference Championship before losing to the Birmingham Stallions 25-0 in the UFL Championship game.
They will have a new quarterback in former NFL draft pick Kellen Mond.
Almost the entire rest of the offense returns from last season.
On defense, where the Brahmas excelled last season, they got even better with a combination of returning starters and new players to add to their depth.
Meanwhile, the Arlington Renegades went 3-7 last season but played extremely competitive with only a -2-point differential on the season.
They are basically running back the same roster as last season.
The Renegades will be a tough team, and I expect a better record, but the Brahmas are favorites to win the XFL Conference and I don’t see them dropping the season opener.
Kellen Mond may end up being the best quarterback in the league.
Pick: San Antonio Brahmas -2.5 (-110 at Caesars)
Michigan Panthers vs Memphis Showboats
Sunday, 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
| Panthers | Showboats | |
|---|---|---|
| -5.5 (-110) | Spread | +5.5 (-105) |
| (-245) | Moneyline | (+200) |
| Over 38 (-108) | Total | Under 38 (-112) |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings.
The Michigan Panthers were a pleasant surprise last season going 7-3 and scaring the champions in the USFL Conference Championship before falling 31-18.
They will try to run it back with almost the exact same roster as last season and going with Bryce Perkins at quarterback who was great before losing his season to injury midway through 2024.
The Memphis Showboats went 2-8 last season and while they did not have the worst record, they did have the worst point differential at -102.
They needed to make several changes with their roster, and they did just that.
However, it is unknown if that will lead to a better record or just more of the same with new faces.
The Showboats will likely still have the same quarterback that struggled last season in Troy Williams and the backup is E.J. Perry from these Panthers.
Either way I like the Under here considering how good Michigan’s defense was last season and how many unknowns there are with Arlington.
Pick: Under 38 (-110 at Caesars)
Birmingham Stallions vs DC Defenders
Sunday, 3:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
| Stallions | Defenders | |
|---|---|---|
| -7 (-110) | Spread | +7 (-110) |
| (-380) | Moneyline | (+300) |
| Over 41(-110) | Total | Under 41 (-110) |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings.
The Birmingham Stallions won the UFL Championship last year after a 9-1 record and won both USFL seasons before that.
This franchise has a record of 32-4 under coach Skip Holtz.
They are bringing back 2023 USFL MVP Alex McGough at quarterback after a brief stint in the NFL.
The defending champions are surrounding McGough with almost the same team as last year and only improved on defense.
Meanwhile, the DC Defenders went 4-6 last season and are a complete mess right now due to head coach Reggie Barlow taking off for a job at Tennessee State just a week ago.
He is reportedly going to take more staff members with him.
The Defenders brought in several big names from the college football and NFL world but then cut them ahead of the final cuts a couple weeks ago.
With this much disarray, I will take the champs to cover at any number.
Pick: Birmingham Stallions -7 (-110 at Caesars)
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