The USFL has completed its Week 5 schedule of games, and the North Division has achieved a strange synchronicity of mediocrity. All four teams in the USFL North now have a win-loss record of 2-3.
USFL North Standings
- New Jersey Generals 2-3
- Pittsburgh Maulers 2-3
- Michigan Panthers 2-3
- Philadelphia Stars 2-3
Because the USFL has the exact same playoff qualification rules as the XFL, the league now runs the risk of succumbing to a similar fate. The 2023 XFL Playoffs included a 4-6 team, the Arlington Renegades, that eventually went on to win last weekend’s Championship Game.
This all occurred while a 7-3 St. Louis Battlehawks team sat at home for the postseason. What’s worse is that there’s a chance that both XFL Playoff teams from the North could finish near or below .500.
USFL South Standings
- New Orleans Breakers 4-1
- Houston Gamblers 3-2
- Birmingham Stallions 3-2
- Memphis Showboats 2-3
The USFL South Division features three teams with winning records. Their South’s lowest-ranked team, The Memphis Showboats, would hold a tie for first place in the North.
Online USFL sportsbooks have posted Week 6 betting lines for all four games. The first three contests of the weekend will be played at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, with the final game being played at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.
Pittsburgh Maulers @ Memphis Showboats
- Point Spread – Maulers -3.0, Showboats +3.0
- Moneyline: Maulers -140, Showboats +120
- Over/Under: 42.5
Saturday at 12:30 PM features a game between the Maulers and Showboats. Pittsburgh is favored by a field goal at legal football betting sites and needs the win to keep pace with the rest of their Division.
Memphis also desperately needs the win, as they could find themselves two games back of third place in the South if Birmingham wins this weekend.
Birmingham Stallions @ Michigan Panthers
- Point Spread: Stallions -5.0, Panthers +5.0
- Moneyline: Stallions -210, Panthers +175
- Over/Under: 45.5
Later at 4:00 PM, the Panthers get to host a true home game in front of fans in Detroit. Birmingham is favored to win by 5 on the road and keep pace with the Gamblers and Breakers in the South.
New Orleans Breakers @ Philadelphia Stars
- Point Spread: Breakers -6.0, Stars +6.0
- Moneyline: Breakers -250, Stars +210
- Over/Under: 43.5
Sunday at Noon, the Breakers are favored to hold their top spot and move on to 5-1 by beating the Stars. Philadelphia is another of the 2-3 North teams, and while 2-4 is a tough hole to climb out of, they’d be no further than one game back of any of their Division-mates.
New Jersey Generals @ Houston Gamblers
- Point Spread: Generals -2.0, Gamblers +2.0
- Moneyline: Generals -130, Gamblers +110
- Over/Under: 45.5
Sunday at 4:00 PM, a North team is actually favored over a South franchise as the Houston Gamblers are 2-point dogs to the Generals. New Jersey appears to be the most likely team in the North to actually defeat a South team.