USFL 2023 Playoffs Betting Preview

After a crazy and successful 10-week regular season, the USFL Playoffs are set to begin this weekend. There are just four teams that have advanced to the postseason, and it was a wild ride to get to this point. 

These two semifinal games couldn’t be any different either, as one game will feature a pair of 4-6 teams, while the other game will have two heavyweights battling it out. The winner of each game will then meet up in the championship for a chance to win the title. 

Here is a look at each of the two playoff games, and a Dunkel pick and prediction for each game.

Michigan Panthers at Pittsburgh Maulers

The Pittsburgh Maulers are hosting the Michigan Panthers in the first playoff game, and the home team is a slim three-point betting favorite in this game. Both of these teams finished the regular season at 4-6, but the Panthers and Maulers both won in Week 10 to sneak into the playoffs. 

Michigan wants to try and win this game with their offense, and they did put up 23 points in the regular season finale. The Panthers led the league with 17 turnovers during the regular season, and that doesn’t put themselves in a good position against a great defensive team. 

Pittsburgh has been dominant on defense over the last few weeks of the season, and they allowed just 17.2 points per game this season. The Maulers don’t want to play this game at a fast pace, and they should get a boost from their home crowd in this matchup.

This should be a game that is tight for a half, but Pittsburgh is going to pull away from Michigan at some point. Bet on the Maulers at -3.0 as they are able to roll to a double-digit victory to advance to the championship game. 

New Orleans Breakers at Birmingham Stallions

The second playoff game is going to be one of the best of the entire season as the Birmingham Stallions host the New Orleans Breakers. Birmingham is the defending league champion, but they are going to face a tough task in hosting the Breakers on Sunday. 

The Stallions are three-point betting favorites in this matchup, and they were the highest-scoring team in the league this season. While that is impressive, it’s also worth noting that this New Orleans team has been on an absolute tear on offense as well.

New Orleans also has some confidence in this matchup as they were able to win a game against Birmingham this season, and that wasn’t easy for anyone to do. Birmingham has proven that they know how to get the job done in the postseason, but New Orleans will come into this game and play loose and free. 

This just feels like a game in which the Breakers are going to hit on some big plays, and that will allow them to be in a position to pull off an upset. Take the New Orleans Breakers moneyline as they end the season for Birmingham and advance to the title game.

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All Media on this page by Associated Press.