USFL Week 2 Preview and Best Bets (Archive)
The first week of the USFL came with mixed results due to bad weather, but actually having football was refreshing. The new league wasn’t able to finish until Monday night due to the Tampa Bay Bandits-Pittsburgh Maulers game getting postponed. The opening three games didn’t disappoint on the promise to deliver an interesting product.
We’ll look ahead to Week 2 of the USFL’s 10-week season and provide you with updates for each team as well as top betting picks and predictions. Every week will be a learning experience for every coaching staff and roster, meaning there’s a real opportunity for bettors to take advantage of the lack of knowledge. We can’t overreact to what happened in Week 1 but must balance what we think with what we know.
We’ve chosen three games to highlight for our Week 2 preview and best bets. Hopefully, top sportsbooks will continue to offer enticing spreads and totals as they did in Week 1. Our weekly picks piece last week had us up several units already.
Birmingham Stallions vs. Houston Gamblers
Saturday, April 23, 2022 – 07:00 PM EDT at Protective Stadium
A matchup of two close Week 1 winners, both Houston and Birmingham are fortunate to have survived close calls but can also walk away happy with victories. Houston can't bank on several turnovers being handed to them though, and their lack of offense with Clayton Thorson at quarterback was predictable. Birmingham found late-game success with 3 touchdowns to finish the game.
Check Out: BMR’s Sports Betting Forum
It's hard to put too much value in momentum and how the games evolved within only one week to work off. Houston fell apart and should've lost and their roster is strangely built. The positives swelled for Birmingham after Alex McGough suffered an injury that kept him out for the second half.
The combination of rushing ability and passing talent from J'Mar Smith is a true wild card that few expected considering the pedigree McGough has. Smith is what this offense needed to function. If he's another spark in Week 2, the Stallions can proceed to 2-0.
USFL Pick: Stallions -3.5 (-110) at BetOnline
Pittsburgh Maulers vs. Philadelphia Stars
Saturday, April 23, 2022 - 12:00 PM EDT at Protective Stadium
Stomaching special teams' issues are difficult because of how avoidable they seem. The Stars lost after two missed field goals and a blocked punt that ended up being a safety. Those points decided the game, and we haven't even considered the pick-six thrown in the first quarter by Bryan Scott.
That all being said, the Stars played well otherwise and could have won. If the Stars can avoid the disastrous mistakes, they'll be in each game they play this season.
The Maulers were picked apart Monday night by the Tampa Bay Bandits. They never had a chance, showing a complete inability to win in the trenches. Their slow start despite trying both quarterbacks is especially concerning moving forward.
Pittsburgh may be in for a disastrous season unless they can overhaul the performance they got out of their offensive line. Following the USFL odds, the Stars should cruise in Week 2.
USFL Pick: Stars -4.5 (-110) at BetOnline
Michigan Panthers vs. New Jersey Generals
Friday, April 22, 2022 - 08:00 PM EDT at Protective Stadium
Which Michigan Panthers team will we get in Week 2? Their Week 1 loss to Houston featured a slogging start, and Michigan was down 17 at half. But they raced back and had the chance to win with a touchdown at the final buzzer but it was dropped.
A lot went right and wrong for Jeff Fisher's crew. Michigan had 9 fumbles, and Shea Patterson was responsible for three of those. They also missed two missed 2-point conversions, a missed field goal, and allowed a 95-yard scoop and score return. But they have a shot to win any game if the defense plays as well as they did against Houston and Patterson can replicate a second half that had 17 completions for 172 yards and a score.
Join Now: $1,000 BMR 12-Week All Sports Challenge
New Jersey has their own set of self-inflicted mistakes to rectify this week. They missed two field goals and got too conservative as time was winding down against the Stallions. Quarterback Luis Perez was solid in the first half, completing 12 of 16 passes for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns. So why did he throw just three times in the second half?
This was the concern with head coach Mike Riley. The Generals ran the ball well but limited their own potential. The Generals also had no answer for Stallions quarterback J'Mar Smith. Shea Patterson isn't as athletic as Smith but can offer a similar set of problems with his dual-threat ability.
USFL Pick: Panthers +1 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.