By Zach Thompson, DraftKings Network
The UFL is coming down the home stretch of the regular season with the playoffs just around the corner. United Bowl tickets are on sale for the championship on Saturday, June 13 in Washington, D.C., and teams are continuing to battle for playoff positioning with only four games left. Let’s run down what to expect in Week 7 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 Week 7 action kicks off with a Friday night matchup at the Battledome, where the St. Louis Battlehawks host the Columbus Aviators. On Saturday afternoon, the Louisville Kings will try to slow down the DC Defenders, and on Saturday night, the Dallas Renegades visit the Birmingham Stallions. In the final game of the week, the Orlando Storm roll into Shell Energy Stadium to face the Houston Gamblers at 6:00 p.m. ET to close out the weekend. Let’s take a closer look at each contest with the help of some odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Columbus Aviators at St. Louis Battlehawks (-4.5)
The Battlehawks have been on the road for four straight weeks, but even without their significant home-field advantage, the team has picked up back-to-back big wins and improved to 4-2, tied for the second-best record in the league. Now that they’re home for three of the four remaining weeks, they have a great chance to push to the playoffs in their first year under new coach Ricky Proehl.
Two weeks ago, they handed the Orlando Storm their first loss of the year, and last week, they knocked off the Kings in the Derby Classic presented by DraftKings.
QB Harrison Frost has been very effective in the last two weeks, and RB Jarveon Howard is the leading rusher in the league, racking up 297 rushing yards so far this season.
The Aviators have the worst rushing defense in the UFL, so Howard could be set for another big week as the Battlehawks try to establish the run early against Columbus.
The Aviators offense relies heavily on the run as well, but the Battlehawks defense has been an elite unit all season. They lead the league in sacks, and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pita Taumoepenu had 1.5 sacks in last week’s victory. They’ve only allowed 72 rushing yards per game on the season and held the Kings to just 12 rushing yards last week.
The Aviators did get a 24-17 win last week against the Gamblers to keep their playoff hopes alive at 2-4, but the offense has been mistake-prone when playing strong defense on the road.
This Battlehawks’ defense and their home-field advantage give them a huge edge in this matchup. The Battlehawks have the second-shortest odds to win the championship in the futures market on DraftKings Sportsbook, and they should be ready to roll at home on Friday night.
Best Bet: Battlehawks -4.5 (-105)
Louisville Kings at DC Defenders (-10)
The Defenders are the reigning champions in the UFL and have established themselves as the clear favorites to repeat this season. The championship game will be a home game for them at Audi Field, and they’ve been crushing everyone since they lost to St. Louis back in Week 1.
Last week, the Defenders hosted the Dallas Renegades, and they dominated, 24-6. They racked up all 24 of their points in the first half, with Jordan Ta’amu tossing a trio of touchdowns and finishing with 227 passing yards. The Defenders’ defense held Austin Reed to just a 53.7% completion rate and only allowed one score all day.
The Defenders have won five straight since that Week 1 loss and have an average margin of victory of 19.4 points per game. At 5-1, they have the best record in the league and are the overwhelming favorite to win the title at -125 on DraftKings.
The Kings are on the opposite end of the standings after struggling badly at home in the Derby Classic presented by DraftKings. They managed just three points against the Battlehawks, and new QB Chandler Rogers struggled. The Kings traded their former starting QB Jason Bean before Week 5, and Rogers led them to a big win over Dallas before struggling last week.
The Defenders lead the UFL with 12 takeaways on the season, and the Kings have struggled with turnovers when trying to rally from behind.
While I like what the Kings and coach Chris Redman have going on in the big picture, they’re in a very tough spot on the road against a team that is fully locked in and dominating. The 10-point spread is a lot, but with how strong the Defenders have been on both sides of the ball, DC has what it takes to cover with another huge win as they look to clinch a playoff spot with a win this week.
Best Bet: Defenders -10 (-110)
Dallas Renegades at Birmingham Stallions (+1.5)
The Renegades looked like title contenders early in the season but have struggled in the last few weeks, while the Stallions struggled early but could be trending up after a big win last week.
Dallas started the year 3-0 with three wins at home but lost in Columbus in Week 4, lost at home to the Kings in Week 5, and lost again on the road to DC in Week 6. They have lost by at least 14 points in each of those games and need to get right if they want to push their way to a playoff spot. They start the week 3-3 and in the fourth and final playoff spot, but with four teams at 2-4 just behind them.
The struggles of the Renegades offense are reflected in the numbers of starting QB Austin Reed. Reed had nine touchdowns and one interception in his three wins, but has only had four touchdowns and six interceptions in his three losses.
The offense will need to get back on track this week against Birmingham, which is coming off its biggest win of the season last week against the Storm.
The Stallions are one of the teams at 2-4 and pushing the Renegades for a playoff spot, and after last week, they may have more life than many people thought. The acquisition of Dorian Thompson-Robinson paid off against his former team, the Storm.
DTR completed 19 of his 17 pass attempts for 271 yards and a touchdown, and his main focus was former Clemson Tiger Justyn Ross, who hauled in seven catches for 135 yards and a touchdown against Orlando.
This is a fascinating matchup since the Renegades showed lots of promise early in the season, while the Stallions are starting to find their stride as the UFL makes the final turn. It should be one of the most compelling games of the weekend and has major playoff implications for the entire UFL. If the Stallions win, there will be multiple teams at 3-4 still chasing the fourth and final playoff spot. Given how they looked last week and that they’re at home, DTR has a great chance to get them another win this week and cause more drama and mayhem the last few weeks of the season.
Best Bet: Stallions Moneyline (+102)
Orlando Storm at Houston Gamblers (+3.5)
The Orlando Storm were the last undefeated team in the UFL at 4-0, but they have dropped back-to-back games to slip to 4-2. They lost to the Battlehawks’ tough defense in Week 5, and then fell to the Stallions and DTR last week.
Each of Orlando’s two losses was a close game that could have bounced their way, but both ended up with them on the wrong end of the scoreboard at home. The Storm had costly turnovers at inopportune times last week, with three fumbles ultimately being too much to overcome.
The offense is definitely a cause for concern for Orlando, but they have a nice matchup to get back on track this week against the Gamblers. Houston lost last week to the Aviators, allowing Columbus to put up 21 points in the first half on its way to a 24-17 win. The Gamblers lost both starting quarterback Nolan Henderson and backup Taulia Tagovailoa to injuries, and emergency QB Jontre Kirklin stepped in but was unable to lead a late comeback.
The QB situation is uncertain for Houston as they come into this matchup against the Storm, who need a bounce-back win after two tough losses. Since the game is in Houston, giving the points is a tough call to make, but ultimately the QB uncertainty in Houston tips the scales in Orlando’s favor.
Best Bet: Storm -3.5 (-120)
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