It’s safe to assume that, had the XFL and USFL not merged into a league this season, it was just a matter of time before either league would fade away, a remnant of a “what could have been league.” Now, we’ll see if combining talents to form the new UFL will pay off, as the league officially kicks off this Saturday.
That includes the St. Louis Battlehawks going to Detroit to battle the Michigan Panthers, a game where the visiting ‘Hawks are 6.5-point favorites in the UFL odds.
Where should you be leaning in this matchup of two teams with something to prove after abrupt season endings a year ago? Check out my Battlehawks vs. Panthers preview below with my free betting picks for Saturday, March 30.
Battlehawks vs Panthers odds
| Battlehawks | Panthers | |
|---|---|---|
| -6.5 (-120) | Spread | +6.5 (+100) |
| -305 | Moneyline | +245 |
| Over 42 (-110) | Total | Under 42 (-110) |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of March 29.
Battlehawks vs Panthers predictions
No matter what league you play in, the quarterback position remains the most important, and St. Louis has arguably the best pivot in the league in AJ McCarron. That’s the same McCarron that was a fifth-round NFL draft pick out of Alabama in 2014.
He started nine games for the Battlehawks in the XFL, throwing for 2,150 yards and a record 24 TD passes while leading the league with a completion rate of 68.8%.
Despite McCarron’s success – which helped him sign on with the Bengals for the final six games of last season – St. Louis failed to find its way into the postseason, losing a tiebreaker to Seattle despite finishing with a 7-3 mark.
Michigan, on the other hand, finished its season at 4-6, but that was good enough to sneak into the playoffs. The Panthers got bounced, though, in a 31-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Maulers. They’re not getting much love in preseason predictions, tied with the San Antonio Brahmas for the worst title odds at +1,200.
EJ Perry will man the QB spot for the Panthers, a position he had for all of two games at the end of the season. Perry started the win-or-go-home Week 10 game against Philadelphia, guiding Michigan to a 23-20 win. He followed that up with a gem in the loss to Pittsburgh in the playoffs, going 23-for-38 for 370 yards and two touchdowns.
Perry will have two great elements to help him out: USFL’s 2023 rushing leader Wes Hills, and a sturdy defense that features USFL Defensive Player of the Year Frank Ginda and sack leader Breeland Speaks.
I think continuity matters here, especially for St. Louis, who return McCarron’s top three receiving targets in Darrius Shepherd, Hakeem Butler, and Marcell Ateman. Look for St. Louis’ offense getting off to a good start and carry them to a win, but I’ll take the Panthers and those extra points.
My best bet: Panthers +6.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Picks made at time of writing may not reflect live odds.
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Battlehawks vs Panthers spread and Over/Under analysis
St. Louis was one of four clubs in the 8-team XFL to post a positive point differential, finishing the year at +47. After a pair of sluggish starts, where they topped San Antonio and Seattle by a combined five points, the Battlehawks won each of their other five games by an average of nearly 15 points. A four-point OT win over Vegas was the only one of those results that wouldn’t have cleared the 6.5-point spread set for Saturday.
There was a lot of feast or famine in Michigan’s games last year in the U. Of their 10 contests, two of their four wins were by double digits, while five of their six losses were by 10 points or more.
This matchup is tied for the second highest total in the UFL in Week 1, at 42 points, tied with Saturday’s other matchup between Birmingham and Arlington.
St. Louis averaged 24.9 points per game last season, including a season-best 53 points in the season finale against Orlando. However, they only topped the 42-point total set Saturday three times last season.
Scoring was a little harder to come by for the Panthers, who averaged just 17.1 points across their 2023 slate. They did happen to crack the 20-point plateau five times, running a 4-1 record in those, but really struggled in losses, averaging only 13.8 points.
Michigan failed to break the 42-point threshold in its first six games of the season, but crossed Saturday’s line in four of its last five, including that playoff shootout.
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Battlehawks vs Panthers game info
| Location: | Ford Field, Detroit, MI |
| Date: | Saturday, March 30, 2024 |
| Kickoff: | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FOX |
