Down to the final three weeks of the inaugural UFL season, and there are only battles for playoff seeding left to be determined after last week’s results.
Play gets underway for Week 8 on Saturday with one game in Detroit, MI, and one in Birmingham, AL. Then it will conclude on Sunday with one game in St. Louis, MO, and one in San Antonio, TX.
Check out my UFL free betting picks and predictions for Week 8.
UFL picks for Week 8
Picks made on 5/17 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
Week 8 UFL odds and predictions
Memphis Showboats vs Michigan Panthers
Saturday, May 18, 4:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| Showboats | Panthers | |
|---|---|---|
| +8.5 | Spread | -8.5 |
| +370 | Moneyline | -485 |
| Over 47 | Total | Under 47 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of 5-17.
These two teams met back in Week 5 when the Michigan Panthers dominated the Memphis Showboats 35-18 on the road. The Showboats turned the ball over four times and allowed 160 rushing yards to the Panthers. Memphis will be without their quarterback, Troy Williams, from that matchup and Michigan will be without their leading receiver from that game, Siaosi Mariner.
Michigan needs a win to stay alive in the battle for the USFL Conference title, but they have already clinched a playoff berth. The Showboats are eliminated from contention but will still be looking to play role of spoiler. However, the Showboats have the worst defense in the league and will struggle with any sort of running game minus their dual threat QB.
The Panthers have won three straight and seemed to have found a stride on offense after being more of a defensive team earlier in the year. Meanwhile, the Showboats have lost six straight by an average of 15.7 points per game. This should be another two to three possession victory for the Panthers at home.
Pick: Panthers -8.5 (-110 at BetMGM)
Houston Roughnecks vs Birmingham Stallions
Saturday, May 18, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2
| Roughnecks | Stallions | |
|---|---|---|
| +16.5 | Spread | -16.5 |
| +1,000 | Moneyline | -1,800 |
| Over 43 | Total | Under 43 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of 5-17.
Another rematch from Week 5, where the Birmingham Stallions defeated the Houston Roughnecks 32-9 on the road. The Roughnecks were only able to manage 36 yards rushing on 14 attempts, while they allowed the Stallions to run for 213 yards on 32 carries. Adrian Martinez had 155 yards passing and a touchdown with 138 yards rushing.
The undefeated Stallions have a chance to clinch the conference with a win and a Panthers loss, while the Roughnecks are very much out of contention at 1-6. Last week, the Roughnecks played very well against the San Antonio Brahmas before losing it in the 4th quarter. However, they got back Jarrett Guarantano for that game before losing him yet again to injury. He will be out for this matchup on Saturday night.
The Stallions will most likely yet again put their clamps down on defense against this Roughnecks offense without Guarantano. While this is a huge spread, the Stallions have defeated every team outside of playoff contention by an average of 18.3 points per game. The Stallions will likely hold the Roughnecks to single digits again and will allow them to cover this big spread.
Pick: Stallions -16.5 (-110 at BetMGM)
D.C. Defenders vs St. Louis Battlehawks
Sunday, May 19, 12:00 p.m. ET, ABC
| Defenders | Battlehawks | |
|---|---|---|
| +8 | Spread | -410 |
| +320 | Moneyline | +320 |
| Over 44.5 | Total | Under 44.5 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of 5-17.
When these two teams met back in Week 5 in DC, the St. Louis Battlehawks absolutely crushed the DC Defenders 45-12. The Defenders turned the ball over four times, and it led directly to 25 points for the Battlehawks. The rubber match could feature completely different rosters however due to injuries.
The Battlehawks have A.J. McCarron listed as questionable with an ankle injury. That would leave Manny Wilkins as the only available option at quarterback. They also will be without defensive back Brandon Sebastian, who had an interception in the last matchup. The Defenders have Jordan Ta’amu listed as questionable with a concussion, but also have all three backup quarterbacks listed as out. I am not sure what the quarterback option is for the Defenders if Ta’amu cannot play.
The Defenders will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss and the Battlehawks can stay in control of the XFL Conference lead with a win. The Defenders have the worst rushing defense in the league, so even if McCarron cannot go, the Battlehawks will be able to move the ball. The Dome will be rocking for this game, and I think we see another big St. Louis victory here.
Pick: Battlehawks -7.5 (-110 at BetMGM)
Arlington Renegades vs San Antonio Brahmas
Sunday, May 19, 4:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| Renegades | Brahmas | |
|---|---|---|
| +3 | Spread | -3 |
| +160 | Moneyline | -192 |
| Over 46 | Total | Under 46 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of 5-17.
In Week 5, the San Antonio Brahmas beat the Arlington Renegades 25-15 on the road. The Renegades will be without their leading rusher from that game, Dae Dae Hunter, although they only managed 59 yards on 24 carries as a team anyways. The Brahmas were excellent on the ground in that game with 178 yards on 24 carries.
The Brahmas struggled big time against the Roughnecks last week before pulling out the victory late, while the Renegades finally got a victory with an offensive explosion against the Showboats. The emergence of De’Veon Smith in the rushing game has made a huge difference for Arlington and could help improve their performance on the ground from Week 5.
I think the Renegades could possibly pull off the upset here in a good spot, but the spread is too low for my comfort. Instead, I will look at just taking the Over. Even though there were only 40 points scored in the last matchup, the Renegades offense is much improved, and they still have some major issues on the defensive end.
Pick: Over 45.5 (-110 at BetMGM)
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