Andrew Wilsher
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Week 1 of the 2024 UFL season was a resounding success, as we saw a bunch of exciting games across the United States. The standout result saw 2-time USFL champs Birmingham Stallions smash XFL winners Arlington Renegades 27-14. Both teams are back in action this week — can the Stallions continue to dominate and can the Renegades prove that was a freak result? Additionally, we saw kicker Jake Bates nail a 64-yard field goal as time expired to see the Panthers beat the BattleHawks.
Get excited for more great UFL action as we deliver our UFL Week 2 best bets.
Michigan Panthers +6.5 over Birmingham Stallions (+100), 12:00 pm ET, Sunday
As mentioned above, the Birmingham Stallions have been relentless since their formation. In their 2 completed seasons, they won the USFL championship and made a statement that the UFL is now on their radar after a crushing win over the Renegades. But I can’t quite get there with them being 6.5-point road favorites against this plucky Panthers team.
Michigan proved its capability with last week’s impressive 18-16 win over the BattleHawks. Not only did their defense completely keep quarterback AJ McCarron and running back Wayne Gallman in check, but their own QB EJ Parry showed he was capable of making some big plays. Meanwhile, Panthers running back Wes Hills made some big plays to drive Michigan downfield late in the 4th quarter. I expect Birmingham to have enough to get the win, but the Panthers also have enough talent on both sides of the ball to make them work for it and keep this game within a touchdown.
Houston Roughnecks +5 over DC Defenders, 4:00 pm ET, Sunday
The DC Defenders lost last season’s XFL Championship game to the Renegades, but have gotten off to a tricky start in the inaugural UFL season. DC was crushed 27-12 by San Antonio last week at the Alamodome and could be in for another tough game when the Defenders host the Roughnecks. Houston also made it to the XFL playoffs and lost in the semifinals to the Renegades. They were downed 18-12 against Memphis but seemed to be slow starters before finding a groove in the second half. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano gave a solid effort with 157 passing yards and a rushing touchdown, and the Roughnecks should be able to keep things close.
