Looking at the playoff odds for each matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook, check out these best bets for this week.
By Zach Thompson, DraftKings Network
The UFL Playoffs kick off this Sunday with the two semifinal matchups determining which two teams will play for the championship at the United Bowl on June 13. Two great matchups are on the board for Sunday, with plenty of drama and storylines to consider as you put together your strategy and plans for the weekend. Let’s run down what to expect in these two playoff matchups with the help of some of the odds from DraftKings Sportsbook. Bookmark this UFL betting splits page and check back throughout the season for DraftKings Network’s ongoing coverage.
The first game of Sunday’s playoff doubleheader gets underway at 3:00 p.m. ET between the DC Defenders and the Orlando Storm, who will be facing off for the third consecutive week. The second game features the Louisville Kings riding into the Battledome, where they’ll have a tough road game against the S.t Louis Battlehawks with a chance at the championship on the line Let’s take a closer look at each contest with the help of some odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
DC Defenders at Orlando Storm (-3.5)
The Storm earned the top seed in the playoffs with an excellent 8-2 record in their first season. Coach Anthony Becht led the St. Louis Battlehawks to eight wins last year as well before taking over the UFL’s new franchise in Orlando this year. Last year, though, Becht lost in the semifinals to the Defenders, who went on to win the championship. He’ll look to write a different ending to this year’s run.
The Storm won’t be playing in their normal home stadium for this matchup, even though they are the higher seed. Inter&Co Stadium is unavailable due to prior commitments connected to hosting an international soccer match, and the UFL originally moved the game to Columbus before announcing on Monday that it would be played at Daytona Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida. With just about an hour drive from Orlando to Daytona Beach, it should still be a solid homefield advantage for the Storm, who are giving season ticket holders free admission and selling the rest of the seats for $10, while also giving away playoff t-shirts and offering fan-friendly concessions.
On the field, the Storm will be looking to beat DC for the third straight week. They won at home in Week 9, 27-19, and got a road victory to complete the regular season in Week 10, 29-23. After those two straight wins and their No. 1 seed, the Storm are the favorites to win the championship at +185 in the futures market on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Storm QB Jack Plummer led the UFL with 2,188 yards passing on the season while throwing 17 touchdowns and only one interception. He added 189 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground in a very successful first season in the league. His main target was receiver Chris Rowland, who had a league-high 53 catches for 529 yards and five touchdowns and led the league in All-Purpose Yards, starring as both a kick returner and a punt returner as well as a receiver.
On the other side, the Defenders have serious QB questions still after losing Jordan Ta’amu to injury in Week 8. Spencer Sanders started Week 9’s loss, and midseason acquisition Jason Bean started in Week 10’s loss. Both replacement QBs struggled against Orlando’s offense and will need to dramatically improve if they hope to guide their team to the championship.
The Defenders will look to lean on their running game, led by Deon Jackson, who had a league-leading 449 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season. He didn’t find the end zone in Week 10, but he and Bean give the Defenders two threats running the ball out of the backfield, if Bean gets a second straight start this week.
The Storm defense has come up with explosive big plays all season, and they’ll look to force whichever QB the Defenders give the call into costly mistakes. Even though beating the same team three weeks in a row is hard, the Storm should be up to the task and get the job done for a third straight week. I would take them and give the 3.5 points this weekend.
However, with expanded options available on DraftKings for the playoffs, I’m going with a player prop in my best bet. Chris Rowland used to play for DC and found the end zone against his former team in each of the last two weeks. As one of the league’s most productive options, I think he’ll get back into the end zone again this week, and I love the value in his touchdown props
Best Bet: Chris Roland Anytime Touchdown (+120)
Louisville Kings at St. Louis Battlehawks (-1.5)
The Kings come into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league. The team traded their starting quarterback the week after he got the first win in franchise history, and they finished with an impressive four-game winning streak.
QB Chandler Rogers took over as the team’s full-time starter after the trade and finished with 1,119 yards passing and 106 yards rushing while adding two rushing scores to his seven passing touchdowns. The Kings had a playoff spot secured even before their Week 10 matchup in Columbus, but Rogers led a rushing attack that piled up over 200 yards on the ground to get another big win. Rogers finished with the third-highest efficiency rating on the season behind only Plummer and Ta’amu.
The Kings’ ground game also features Ian Wheeler, who had six touchdowns and 370 yards in his nine games, and James Robinson, who had 300 yards and three scores in his six contests. Robinson led the league in yards per carry and yards per game among qualified rushers.
Louisville’s midseason turnaround under Chris Redman has been impressive, and they’ll look to keep churning into the playoffs against first-year coach Ricky Proehl of the Battlehawks, who took over after Becht’s departure.
The Battlehawks’ defense has been exceptional and looked championship-worthy at times this season, but they have also been a little inconsistent with losses to the Renegades and Gamblers in their last two home games of the regular season. Typically, the Battledome is one of the best homefield advantages in the league, but those two losses do raise cause for concern.
St. Louis also made a midseason change at QB, acquiring the “Spring King,” Luis Perez, in a trade from Dallas. Perez struggled in his last few games, though, and the offense remains boom-or-bust. Hakeem Butler and Steven McBride are solid targets for Perez, but the offense sputtered last week against a Dallas defense that had been very beatable before Week 10.
In the teams’ only meeting of the regular season, the Battlehawks won in Louisville, 16-3, in the Derby Classic presented by DraftKings. That was before the Kings got their offense in gear, though, and the team has definitely played much better down the stretch than it did in that Week 6 matchup.
For player props, I like the Steven McBride 50+ receiving yards play (-135) and the James Robinson touchdown play (-130), but I’m looking to call the upset in this second semifinal with my best bet pick for this contest.
Best Bet: Kings Moneyline (+100)
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