Week 8 showed some teams are just not ready to call it quits.
Amid some shocking upsets, a legit title contender in the D.C. Defenders potentially had its season go up in smoke due to injury at the most important position.
It all makes for some must-watch Week 9 action.
Read below as I share my best Week 9 UFL predictions and free betting picks for Memorial Day weekend.
Season: 15-10, +2.64 units
UFL picks for Week 9
| Game | Pick | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Defenders vs. Storm | Under 45.5 | -110 |
| Stallions vs. Aviators | Stallions -1.5 | -110 |
| Renegades vs. Kings | Over 46 | -110 |
| Battlehawks vs. Gamblers | Battlehawks -3 | -110 |
Picks made on 5-22.
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United Football League predictions and odds for Week 9
All odds courtesy of bet365.
DC Defenders vs Orlando Storm
Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| Defenders | Storm | |
|---|---|---|
| +2.5 (-105) | Spread | -2.5 (-115) |
| +115 | Moneyline | -135 |
| Over 45.5 (-110) | Total | Under 45.5 (-110) |
The Defenders are coming off losing both ends of a home-and-home set to the Louisville Kings, and their next chance to get right comes against the league-leading Orlando Storm. Oof.
Throw in the fact starting QB Jordan Ta’amu is done for the year, and D.C.'s season that started at 5-1 could come off the rails in a hurry.
After scoring a season-low 13 points in Week 7, the Defenders did pour in 30 in a three-point loss last week, but Spencer Sanders is a major downgrade at pivot. He was just 7-for-15 for 83 yards and an interception in three quarters of work.
That’s not a good look as he’s about to face the UFL’s top scoring defense, allowing 18 points per game.
Their lone hope is to let their defense carry them to a win, and that means a low-scoring affair.
Pick: Under 45.5 (-110 at bet365)
Birmingham Stallions vs Columbus Aviators
Saturday, 3:00 p.m. ET, ABC
| Stallions | Aviators | |
|---|---|---|
| -1.5 (-110) | Spread | +1.5 (-110) |
| -120 | Moneyline | +100 |
| Over 43.5 (-110) | Total | Under 43.5 (-110) |
How about the Birmingham Stallions? After a 1-4 start, they could actually clinch a playoff berth with their fourth straight win and a whole bunch of results tilting their way.
Alas, they’ll just focus on the task at hand: beat up on the lowly Columbus Aviators, a team they shut down in a 14-3 win last week.
They contained the UFL’s top rushing attack to just 61 yards, while Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s mid-season acquisition is proving most valuable.
He’s 3-1 as a starter, throwing to a receiving group headlined by Jaydon Mickens, who leads the league with 519 receiving yards.
This fun run continues at the expense of Columbus.
Pick: Stallions -1.5 (-110 at bet365)
Dallas Renegades vs Louisville Kings
Sunday, 4:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| Renegades | Kings | |
|---|---|---|
| +2 (-110) | Spread | -2 (-110) |
| +115 | Moneyline | -135 |
| Over 46.5 (-110) | Total | Under 46.5 (-110) |
Desperate times for both squads, but they’ve arrived here through much divergent paths.
Dallas has dropped five straight, and need a win to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Louisville, meanwhile, has flipped an 0-3 start and won four of its last five, including back-to-back wins over DC. But they need to win out and get help to nab that playoff spot.
The Kings have already thumped Dallas, 47-25, in Week 5, scoring the third-most points in league history.
Louisville leads the league with 15 takeaways, including 11 interceptions, and that’s a bad formula for Dallas pivot Austin Reed. Despite leading the U with 16 TD passes, he's thrown eight picks during their five-game slide.
These are two of the top three scoring teams in the league, so expect fireworks as they claw for a place in the postseason.
Pick: Over 46 (-110 at bet365)
St. Louis Battlehawks vs Houston Gamblers
Sunday, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2
| Battlehawks | Gamblers | |
|---|---|---|
| -3 (-110) | Spread | +3 (-110) |
| -155 | Moneyline | +130 |
| Over 42.5 (-110) | Total | Under 42.5 (-110) |
Houston was probably the last team on my list I would expect to knock off St. Louis at home, but that’s where we are after a Week 8 upset that kept the Gamblers' season alive.
But the good times might stop here, as the Battlehawks get them again, and a chance to end Houston’s season, while clinching a berth in the playoffs for themselves.
It was a rough day for the St. Louis offense, who churned out 365 yards but failed in key moments.
The Battlehawks were just 2-for-11 on third down and scored one TD in six trips to the red zone, with QB Luis Perez throwing a pair of picks, spoiling a massive 338-yard passing day.
If St. Louis avoids the self-inflicted wounds, they should roll.
Pick: Battlehawks -3 (-110 at bet365)
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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