Week 6 was another wild one in the USFL highlighted by the Gamblers winning their fourth-straight game and slotting into a three-way tie for first place in the USFL's South division with the Breakers and Stallions.
The Stallions and Breakers are still the betting favorites to win the championship at +325, but the Gamblers are right there with the third-best odds (+550). Meanwhile, in the North division, the Stars are sitting in first place after picking up their second-straight win last weekend over the Breakers. Philadelphia will try to create some distance this weekend with a win over the Maulers.
Week 7 begins on Saturday with a doubleheader at 4 p.m. ET between the Stallions (4-2) and Breakers (4-2) on FOX. These two teams played each other in Week 3 when New Orleans won 45-31. Then at 9 p.m. ET, the Stars (3-3) will go on the road to play the Maulers (2-4) on FS1. On Sunday afternoon, the Gamblers (4-2) will look to win their fifth-straight game against the upstart Showboats (3-3) at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA. Finally, to wrap up Week 7, the Panthers (2-4) will battle it out against the Generals (2-4) at 5:30 p.m. ET on FS1, as both teams try to snap their losing streaks.
Below, we'll break down the Week 7 odds and give out our predictions on how things could play out across the league this weekend.
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USFL Week 7 picks, predictions
Odds courtesy of BetMGM
Birmingham Stallions at New Orleans Breakers
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX
- Spread: Stallions -1.5 (-110); Breakers +1.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Stallions -120; Breakers +100
- Over/Under: 45.5
When these two division rivals squared off earlier this season, the Breakers dropped 45 points and dominated on both sides of the ball. New Orleans running back Wes Hills ran for 191 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries, and QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 71.4 percent of his passes for 283 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception.
Since Week 3, the Breakers are 1-2 and the Stallions are 2-1. New Orleans is coming off a tough loss to the Stars where Bethel-Thompson had two interceptions and Hills was held to 74 yards and no touchdowns. We know that the Stallions' Achilles' heel on defense is stopping the run, but they did a great job last week, holding the Panthers to 86 yards. This should be a fun game on Saturday between the current favorites for the title, especially with how well Stallions QB Alex McGough is playing under center. Look for a ton of points to be scored after the Breakers have been held to 10 points in consecutive weeks, but the Stallions should get the win at home.
Pick: Stallions 30 (-1.5), Breakers 27
Philadelphia Stars at Pittsburgh Maulers
Saturday, 9 p.m. ET, FS1
- Spread: Stars +1.5 (-115); Maulers -1.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Stars -110; Maulers -110
- Over/Under: 39.5
If you are looking for a game in which to target the UNDER, this is your best shot, as the Stars' offense is still in neutral. Philadelphia has won two-straight games but is averaging just 20 points per game -- largely thanks to kicker Luis Aguilar. The Stars have struggled in the red zone, failing to score an offensive touchdown since Week 4.
In last week's win against the Breakers, Philly's lone touchdown was an Amani Dennis pick-six. As for the Maulers, they were shut out by the Showboats, losing 22-0 on the road. Pittsburgh's offense could not get on track, and Troy Williams and James Morgan threw three interceptions. When these two teams last played in Week 3, the Maulers took home a 21-13 win at Ford Field, thanks in part to their defense forcing Stars QB Case Cookus into two interceptions. Philadelphia will enact some revenge on Saturday night, as its defense can carry it to a win. In the Stars' past two victories, they've recorded six turnovers.
Pick: Stars 21 (+1.5), Maulers 17
Houston Gamblers at Memphis Showboats
Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET, USA
- Spread: Gamblers -3.5 (-105); Showboats +3.5 (-115)
- Moneyline: Gamblers -165; Showboats +140
- Over/Under: 42.5
The Gamblers and Showboats have been two of the biggest surprises in the league this season, as both franchises look much better than they did at this time last season. Houston is in a three-way tie for first place in the South, while the Showboats are only one game behind. Both teams have solid defenses and two young quarterbacks (Kenji Bahar and Cole Kelley) that are making winnings plays.
In their first meeting earlier this season, the Gamblers won 30-26, as Bahar led them on a game-winning fourth-quarter drive after blowing a double-digit lead. During their four-game winning streak, the Gamblers are averaging 28.5 points per game thanks to good QB play and RB Mark Thompson, who leads the league with nine rushing touchdowns. The Showboats are riding a three-game winning streak thanks to their defense, which held the Breakers to 10 points and shut out the Maulers last weekend. Memphis has 11 takeaways in the past three contests and will try to make life tough for Bahar. That said, we like the Showboats to cover the spread on Sunday afternoon, as these two teams are evenly matched and hitting their strides.
Pick: Gamblers 24, Showboats 21 (+3.5)
Michigan Panthers at New Jersey Generals
Sunday, 5:30 p.m. ET, FS1
- Spread: Panthers +6.5 (-110); Generals -6.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Panthers +210; Generals -275
- Over/Under: 39.5
In the final game of Week 7, the Panthers and Generals will battle in Canton, OH, as both are looking to snap their losing streak. Michigan has lost four straight games due to its struggling offense, scoring just 10.7 points per game. QB Josh Love hasn't gotten in a groove despite Michigan's defense doing its best to keep them in the game. However, Michigan struggled to stop the run last week against the Stallions, giving up 190 yards and a touchdown.
Now they will have to face the Generals' running game, which has struggled overall but recorded 198 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a Week 3 win over Michigan. The Generals didn't look great on offense with Kyle Lauletta as the team's starting QB. Lauletta completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 177 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The Generals didn't score their first touchdown until late in the fourth quarter after scoring their first points to start the final frame. A spread of 6.5 points is big for two squads struggling to score points, but if Lauletta is back under the center, give me the Panthers and +6.5, but if DeAndre Johnson is starting -- New Jersey should roll.
Pick: Generals 17, Panthers 13 (+6.5)