The 2022 USFL season has already brought significant intrigue from football fans all over the world. According to league officials, the Week 1 action had 26 million views worldwide on social media platforms, while another 3 million fans tuned in to watch on TV.
The latest spring league started with some interesting results, and we’re here to help you bet on the USFL betting odds for Week 2. We’re previewing the second week of action and providing key picks.
From how to bet on the USFL to the key rules that you need to know, OddsTrader has exactly what you need. Let’s dive into our coverage of the 2022 USFL season.
How to Bet the 2022 USFL
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Let’s look at ways you can bet on the USFL and where we recommend getting in on the action. Sportsbooks are offering traditional lines for the season so far.
We have not seen the more fun player props available, but you can always take advantage of the point spread bets, totals, moneylines, and futures on who will win the 2022 USFL Championship.
Below is a table with the books we recommend using for each of these bets.
| Sportsbook | States Available |
Caesars Sportsbook | Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia |
DraftKings | Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming |
FanDuel | Arizona, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia |
| PointsBet | Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia |
Unibet | Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia |
Learn More: How to Use Free Plays and Win Your Bets
Unique USFL Rules
The XFL was willing to get creative in order to provide an exciting product, and the USFL has followed suit as they attempt to carve their own niche out in the football world.
The relaunched spring league announced its unique rule changes on its social media platforms earlier this year.
Let’s go through each of the critical differences between the NFL and USFL so you’re ready to see what’s new.
Overtime
The USFL’s overtime period will more closely resemble hockey’s playoff tie-breaker method of a shootout.
If the scoreboard is knotted up at the end of regulation, teams will have the chance to convert three scores from the opposing defense’s 2-yard line.
The team with the most scores in their three tries wins. If the shootout leads to another tie, say both offenses score all three times, then the two-point attempts become a sudden death affair.
Learn More: 2022 USFL Championship Odds – United States Football League Futures
This comes on the heels of dramatic NFL playoffs that saw the Buffalo Bills lose to the Kansas City Chiefs on the first drive of overtime.
The NFL saw the issue with this limited format and initiated a change for their own playoff overtime process.
Clock Stoppages
Just like how we’re used to seeing the clock stop on first downs with less than two minutes in the second and fourth quarter in college, the USFL will feature the same perk to their offenses.
The goal is simple: create more play opportunities for offenses in the game’s most crucial moments. The NFL’s method is more punitive and often zaps the potential of exciting plays as the seconds tick away.
Read More: How to Improve Your Handicapping Skills
One aspect where other spring leagues struggled was to promote scoring with less-than-elite quarterbacks.
Allowing offenses to gather themselves inside two minutes can help negate some of the talent difference in comparison with the NFL.
Scoring is entertaining, so pushing the ball across the goal line must be encouraged.
Extra Points
Tired of just extra points or two-point conversions? The USFL threw that old setup to the curb by adding a three-point attempt to the traditional set of options.
Here are the ways offenses can cap off their touchdown drive:
- A one-point PAT from the 15-yard line. This is essentially a 32-yard field goal worth one point.
- Offenses can stay on the field and attempt a two-point try from the 2-yard line.
- To grab three points, offenses will need to put the ball in the endzone from the 10-yard line.
The inclusion of a three-point play makes every game more competitive. We could see a team come back from 18 points in just two possessions if they can pull off two 3-point plays.
Double Forward Pass
The most exciting and unique rule change for the USFL is the legality of two forward passes on one play.
The NFL carefully watches to see whether the ball goes behind the first intended receiver, effectively increasing the risk of a fumbled lateral and turnover.
The USFL allows the ball to travel forward twice so long as both passers are behind the line of scrimmage.
10 Key Players to Watch
| Player | Position | Team | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shea Patterson | QB | Michigan Panthers | Michigan |
| John Franklin III | WR | Tampa Bay Bandits | FAU |
| Jordan Ta’amu | QB | Tampa Bay Bandits | Ole Miss |
| Bryan Scott | QB | Philadelphia Stars | Occidental |
| Mike Weber | RB | New Jersey Generals | Ohio State |
| Scooby Wright | LB | Birmingham Stallions | Arizona |
| Jeff Badet | WR | Michigan Panthers | Oklahoma |
| T.J. Logan | RB | New Orleans Breakers | North Carolina |
| Sage Surratt | TE | Birmingham Stallions | Wake Forest |
| Travis Feeney | OLB | Tampa Bay Bandits | Washington |
Week 2 USFL Picks
Week 2 of the USFL season appears to be as intriguing as the first. We have a small sample size and taste of this new league but another week can completely flip what we thought we knew.
Let’s check out this week’s slate.
Check Out: USFL Week 2 Odds: Point Spreads, Lines, Results for Every Week 1 Game
Michigan Panthers (0-1) vs. New Jersey Generals (0-1)
Friday, April 22, 2022 – 08:00 PM EDT at Protective Stadium
No two teams got in their own way more than the Panthers and Generals in Week 1. The Panthers have the easier pathway to recovering from fumbles considering the strength of their overall roster.
I’ll take the Panthers by a slight margin.
USFL Pick: Panthers +1 (-105) at DraftKings
Pittsburgh Maulers (0-1) vs. Philadelphia Stars (0-1)
Saturday, April 23, 2022 – 12:00 PM EDT at Protective Stadium
The Stars were another Northern Division team that could have won the game late after a slow start.
The only non-competitive team in Week 1 was the Maulers. I think that continues, so I’ll keep betting against the Maulers until they can prove competence.
USFL Pick: Stars -6 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Birmingham Stallions (1-0) vs. Houston Gamblers (1-0)
Saturday, April 23, 2022 – 07:00 PM EDT at Protective Stadium
Houston probably should’ve lost last week despite being handed a touchdown on a fumble and two other lost fumbles.
Birmingham actually appeared more solid even if their own game was in jeopardy. This appears to be a potential value line.
USFL Pick: Stallions -3.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
New Orleans Breakers (1-0) vs. Tampa Bay Bandits (1-0)
Sunday, April 24, 2022 – 03:00 PM EDT at Protective Stadium
My two favorite teams in this league square off already. Both Breakers and Bandits have potentially elite offenses thanks to their mixture of playmaking and coaching.
This is a tough one, but I liked how Tampa Bay played to their strengths more in Week 1.
USFL Pick: Bandits -2.5 (-110) at FanDuel
