The final game of the opening weekend of the newly formed United Football League will feature two teams that both came over from the USFL, as the Memphis Showboats travel to Houston to take on the Houston Roughnecks.
The Showboats have a brand-new roster to go along with their revamped coaching staff. Meanwhile, the Roughnecks name comes from the XFL franchise, but the roster mostly hails from the USFL's Houston Gamblers. Which former USFL member will make their mark on this new league and cover in the UFL odds this week?
Here are our free betting picks for Showboats vs. Roughnecks at Rice Stadium in Houston, TX on Sunday, March 31.
Showboats vs Roughnecks odds
| Showboats | Roughnecks | |
|---|---|---|
| -1 (-110) | Spread | +1(-110) |
| -115 | Moneyline | -105 |
| Over 40.5 (-110) | Total | Under 40.5 (-110) |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of March 29.
Showboats vs Roughnecks predictions
The Memphis Showboats replaced former head coach Todd Haley with John DeFilippo from the dissolved New Orleans Breakers, who was a longtime NFL offensive assistant.
For Memphis, starting quarterback Case Cookus comes from the Philadelphia Stars, where he averaged 229.4 passing yards and 27.7 rushing yards per game last year. Cookus also has the experience of playing in the USFL championship game in the inaugural season, while running back Darius Victor boasts former USFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
The Showboats' new lead receiver is Jonathan Adams from the Breakers, who was the fifth leading receiver in the 2022 USFL season. On the defensive side, defensive tackle John Atkins returns from last year’s roster after a First-Team All-USFL performance.
The Houston Roughnecks are bringing in Jarrett Guarantano to take over quarterback, who you may remember as a four-year starter at Tennessee Volunteers from 2017-20. They will be missing running back Mark Thompson though, who was the second-leading rusher in the USFL last season. On the defensive side, the Roughnecks brought in several former NFL players and players from dissolved USFL teams to replace most of their starters.
While both teams have new quarterbacks, the experience on the Showboats roster in recent USFL games should be enough to put them over the top. They also added more players with proven success in a league like this, so they should be able to open their season off with a victory on the road.
My best bet: Showboats -1 (-110 at DraftKings)
Picks made at time of writing may not reflect live odds.
Showboats vs Roughnecks same-game parlay
Showboats -1
Over 40.5
With no player props available, we will keep it simple with our SGP.
Even though both defenses improved from last year in terms of talent on the roster, so did the offenses. The combination of Cookus and Victor on offense for the Showboats will put up plenty of points. This total is set too low and both teams should easily surpass 20 points in the opener.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Showboats vs Roughnecks spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Showboats went 5-5 last season and lost by an average of 2.3 points.
- The Roughnecks went 5-5 last season and lost by an average of 1.3 points.
- Showboats' games averaged 40.3 points per game in 2023.
- Roughnecks' games averaged 45.9 points per game last year.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Showboats vs Roughnecks game info
| Location: | Rice Stadium, Houston, TX |
| Date: | Sunday, March 31, 2024 |
| Kickoff: | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
