Week 6 of the 2022 USFL season has arrived. The 10-week season is already hitting the back-end of the slate as the playoffs are near.
We’re here to preview and unearth the best bets for Week 6 of the USFL season.
OddsTrader’s Betting Edge
• The playing field is starting to separate themselves throughout the first five weeks.
• The 5-0 Birmingham Stallions and 4-1 New Jersey Generals have pulled away from other talented but inconsistent teams.
• New Orleans dropped to 3-2 after a hot start.
Our full coverage of the 2022 USFL season continues as we’re recapping the results from Week 5 and previewing the point spreads and lines of Week 6.
Everything you need to know about betting on the United States Football League is right here at OddsTrader. Let’s dive into what happened last week first.
USFL Week 5 Results
Tampa Bay Bandits 27 – Michigan Panthers 20
The first game of the week featured an exciting last-minute 43-yard touchdown. The teams with the first two picks of the 2022 USFL Draft faced off and each quarterback had some solid plays.
No. 2 overall pick Jordan Ta’amu came out victorious after his bomb to receiver John Franklin III.
Tampa needed this win to stay relevant as their division is deep with quality teams. At 3-2, they’re still trailing Birmingham and New Orleans. Their run defense stifled talented rusher, Reggie Corbin, even as Shea Patterson put on a one-man show.
This was yet another tough loss for Patterson and the Panthers. Patterson has continued to earn the starting job despite his uneven play. The lack of quality trench play and playmakers around him has clearly hindered the team more than just Patterson’s level of play.
At 1-4, this team has to play for pride and beat out the Stars in their division. It’s tough since the Panthers have a winning point differential but haven’t been able to string together solid performances on both sides of the ball.
New Jersey Generals 27 – New Orleans Breakers 17
Finally, the cracks in New Orleans’ offensive build are starting to hemorrhage as we expected at the start of the year. For as talented as this team is, relying on Kyle Sloter is a mistake.
Sloter lacks the poise and natural accuracy to thrive in tough situations, and he was exposed once again this week as he completed 41.7% of his 36 attempts and threw 2 picks.
New Orleans couldn’t get anything going this week. Jerod Fernandez ripped off a giant 43-yard run but otherwise, the Generals had their way against this offense. Fernandez also amazingly led the New Orleans defense with 11 tackles.
On the flip side, New Jersey dropped the hammer in this needed game. Quarterback DeAndre Johnson was more efficient passing than usual, but he was not the storyline. Star rusher Darius Victor led the team with 95 yards and stole the show.
Birmingham Stallions 30 – Philadelphia Stars 17
The best team in the USFL continues to roll. The 5-0 Birmingham Stallions have the talent on both sides of the ball to even go undefeated. No other team features two quarterbacks as seamlessly as the Stallions do, and C.J. Marable is a fantastic back.
Their two-score win this week highlighted quarterback J’Mar Smith’s star talent. He was magnificent as a passer despite being known as more of a run threat. Seeing him carve up the Stars’ defense with a 77.3% completion rate and 9.2 yards per pass has us wondering if the team can fully bench Alex McGough.
Regardless, what was also impressive was how deep this Stallions’ receiving corps is. Philadelphia had no answer for their balance of speed and precision. It didn’t help that Philadelphia’s transition to quarterback Case Cookus has been such a mixed bag.
Cookus lacks quality anticipation and accuracy, and the fact he can not carry the offense is accentuated by a bad running game. Paul Terry broke off a 43-yard touchdown run but the team attempted just 10 other runs the rest of the day.
The lone bright spot for Philadelphia is their defensive star, Josh Banderas. Banderas totaled two sacks and 12 tackles. This team, at 2-3, is not as good as their record even. But they have a playoff spot if they can outlast Michigan and Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Maulers 21 – Houston Gamblers 20
Finally, Pittsburgh has won a game! All it took was a furious 12-point fourth-quarter and 9-point comeback. Quarterback Vad Lee helped spark an offense that was dragging under Kyle Lauletta. Lee’s dual-threat ability and stronger arm were exactly what the offense needed.
The receivers stepped up massively as well. Bailey Gaither looked like a star with 8 receptions for 108 yards and 2 scores. Tre Walker chipped in with 10 catches for 92 yards.
Pittsburgh still ran the ball too much for too little, with 24 attempts for 51 yards, but the coaching staff finally adjusted.
Their defense was mostly stellar. Outside of a 39-yard run, Houston couldn’t get anything going. We continue to say this, but quarterback Clayton Thorson was a horrible fit for this offense and should be benched at this rate.
The Gamblers should now enter panic mode. At 1-4, they’re all but out of the playoff picture.
USFL Week 6 Betting Preview
Here you’ll find the best point spreads and lines for Week 6 of the USFL’s season. All betting odds are courtesy of FanDuel!
Tampa Bay Bandits vs. Philadelphia Stars
Saturday, May 21, 2022 – 01:00 PM EDT at Protective Stadium
- Point Spread: Bandits -3 (-110).
- Moneyline: Bandits are -160 to win.
- Total Over/Under: 39.5 (-110).
Michigan Panthers vs. Birmingham Stallions
Saturday, May 21, 2022 – 07:30 PM EDT at Protective Stadium
- Point Spread: Stallions -7 (-110).
- Moneyline: Stallions are -325 to win.
- Total Over/Under: 37.5 (-110).
Pittsburgh Maulers vs. New Orleans Breakers
Sunday, May 22, 2022 – 12:00 PM EDT at Protective Stadium
- Point Spread: Breakers -7.5 (-105).
- Moneyline: Breakers (-400) to win.
- Total Over/Under: 34.5 (-110).
Houston Gamblers vs. New Jersey Generals
Sunday, May 22, 2022 – 04:00 PM EDT at Protective Stadium
- Point Spread: Generals -7 (-110).
- Moneyline: Generals (-290) to win.
- Total Over/Under: 37.5 at -110 return.
