Birmingham, St. Louis Meet in Potential UFL Championship Preview

It’s No. 1 vs No. 2 in Week 7 as the UFL’s two best teams — the St. Louis Battlehawks and Birmingham Stallions — square off Saturday at Protective Stadium in Alabama. If all goes according to plan, it will be a sneak preview of what’s to come next month in the league’s inaugural championship game.

How might things shake out? We break down the UFL Week 7 odds and more ahead of this weekend’s action.

Spread: Showboats +3 (-105), Renegades -3 (-115)
Moneyline: Showboats +145, Renegades -175
Total: Over 45, Under 45

The Showboats have allowed 30-plus points in four straight games and rank last in both total defense (340 yards allowed/game) and total offense (220.2 yards/game).

Quarterback Case Cookus has been sacked a league-high 16 times. Their only win came in Week 1 against Houston. At 1-5, John DeFilippo’s team is simply playing out the string on a lost UFL season.

Unfortunately, the same can be said for Arlington, the UFL’s lone remaining winless team. The Renegades statistically have the No. 2 ranked offense, but it hasn’t mattered much. Three of their six losses have been by a field goal.

Can they get off the schneid? Oddsmakers seem to think so, but the real test comes Saturday.

Spread: Battlehawks +3.5, Stallions -3.5
Moneyline: Battlehawks +154, Stallions -185
Total: Over 47.5, Under 47.5

Is this a potential championship preview? It sure seems that way. Through six weeks, St. Louis and Birmingham have been the best two UFL teams.

They are a combined 11-1, and both seem to be getting stronger as the regular season winds down.

Leading the Battlehawks’ top-ranked scoring offense is A.J. McCarron. The former Alabama star has thrown a league-best 13 touchdown passes — five more than the next-closest quarterback, D.C.’s Jordan Ta’amu — compared to only two interceptions.

The Battlehawks are averaging 28.8 points and have surpassed 30 three times in the last month. As such, their title odds have climbed to +150 (+350 preseason).

The only bigger favorites are the Stallions (+105), the lone remaining unbeaten at 6-0. Birmingham ranks first in total offense (383.8 yards/game) and second in total defense (236.7 yards allowed/game), behind only St. Louis.

Adrian Martinez continues to shine at quarterback. The former Nebraska standout passed for 369 yards and four touchdowns last week in a 39-21 rout of Memphis and is averaging a league-best 9.2 yards per attempt per UFL statistics.

TheUFL Week 7 oddshave Birmingham as a 3.5-point favorite at home.

Spread: Panthers +1 (-115), Defenders -1 (-105)
Moneyline: Panthers -110, Defenders -110
Total: Over 43, Under 43

Michigan has gone from the league’s second-biggest longshot to surprise contender (+1300 to +900). The Panthers’ 4-2 record includes an 18-16 victory over St. Louis.

The Panthers are strong on the ground, averaging 108.2 rushing yards per game thanks to the likes of Wes Hill and dual-threat quarterback E.J. Perry.

Only Birmingham has been better (145.7 yards/game). They also have a clutch weapon in kicker Jake Bates, who went 5-for-5 on field goal attempts in last week’s 28-27 victory over Arlington. That included a 60-yarder, as well as a game-winning 42-yarder as time expired.

D.C. snapped its two-game losing streak with an 18-12 victory over San Antonio in Week 6. It marked a big step forward defensively for the Defenders, who’d allowed 45 points the week prior.

Ta’amu, the reigning XFL Offensive Player of the Year, is a formidable playmaker. However, he needs more help if the Defenders (3-3) expect to contend. Their UFL title odds have fallen to +1300.

Spread: Brahmas -3, Roughnecks +3
Moneyline: Brahmas -166, Roughnecks +140
Total: Over 40, Under 40

Not much was expected of San Antonio, the biggest preseason longshot at +1400. However, the Brahmas have made believers out of their 4-2 start. At +800, they now own the third-best championship odds.

John Lovett — who played at Penn State and was in training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers — ran for a UFL record 153 yards on 23 carries in last week’s loss to D.C. He is now averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

This is a prime opportunity to bounce back against the Roughnecks, who are tied for the league’s second worst record at 1-5.

The Roughnecks have dropped two straight and rank second-to-last in total offense (242 yards/game). Even worse, they are averaging a meager 14.0 points per game. That Reio Sinnett has been sacked nine times has not helped.

It’s no wonder the UFL Week 7 odds have San Antonio favored on the road.

For odds, sports betting analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

Can’t get enough? Here’s more!

• These Teams Have Separated Themselves at UFL’s Midway Point
• UFL Title Odds Trending for Surprising San Antonio
• Birmingham Stands Alone as UFL’s Last Remaining Unbeaten
• From +1400 UFL Longshot to 2-0: San Antonio Beating the Odds
• Birmingham, D.C. Biggest Favorites on UFL Week 2 Slate