USFL Playoff Odds 2022: Semifinals Best Bets and Predictions
The 2022 USFL regular season came to an end after 10 weeks of great action. The most important time of this inaugural campaign is upon us, and we’re exciting to be experiencing this historic time with you. We have you covered as always for the best bets in our preview.
Last week was mostly inconsequential. If you weren’t paying attention, the No. 1 overall pick was determined for the league’s draft later this year. Pittsburgh will hold the honor.
Meanwhile, the only favorite to lose was New Orleans as they tried their hand with a new quarterback. We’ll dive into the rest of what matters for this playoffs below.
Our knowledge of these rosters, coaching staffs, and the league itself has allowed us to prosper thus far. Join us again for our continued USFL coverage. See our playoff preview and best bets for the two playoff games of the week.
USFL Playoffs Matchup Analysis
Let’s take a look at our playoffs best bets and predictions for two excellent games. Odds are via Caesars.
Philadelphia Stars vs. New Jersey Generals
The top two teams in the North face off each other after the Generals won both of their previous matchups. The tale of the tape isn’t pretty for Philadelphia despite their ability to get hot and deliver dominant performances. The Stars averaged three points per-game more than New Jersey but also allow six full points more.
The Generals otherwise have a much more balanced team thanks to their excellent rushing game and rush defense. The Stars have been trounced by good running attacks, allowing over 150 yards per-game. The Generals produce 160 yards per-game thanks to their trio of threats, including quarterback DeAndre Johnson.
For Philadelphia to win, they’ll need to dramatically slow this attack. Trey Williams broke out with 114 yards last week to take the lead amongst the tailbacks with 579 rush yards. But Darius Victor has 577 yards and nine scores, so it’s clear the offensive line does great work.
The Stars will need to find a way to force more imcompletions from this dual-quarterback system from New Jersey. Both Luis Perez and Johnson are completing over 71% of passes and have combined for just three interceptions on the year. This is why New Jersey has raced to a 9-1 record.
Philadelphia has a more complex path to winning. Quarterback Case Cookus runs streaky but is excellent when he’s on. His presence is an x-factor but Philadelphia’s reliance on him makes them vulnerable. The run game doesn’t assist consistently, but the Stars do have a playmaking defense.
The Stars’ best defensive player is cornerback Channing Stribling. The former Michigan Wolverine has seven interceptions on the year, an incredible number for a 10-game season. Edge-rusher Adam Rodriguez has nine sacks and is a league-leader in that regard as well, so look for his impact to loom large in this matchup.
Overall, Philadelphia is a wild card but not nearly as well-rounded as the Generals. I think New Jersey wins it all fairly comfortably this year. They’ll win this slugfest with another great performance and cruise to the title game.
USFL pick: Generals -4.5 (-110)
Birmingham Stallions vs. New Orleans Breakers
Despite being a playoff team, the New Orleans Breakers are arguably the coldest team in the USFL. They have no known plan at quarterback after seeing Kyle Sloter continue to turn the ball over late in the season. Their experiment with Zach Smith and Shea Patterson also didn’t bring any clear answers.
I would start Patterson if I were the Breakers. While Sloter has a higher QBR and has taken less sacks, his interceptions are costly and many of his best games came before defenses adjusted to his weak arm and checkdown instinct. Once foes took away his strengths, the Breakers’ season completely changed.
New Orleans has just a modest rushing attack with Jordan Ellis but Patterson may be able to help if he gets the start. This offense will never be high-powered. They will need to be if Birmingham has one of their good games, but the Stallions also have been cold over the last month.
Both teams rank fairly similarly, with the Stallions scoring more and restricting their foes more effectively. The Stallions are a better team in the trenches and that has continued to matter a ton in the USFL this season. But like New Orleans, their recent games haven’t been nearly as dominant and therefore there’s an unknown factor with this team.
The Generals’ passing game is inefficient and we’re still not sure who will start. J’Mar Smith seemed to lose his magic after an injury, and Alex McGough is good but also not efficient. This team is not as good as their record would indicate, and having a full 10-week sample has shown an offensive attack without a great identity to rely upon.
Despite this, I don’t think New Orleans is a good team compared to their playoff peers. Birmingham has a strong defense and limits their turnovers well enough. I expect a low-scoring game where New Orleans just can’t keep up, similar to how they were blown out by a bad Houston team last week.
USFL pick: Stallions -5 (-110) and Under 44.5 (-110)