Year two of the USFL’s relaunch nears its conclusion, with only three games remaining in the 2023 season. The two teams in each the North and South Divisions will compete against each other this weekend, with the winners advancing to the USFL Championship Game.
The USFL’s playoff format can hardly be described as a success, as two teams have entered the postseason with win-loss records of 4-6. All teams in the USFL South fared better than the entirety of the USFL North.
Both Pittsburgh and Michigan would have placed behind the bottom two teams in the USFL North Division.
This is similar to what played out in the XFL Playoffs in 2023. Not only did a 4-6 Arlington Renegades team make it to the playoffs, but they also won the XFL Championship.
Michigan Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Maulers
Saturday night at 8:00 PM (NBC), the two best teams from the North Division face off in the USFL Playoffs. Technically, as the Division winner, the Pittsburgh Maulers are the host team, but the game is being played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
- Point Spread: Michigan +2.5, Pittsburgh -2.5
- Moneyline: Michigan +127, Pittsburgh -156
- Over/Under: 38.5
USFL Playoff betting sites favor the “home team” by half a point under a field goal in a scenario that guarantees that a team with a losing record advances to the final game.
New Orleans Breakers vs. Birmingham Stallions
Sunday evening at 7:00 PM (FOX), the top two teams in the league will battle for a chance to make it to the USFL Championship Game. This time, the Birmingham Stallions actually get the home-field advantage that comes with winning the South Division, as the game will be played at Protective Stadium.
- Point Spread: New Orleans +2.5, Birmingham -2.5
- Moneyline: New Orleans +122, Birmingham -149
- Over/Under: 44.5
Online USFL sportsbooks are favoring Birmingham to defend their home turf and make it to their second championship game in as many years.
USFL Futures
- Birmingham Stallions +130
- New Orleans Breakers +250
- Pittsburgh Maulers +350
- Michigan Panthers +600
The odds posted at the top online football betting sites also favor the Birmingham Stallions to repeat in 2023. The USFL Championship Game will be played in Canton, granting a slight edge to the team that wins from the north.
The moneyline odds for either team from the south are paying out at 3.5-to-1 or greater, but that will change after this weekend’s games are complete. Once the field narrows down to two teams, the above futures will disappear, and moneyline odds will become a part of the USFL Championship Game betting lines.
Even if you feel like the Stallions will win it all and repeat as 2023 USFL Champions, the time to bet is now because their odds will sink into the negative after this weekend’s game is over.
Sources – USFL.com, MyBookie.AG, BetUS