After an exciting Week 1, the USFL is back for another weekend full of football with four more games.
Play gets underway on Saturday with two games in Birmingham, AL and then continues on Sunday with two more games in a new location for the USFL – Canton, OH, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
We have you covered with the best wagers for every game this weekend. Check out my USFL betting picks and predictions for Week 2.
USFL picks for Week 2
Picks made on 4/19/2023 at 10:20 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Covers may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.
Best USFL bonuses
Looking to bet on some USFL action? Here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) Get two 50% profit boosts for any 4+ leg parlay this weekend at Caesars! Opt-in Now
B) New users at DraftKings can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of best sportsbook promotions for 2023.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Week 2 USFL odds and predictions
Houston Gamblers vs New Orleans Breakers
Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, USA Network
| Houston Gamblers | New Orleans Breakers | |
|---|---|---|
| +5.5 | Spread | -5.5 |
| +180 | Moneyline | -210 |
| Over 39 | Total | Under 39 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of April 19.
The Houston Gamblers are coming off a rough opener, in which they lost 29-13 in a game they entered as a slight favorite. The Gamblers got off to a hot start, leading 13-9 early in the second quarter, and took that lead into halftime before everything fell apart. It all started with a terrible interception thrown by Kenji Bahar. That was followed up by three more turnovers and bad defense to allow a 20-0 run by Michigan.
The Gamblers tried Terry Wilson for a series with a special offense for him, but he was only able to manage one first down before a punt. The offense otherwise showed signs of life with Bahar totaling 125 combined yards and TJ Pledger rushing for 41 yards and two touchdowns. The real issues came with holding onto the ball. Four turnovers, three sacks allowed, and several missed tackles are hard to overcome.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Breakers were on the other end of the spectrum, getting a 22-15 win over Pittsburgh. The Breakers were absolutely phenomenal on defense, allowing only three points – Pittsburgh scored their other 12 points with a defensive touchdown and punt return touchdown. As expected, McLeod Bethel-Thompson got off to a slow start, but he heated up quickly in the second half. Bethel-Thompson finished the game with 302 passing yards and a touchdown.
Houston went almost three full quarters without scoring against Michigan last week. Now, they get the best defense in the league. Bethel-Thompson heated up and will face a secondary that struggled mightily against Josh Love. I like the Breakers to win this game with relative ease.
Pick: Breakers -5.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Memphis Showboats vs Birmingham Stallions
Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| Memphis Showboats | Birmingham Stallions | |
|---|---|---|
| +7.5 | Spread | -7.5 |
| +320 | Moneyline | -390 |
| Over 44.5 | Total | Under 44.5 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of April 19.
It was a nice showing for the Memphis Showboats in their franchise opener, but they ultimately fell to the Philadelphia Stars, 27-23. The Memphis defense got cooked early before being able to find some pressure on the quarterback in the second half. Offensively, Alex Collins was just on a different talent level when he got the openings in the run game.
However, it was too little too late for the Showboats, as they were unable to complete the comeback and finish some drives with touchdowns. Quarterback Brady White made some big plays, but also made some bad decisions, especially early in the game. They will need to improve defensively to allow Collins and the run game to carry them to victory.
The Birmingham Stallions looked like defending champions, with stellar defense forcing two turnovers and scoring 14 points off of those. Alex McGough came in at quarterback for the injured Jamar Smith, and was fantastic at evading pressure, scrambling for 51 rushing yards and a touchdown. McGough threw 7/11 for 68 yards and a touchdown.
As good as the Stallions defense was at keeping New Jersey out of the endzone, it showed signs of trouble in stopping the run game. The Generals ran for 197 yards on 6.6 yards per carry. If Memphis can get Collins the ball and make enough stops, it could pull off the upset. Regardless, I love the Showboats to cover a big spread.
Pick: Showboats +8 (-110 at DraftKings)
New Jersey Generals vs Pittsburgh Maulers
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, NBC
| New Jersey Generals | Pittsburgh Maulers | |
|---|---|---|
| -3 | Spread | +3 |
| -150 | Moneyline | +130 |
| Over 37 | Total | Under 37 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of April 19.
The New Jersey Generals ran a two-quarterback system against the Stallions last week and it may have caused some consistency issues. The Generals spent quite a bit of time in scoring territory, yet only came away with 10 points. Darius Victor looked like the league’s returning leading rusher, with 89 yards on only eight attempts.
Defensively, they showed that they could give up some big plays, allowing a 61-yard passing touchdown and a 29-yard rushing touchdown to the Stallions. However, the Generals did win the time of possession battle and outgained Birmingham in total yards, 361-310. New Jersey just needs to make better decisions and hold onto the football to be a league contender.
Pittsburgh had to go up against the best defense in the league last week, but it was still able to score two touchdowns in other facets of the game. The Maulers got a fumble recovery touchdown and a punt return touchdown. The killer for them was their knack for drawing bad penalties. Pittsburgh committed three bad penalties that resulted in 40 yards and ultimately six points.
The Generals are definitely the better team here and will just need to limit their turnovers. If they do so, they should be able to find some running room on offense and control possession. They have the ability to shut down Pittsburgh and win this thing going away.
Pick: Generals -5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Michigan Panthers vs Philadelphia Stars
Sunday, 7:00 p.m. ET, FS1
| Michigan Panthers | Philadelphia Stars | |
|---|---|---|
| +3 | Spread | -3 |
| +140 | Moneyline | -165 |
| Over 43 | Total | Under 43 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of April 19.
The Michigan Panthers looked fantastic pulling off an upset win of 29-13 over the Gamblers last week. Defensively, they forced four turnovers and recorded four sacks. They were getting after the quarterback with ease. Offensively, they got excellent quarterback play from Josh Love, throwing 18/20 for 15 yards and three touchdowns.
The Panthers also got 61 yards rushing and a touchdown from Stevie Scott. Tre Walker was the league-leading receiver from Week 1 with six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. Breeland Speaks was the USFL Defensive Player of the Week with seven tackles, three sacks, and two tackles for loss, while Love was the Offensive Player of the Week.
The Philadelphia Stars had excellent quarterback play themselves from Case Cookus, who went 20/29 passing for 212 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 31 yards rushing. The Stars also converted all four red-zone attempts into touchdowns. However, defensively they did allow 5.4 yards per play and struggled to stop the run late in the game.
Both quarterbacks are coming off fantastic games and will get a great opportunity for repeat performances. I expect there to be fireworks in this game, and with some of the league’s new rules, I wouldn’t be surprised to see lots of high-scoring matchups in general. I really like the Over in this matchup.
Pick: Over 46 (-110 at DraftKings)
