New Jersey Generals vs Michigan Panthers | Week 3 Preview
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USFL Week 7: Five Best Bets

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Overall Record: 11-4

Locks: 2-1

Week 7 Plays:

Stallions -1.5
Stars +1
Gamblers -3.5
Panthers +6.5

Panthers @ Generals UNDER 39.5 (LOCK) 

Wrapping Up Week Three’s Plays

I was out of the country for a few weeks so my last ‘Best Bets’ article was prior to week three. My bets went 3-2 and unfortunately, I did lose my lock when I picked the Stars over the Maulers. My other loss came taking Birmingham minus the points against a red-hot Breakers team that has recently cooled off. Despite not releasing weekly articles, I was able to pay close attention and still monitor the lines. I’m confident I can give more winning plays after being 11-4 through three weeks. That’s a winning percentage of 73% which is elite when it comes to sports betting and 67% on my locks is why you should also feel confident tailing my picks.

Birmingham Stallions (-1.5) @ New Orleans Breakers

As most people know, this isn’t a true away game for the Stallions being that it’s at Protective Stadium where these two teams share a hub. The Breakers have lost two straight following their 4-0 start and have scored 20 points in their last eight quarters of play. That’s a far cry from their 45-point outing the last time these two rivals met. I do think the Breakers will rebound as this season comes to a close, but despite being slightly less dominant than they were last year, I still love this Birmingham team. Even with all of their injuries I see them as a top-two team. They have the MVP-frontrunner in quarterback Alex McGough and should have a big crowd behind them. They can’t afford to drop this game because it would set them two games back of the Breakers with three to go when accounting for the head-to-head tiebreaker. This should be a playoff atmosphere and will be vital with how competitive the South Division is in the USFL. One and a half is basically a pick ‘em so give me the Stallions.

Philadelphia Stars (+1) @ Pittsburgh Maulers

Somehow despite all of their early struggles, the Stars find themselves atop the North at 3-3 off of two straight wins. Much like last year, Philly seems to be finding their footing as we pass the halfway point of the season. The offense is not clicking by any means but they’re finding a way to win. The last time these two teams met up the Maulers won in Detroit and the Stars looked completely lost. But now head coach Bart Andrus is getting the ball out of quarterback Case Cookus’ hand fast and taking what the defense gives him. The Maulers are hard to judge because right when they seem to turn the corner, we see the same old Maulers. New colors, same team. But they are better, and their defense is legit. Fortunately for the Stars, they aren’t winning with offense. They’re doing everything else right. I think Philadelphia rides the momentum and Pittsburgh continues to think what can potentially be. I expect a pretty ugly game in this one with Cookus and co. taking a stranglehold on the North at 4-3.

Houston Gamblers (-3.5) @ Memphis Showboats

This game was tough because of how hot these two teams are. The Gamblers have won four-straight while the Showboats have won three-straight. This is a decently sized spread for a true away team, but Houston has looked so good since their 0-2 start. They’re basically the anti-Panthers following week two. Cole Kelley and the Boats have been impressive, and I expect a solid crowd turnout for a very important game, but I’m too big of a Kenji Bahar fan. With running back Mark Thompson and weapons like Justin Hall on the outside, I think the Gamblers can make it five straight and truly threaten to knock the Stallions or Breakers out of the playoffs. They’re averaging 28.5 per game on their win streak and their defense is very good. They should be able to harass Kelley all game. I expect an outcome similar to their last matchup when Houston won 30-26 in the final minute in Memphis.

Michigan Panthers (+6.5) @ New Jersey Generals

UNDER 39.5 (LOCK)

Despite both of these teams being 2-4, it is extremely likely one of them will be in the playoffs. This is a big number and I think either way this will be a close game. For the Generals, a win gives them a two-game lead on the Panthers with three games to go, since they would have the head-to-head tiebreaker and be a game up. On the other side, the Panthers desperately need to get back on track following their four-game slide. I would pick the Generals on the money line because I think they win outright, but six and a half is too much in this contest where points should be a rarity. The Generals are averaging 16 points per game on their three-game losing streak and the Panthers are averaging 10.8 per game on their four-game losing streak. I expect a 17-13 type of game with a ton of run game, so give me the points for Michigan and lock me for the under 39.5.

Final Thoughts

After a very successful first three weeks, I expect to jump right back into my bet-winning ways in week seven. With the league truly taking shape now, and multiple playoff-impacting games on the slate, I expect very competitive and entertaining football this weekend. This USFL season has been terrific, and we should expect another weekend of the same coming up. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to hand out a few more winners here.