Seven weeks into the 2023 USFL campaign, and it’s still a wide-open race for the playoffs. With three weeks remaining in the regular season, no team is more than two games outside of playoffs.
The defending champion Birmingham Stallions opened the season at +300 favorites and remained the favorites with the best record in the league at 5-2. The other three teams in the South division all sit at 4-3. In the North, the Philadelphia Stars sit atop the division with a 4-3 record. The Michigan Panthers check in at 3-4, while New Jersey (Preseason second-best odds at +325) and Pittsburgh are tied for a league-worst record of 2-5.
With all that being said, no team has been eliminated from contention yet, and no team has clinched their spot. So any team could be watching the NBA’s Miami Heat and looking to squeeze into the playoffs and make a run to the championship. So now let’s take a look at the updated odds and which teams are worth placing a bet on. For preseason odds, check out my preseason article here.
Updated USFL Championship Odds After Week 7
Updated Odds After Week 7 (Caesars Sportsbook)
Birmingham Stallions +300
Philadelphia Stars +425
New Orleans Breakers +450
Houston Gamblers +500
New Jersey Generals +700
Michigan Panthers +800
Memphis Showboats +1000
Pittsburgh Maulers +1500
The Defending Champs
The Stallions remain the title favorites with their 5-2 record after seven weeks. Unfortunately, returning starting quarterback J’mar Smith suffered an injury on his nonthrowing ring finger that landed him on the injured reserve for the rest of the season. However, the team hasn’t skipped a beat, with Alex McGough taking over under center.
The Stallions have proved thus far into the season they are strong contenders to repeat. The change at quarterback doesn’t concern me any, and if you haven’t already placed your bet on the Stallions, now might be the time to get it in.
Seeing Stars
The Stars opened the season at +550 and currently reside at +425. They are sitting atop the North Division. It hasn’t been an easy road, though. After starting the season just 1-3, they’ve now won their last three games in a row.
The offense struggled to get off the ground but seems to be clicking much better now. Quarterback Case Cookus has been having a solid second season at the helm and is looking to avenge a championship game loss from a season ago in a game he broke his leg in. The Stars have a tough matchup against Birmingham this week but have the opportunity to lock up the North division in week eight.
From Hot to Not
The New Orleans Breakers came out swinging with a 4-0 start. Since then, it’s been 0-3, with turnover problems being their biggest issue. McLeod Bethel-Thompson has himself squarely in the MVP conversation. They could be dangerous if the Breakers can control the turnovers and return to the magic of the first four weeks.
This week the Breakers will take on the Panthers. Then a rematch with the Showboats, whom they lost to in week five, behind their skid. Their final game is against the Houston Gamblers. This schedule could get them into the postseason, depending on which Breakers team shows up.
Take a Gamble
The Gamblers opened the season at 10/1 odds. Those odds are now being cut in half despite technically being last in the South. With three of the four teams all sitting at 4-3, it will be a battle to the end to see which two teams make it.
The Gamblers suffered their first loss since week three last week and beat top teams like the Stallions and Stars in that four-game winning streak. That, along with the solid play of quarterback Kenji Bahar and running back Mark Thompson, certainly makes the Gamblers a team worth gambling on.
Injury Prone
The New Jersey Generals are making their best San Francisco 49er impression. Quarterback Deandre Johnson was carted off the field during last week’s game against the Panthers. In addition, the team is missing three key defensive players, including the team’s leading tackler Chris Orr.
It’s a long road ahead for the Generals, who sit at just 2-5. However, with the Panthers ahead of them at just 3-4, the Generals are one game out of the playoff hunt. If you can make the playoffs, anything can happen, don’t count the Generals out just yet.
With Love from Detroit
Quarterback Josh Love has put together a couple of solid second-half performances over the last two games and earned Player of the Week honors in week seven. The Panthers’ win over the Generals in week seven snapped a four-game skid for the Panthers, who started 2-0.
After starting Carson Strong for a few games, the team hopes Love has gotten the wake-up call he needed. The Panthers are currently in the Playoffs, yet still sit this far down on the board at 8/1. They’ll finish the regular season against the Breakers, Maulers, and Stars.
Showboating
Living up to the name Showboats, the team from Memphis is keeping things entertaining. Last week against the Gamblers, the Showboats blew a huge lead before coming back late to win the game. That win was their fourth in a row bringing them from 0-3 to 4-3 and currently a playoff team.
While they aren’t great on third down conversions (29%), they love to go for it on fourth down and, in their 14 tries, have converted 71% of the time. A team that likes to take risks and is currently in the playoffs at 10/1 odds is probably the best value on the board.
Not Quite Ready to Maul, or Are They?
It’s been a tough couple of seasons for the Pittsburgh Maulers fans. After going 1-9 in the return season of 2022, the team currently sits at just 2-5 after seven weeks of 2023.
Despite not having the best of seasons, in true blue-collar Pittsburgh fashion, the Maulers took the defending North division champions to the wire in week seven and only sat one game out of the playoffs going into week eight. At 15/1, if you like the story of the underdog, I can’t blame you for throwing a little coin on this team. Sure, it’s a long shot, but you never know what can happen if any team gets hot at the right time.
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My double-down USFL futures play is going to be the Houston Gamblers. The pairing of Bahar and Thompson in the backfield has shown me the offensive prowess that can go on a championship-level run.
