Our Week 7 best bets cover the two Sunday games, which consist of intriguing cross-conference battles that feature three postseason contenders looking to keep pace with their rivals.
Read on for a look at which Week 7 UFL betting scenarios catch my eye on DraftKings and FanDuel Sportsbook.
Houston Roughnecks at Birmingham Stallions Best Bets (Sunday May 11, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The Stallions haven't been quite as dominant as in previous springs, but Skip Holtz's squad still comes in at 4-2 and looking to work back into a tie in the USFL conference with the Panthers, who edged the Renegades on Saturday.
Birmingham is still boasting one of the league's best defenses, as its unit went into Week 7 action allowing a league-low 13.7 points per game and a respectable 272.0 total yards per contest. The Stallions have also collected 11 sacks and four interceptions, and on the ground, they're conceding a UFL-low 3.4 yards per carry and 76.3 rushing yards per game.
Their ability to often make teams one-dimensional should play a significant part in keeping scoring on the lower side Sunday against a Roughnecks team that definitely looks more cohesive on offense under the guidance of QB Jalan McClendon, but that's still averaging just 16.2 points per game, the league's third-lowest figure.
Even McClendon's exploits on the ground haven't been able to pull up the Roughnecks' rushing metrics much, as the Roughnecks are still averaging the second-fewest rush yards per game (85.3). C.J. Johnson's crew is also ranked last in yards per attempt (5.35), and that short, dink-and-dunk style also plays a part in often keeping their contributions to the final score a bit on the modest side.
Houston does have totals of 27 and 21 points in the last two games, but there are two defensive touchdowns propping up those numbers. When these two teams last met in Week 4 in Houston, the Stallions recorded a 23-16 victory in a game during which current Stallions QB Case Cookus came in late in relief of Matt Corral, who'd suffered a side injury. Cookus will remain the starter this week and looked a lot more comfortable during his second start in Week 6, but he'll face an opportunistic Roughnecks defense that's allowed just 175.2 passing yards per game while recording 10 sacks and six interceptions.
Given the factors cited, particularly the fact the Roughnecks don't typically push the ball downfield much and will also be down the highly versatile Kirk Merritt, I like the Under to prevail.
UFL Picks for Roughnecks at Stallions
- Under 38.5 points (-110 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
St. Louis Battlehawks at Memphis Showboats (Sunday, May 11, 4:00 p.m. ET)
The Battlehawks leave the comfy confines of The Dome this week and travel to Memphis, where they face a Showboats squad that has at times certainly played better than its 1-5 mark would indicate. Jim Turner's group actually upended the Stallions on the road in Week 5 by a 24-20 score before falling by just point to the Roughnecks in Week 6, making them a dangerous opponent, particularly on their home turf.
The Battlehawks need a win to forge a tie with the Defenders atop the XFL conference at 5-2, and they'll come in with a 1-1 road mark thus far this season. Anthony Becht's squad has had plenty of upheaval at the quarterback position after enjoying stability there with departed veteran AJ McCarron during their first years. Current starting signal-caller Max Duggan does bring excitement due to his mobility, but he's completed just 49.0 percent of his passes and has a 2:2 TD:INT while already having taken 13 sacks.
St. Louis' defense has been one of the league's best against the pass, having picked off eight passes while allowing just a 56.8 percent completion rate. However, they'll face a challenging and capable QB on the other side, as Dresser Winn has stepped into the starting role for Memphis and led the team to the aforementioned back-to-back competitive performances in Weeks 5 and 6, throwing for 442 yards with two touchdowns and one interception adding 27 rushing yards and another score on the ground.
Memphis surprisingly traded Dee Anderson from its wideout corps this week, but Jonathan Adams, Kwamie Lassiter, Kai Locksley and Isiah Hennie still form a capable quartet. Additionally, Daewood Davis, who earned all-UFL honors via a 41-446-5 line for the Showboats last season, is also set to be active for the first time this season.
The Showboats' chances of running an effective and balanced offense also go up due to the presence of Wes Hills, who made his season debut in Week 6 and already looked to be in mid-season form with 75 total yards. Hills could be even more effective in his second game, and his direct backup Deneric Prince, was also already showing signs of hitting his stride before Hills' arrival.
The Battlehawks have been somewhat inconsistent on offense with Duggan and the Showboats have an offense that's increasingly getting it together as Winn gets more experience and other reinforcements are incorporated. As such, I'm in the camp of the Showboats continuing their recent trend of playing hard and covering their 4.5-point number.
UFL Picks for Battlehawks at Showboats
- Showboats +4.5 (-105 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
UFL Week 7 Best Bets Recap
- Roughnecks-Stallions Under 38.5 points (-110 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Showboats +4.5 (-105 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
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