Weekly USFL Preview: Pittsburgh Maulers vs. Birmingham Stallions
28 June 2023
The 2023 USFL season is about to wrap up soon as the league championship game is set to take place on Saturday, July 1. There is an interesting matchup set to take place on Saturday, as it will be the Pittsburgh Maulers and the Birmingham Stallions.
The Pittsburgh Maulers did not have a great regular season, as they snuck into the playoffs with a record of 4-6. Pittsburgh did look impressive in its semifinal victory, but there are still some real flaws with this team.
Birmingham has looked like the best team in the league all season long, as they finished the regular season at 8-2. The Stallions dominated New Orleans in their first playoff test, and they look to complete the dream season with another win.
The Birmingham Stallions are pretty big 6.5-point betting favorites over the Pittsburgh Maulers in this matchup.
Pittsburgh Has to Defend
The only way that Pittsburg is going to be able to keep this game close is putting together a dominant defensive performance. Pittsburgh was the best defensive team in the league during the regular season, but they are facing a huge challenge in this game.
The Maulers were not a team that could light up the scoreboard during the regular season, but they will try to hit on some big plays. If Pittsburgh is able to find holes in the Birmingham defense, then they do have enough talent to keep this game close.
Since Pittsburgh is a pretty big underdog in this game, they can put a ton of pressure on Birmingham if they keep this game close. The Maulers will be aggressive on defense in hoping to stay in it.
Birmingham Can Really Score
Birmingham is a team that wants to win games on offense, but it’s not like they can’t get defensive stops as well. The Stallions want to speed up the tempo in this game, but they do have to worry about committing turnovers.
Quarterback Alex McGough threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns in the win over New Orleans, and he can also make plays on the ground. McGough led Birmingham to 47 points in that game, and this offense is loaded with confidence.
The Stallions aren’t going to win this game because of their defense, but that unit will need to show up and play well.
Stallions Secure Championship
This will be a matchup of two teams that play very different styles of football, and the team that is able to dictate the tempo will win this one. Pittsburgh has been terrific on defense this season, but they don’t really have a chance in this game.
The Birmingham Stallions showed off their talent in blowing out New Orleans last round, and they are coming into this game with confidence and momentum. Birmingham has been the best team in the league all season long, and they will play great on Saturday.
Bet the Birmingham Stallions -6.5 over the Pittsburgh Maulers in the USFL Championship Game as it turns into a double-digit victory.
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All Media on this page by Associated Press.
