As we near the halfway mark of the inaugural UFL season, three teams are starting to pull away from the rest of the field.
Play gets underway for Week 5 on Saturday with two games in the Lone Star State, concluding with Sunday's action in D.C. and Tennessee.
Check out my UFL picks and predictions for Week 5.
UFL picks for Week 5
Picks made on 4/26 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
Week 5 UFL odds and predictions
San Antonio Brahmas vs Arlington Renegades
Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| Brahmas | Renegades | |
|---|---|---|
| -2.5 (-115) | Spread | +2.5 (-105) |
| -142 | Moneyline | +120 |
| Over 42.5 (-110) | Total | Under 42.5 (-110) |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of 4-26.
It is desperation time for the Arlington Renegades, as they will play host to the 3-1 San Antonio Brahmas, who are looking for their first win of the season. The defending XFL champions lost 17-9 on the road to the Houston Roughnecks in what was expected to be a high-scoring game. Meanwhile, the Brahmas are coming off a big 19-9 home win against the Michigan Panthers.
Quarterback Quenten Dormady had an impressive debut filling in for the injured Chase Garbers. He threw for 269 yards against one of the better defenses in the league and found two favorite targets in Justin Smith and Jontre Kirklin. Now he gets to face a Renegades defense that has allowed the most points in the UFL this season.
San Antonio is the better team and should be able to win on the road without any issues.
Pick: Brahmas -2.5 (-115 at DraftKings)
Birmingham Stallions vs Houston Roughnecks
Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| Stallions | Roughnecks | |
|---|---|---|
| -7.5 (-112) | Spread | +7.5 (-108) |
| -380 | Moneyline | +300 |
| Over 42.5 (-108) | Total | Under 42.5 (-112) |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of 4-26.
The two-time defending USFL champions and undefeated Birmingham Stallions will be facing their third road game this year on Saturday night when they face the Roughnecks in Houston. The Stallions had a tough battle last week, edging out the DC Defenders 20-18 at home. Meanwhile, the Roughnecks got their first win of the season against the Renegades.
The Stallions failed to cover the spread for the first time this season against the Defenders as they went back to a healthy Matt Corral at quarterback. However, they still came out on top and there were no issues with the passing game.
The Roughnecks finally got a win, but it came against another winless team and it wasn't pretty. While the Stallions typically go through a little dry spell in the middle of their seasons, they shouldn't struggle against this injury-riddled Houston roster.
I like the Stallions to get back to winning by double-digits this week.
Pick: Stallions -7.5 (-112 at DraftKings)
St. Louis Battlehawks vs DC Defenders
Sunday, 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
| Battlehawks | Defenders | |
|---|---|---|
| -3 (-115) | Spread | +3 (-115) |
| -175 | Moneyline | +145 |
| Over 46.5 (-115) | Total | Under 46.5 (-105) |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of 4-26.
The Battlehawks showcased excellent balance offensively last week with 222 passing yards and 133 rushing yards. On defense, they only allowed 60 passing yards and 67 rushing yards. On the season, St. Louis now boasts the leading rusher in the UFL (Jacob Saylors) and the second-leading passer (A.J. McCarron).
Although the Defenders nearly pulled off an upset last week, they remain the worst-ranked defense in total yards and passing yards allowed. The Battlehawks are just too good and pose several mismatches on Sunday.
Pick: Battlehawks -3 (-115 at DraftKings)
Michigan Panthers vs Memphis Showboats
Sunday, 3:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| Panthers | Showboats | |
|---|---|---|
| +1.5 (-112) | Spread | -1.5 (-108) |
| +100 | Moneyline | -120 |
| Over 40 (-112) | Total | Under 40 (-108) |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of 4-26.
This is a massive game for positioning in the USFL Conference, with both teams coming off a loss by double-digits.
While backup quarterback Danny Etling played well last week in reserve duty, the Michigan Panthers lost a huge dual threat in E.J. Perry, who was the fourth leading rusher in the entire league. That will prove massive against a Memphis Showboats defense that ranks third in the league in rushing yards allowed. Without Perry, these may be the two worst offenses in the UFL.
The Showboats have scored the second least amount of points this season and it won’t get any easier against the Panthers, who are the third-best scoring defense entering Week 5. The Showboats' defense isn’t anything special, but they do have a decent stop unit against the rush.
I expect a low-scoring game between two struggling offenses.
Pick: Under 40 (-108 at DraftKings)
Not intended for use in MA.
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