Week 8 of the regular season kicks off in Birmingham, Alabama this weekend with another four-game slate.
Playoff implications are on the line for a few teams. Only the Birmingham Stallions (7-0) and New Jersey Generals (6-1) have clinched a spot in the postseason. Two spots remain vacant.
Things get started on Friday, June 3, with the Generals facing the Pittsburgh Maulers (1-6). Saturday, June 4 features the game of the weekend between the Stallions and New Orleans Breakers (5-2). Two games on Sunday will conclude the slate.
Check out our USFL picks and predictions for Week 8.
USFL picks for Week 8
Picks made on 6/2/2022 at 7:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Week 8 USFL predictions
Pittsburgh Maulers vs New Jersey Generals
Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET, USA Network
| Pittsburgh | New Jersey | |
|---|---|---|
| +9 | Spread | -9 |
| +320 | Moneyline | -425 |
| Over 41 | Total | Under 41 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of June 2.
The Maulers are a woeful bunch, sitting at just 1-6 after seven weeks of play. The switch to Vad Lee at quarterback appeared to be paying dividends until he managed just 58 yards on 14 attempts last week in a 26-16 loss to the Stallions. Of note is that Pittsburgh did manage to cover the spread in that contest as +12.5 underdogs. Bookmakers know this team is bad and is lining them accordingly — and perhaps inflating the line at times.
I mention this every week in this column, but the Generals are the real deal. They have the top rushing offense and the top rushing defense in the league. That’s a tried-and-true recipe for success. They win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, providing an element of trustworthiness in this uncertain league. Luis Perez stepped up and completed over 75% of his passes in a 20-13 win over the Bandits a week ago.
For as much as I’ve been backing the Generals, I can’t do it this week. They’ve already wrapped up a playoff spot and have no reason to keep their foot on the pedal. The Maulers kept the score close for most of last week’s game against the undefeated Stallions. This team hasn’t given up and still plays solid defense. I’d prefer the line if it reached +10, but the Maulers are my pick.
Pick: Maulers +9 (-110 at DraftKings)
New Orleans Breakers vs Birmingham Stallions
Saturday, 3:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| New Orleans | Birmingham | |
|---|---|---|
| +3 | Spread | -3 |
| +145 | Moneyline | -165 |
| Over 44 | Total | Under 44 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of June 2.
The matchup of the week goes down between the 5-2 Breakers and the 7-0 Stallions.
The Stallions have been the team of the league for seven weeks. All ten weeks of the regular season take place in Birmingham, giving the Stallions a home-field advantage every week. They’ve taken advantage, defeating every opponent placed in front of them despite not looking like a dominant team on the stat sheet.
Quarterback J’Mar Smith has familiarity with coach Skip Holtz from their time together at Louisiana Tech. Smith has been one of the better quarterbacks in the league but completed only 9 of 24 passes for 138 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception last week against the Maulers. Smith’s completion percentage is down to 52.8% on the season.
The Stallions have been able to hit explosive plays, but what of those fail to materialize against a stout Breakers defense allowing only 17.7 points per game?
The Breakers are a well-rounded team that ranks second offensively in total yardage and third in scoring defense. Kyle Sloter leads the league in passing yards and they average 125 yards per game on the ground. The Stallions have the playoffs already wrapped up, but the Breakers still need to clinch a spot in the postseason. I’ll be taking the underdog plus the points for the second straight week against Birmingham.
Pick: Breakers +3 (-110 at FanDuel)
Michigan Panthers vs Philadelphia Stars
Sunday, 12:00 p.m. ET, FOX
| Michigan | Philadelphia | |
|---|---|---|
| +5.5 | Spread | -5.5 |
| +200 | Moneyline | -250 |
| Over 47 | Total | Under 47 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of June 2.
Two teams with very different identities meet for the first game of Sunday’s two-game slate.
The defense-first Panthers (1-6) cut ties with Shea Patterson, the first player selected in the USFL draft. This offense was stuck in the mud for most of the season, so a change was probably needed. In steps former San Jose State standout Josh Love, who started last week’s 31-27 loss to the Breakers. He completed 18 of 37 attempts for 176 yards (4.8 yards per attempt) with no touchdowns or interceptions. The Panthers make their hay (or try to) on the defensive side of the ball, ranking second in total defense (268.1 ypg).
The Stars have a much different identity, led by offensive-minded head coach Bart Andrus. Despite his reputation, Andrus hasn’t managed to get this pass-happy system clicking in full gear, as the Stars rank third-last in total offense. The defense has been atrocious, ranking second-last while allowing 348.9 total yards per game.
I’ll mention this every week until he proves me wrong, but Jeff Fisher is coaching like he’s on a quest to become to losingest all-time coach in both the NFL and the USFL. A remarkable feat!
Totals have been very difficult to gauge in the USFL, as they often fluctuate widely from week to week in the marketplace. That being said, I love to target Overs in Stars games. The defense hasn’t shown the ability to stop anyone, and their pass-happy offensive mindset leads to points, often regardless of the game script. Michigan’s offense hasn’t been great this year, but they did manage 366 yards against a good Breakers defense a week ago.
Pick: Over 47.5 (+100 at FanDuel)
Houston Gamblers vs Tampa Bay Bandits
Sunday, 4:00 p.m. ET, Peacock
| Houston | Tampa Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| +5 | Spread | -5 |
| +190 | Moneyline | -235 |
| Over 44 | Total | Under 44 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of June 2.
Kevin Sumlin’s time with the Gamblers (1-6) is not going well.
Depending on how you look at it, they’ve arguably managed to be impressive with just how remarkably poor they’ve played after seven weeks. Not only do they rank dead last in total offense (247.1 ypg), but they have the worst defense (367.1 ypg) in the league as well. I don’t care what level of football you’re playing, getting outgained by 120 yards every week is hardly a winning game plan.
The Bandits (3-4) are led by one of the better quarterbacks in the league in Jordan Ta’amu, but they’ve been extremely inconsistent and their statistical profile isn’t pretty. They’re playing the Gamblers, however, so it’s not hard to have the statistical edge against such competition.
Tampa Bay can still make a push toward the playoffs and I expect it to handle a lowly Houston team. The last time Ta’amu played a defense this bad, he torched the Stars in Week 6 for 333 yards and four touchdowns. I expect another solid performance and will be backing the Bandits to cover the spread as my lone favorite of this week’s picks.
Pick: Bandits -5 (-110 at DraftKings)
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