Last year, the Birmingham Stallions outlasted the Philadelphia Stars to claim the 2022 USFL championship thriller. Tomorrow, they will look to pull off the repeat against the league’s other Keystone State squad, as they face off with the Pittsburgh Maulers in the 2023 USFL Championship Game.
The action will go down at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, and it will be televised on NBC (8:00 pm ET).
Last year, the Stallions went 9-1, tying the New Jersey Generals for the league’s best record, then went on to record a 33-30 win over the Stars in the 2022 USFL Championship Game.
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This season, the Stallions have had the league’s best record again, and back-to-back titles are a win away.
Birmingham is heavily favored, but games aren’t played on paper. After all, that was the case in the 2023 XFL Championship Game, but that matchup ended in a major upset.
Will that outcome repeat itself in the USFL Championship Game? Read on for our Maulers vs Stallions prediction and picks.
Pittsburgh Maulers vs Birmingham Stallions Odds
Odds are via Bovada as of Friday, June 30, 2023, at 9:00 am ET.
Spread
- Pittsburgh Maulers +7.5 (-110)
- Birmingham Stallions -7.5 (-110)
Total
- Over 45.5 (-110)
- Under 45.5 (-110)
Moneyline
- Pittsburgh Maulers +265
- Birmingham Stallions -330
Will the Stallions Ride off into the Sunset with Back-to-Back Titles?
When Birmingham met Pittsburgh at Hall of Fame Stadium in Week 4, the Stallions edged the Maulers 24-20. Pittsburgh took a 12-10 lead into the fourth quarter, but two touchdowns for Birmingham turned the tide in their favor.
Should those planning on taking part in some USFL betting expect another close encounter in the rematch?
I wouldn’t count on it.
That performance in Canton was one of the worst of the season for Stallions QB Alex McGough. In the regular season, McGough threw for 2,105 yards and led the USFL in completion percentage (67.4%), touchdown passes (20), and passer rating (108.3), and he ran for 403 yards and five touchdowns on 70 attempts.
But in that matchup, he was just 17 of 29 for 157 yards with two interceptions (of his five for the season) and just one touchdown pass.
In last Saturday’s South Division championship game, McGough went 21 of 31 for 310 yards and four touchdown passes through the air and ran for 84 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts in Birmingham’s 47-22 win over the New Orleans Breakers.
Over his last five games, McGough is 96 of 143 (67.1%) for 1,309 yards, 12 touchdowns, and two interceptions through the air and has run for 194 yards and three touchdowns on 36 attempts.
That five-game stretch is part of a six-game win streak for the Stallions. In their win streak, they have scored 190 points (31.7 points per game).
If the Maulers are going to have a chance to pull the upset, they are going to need to take over with their defense.
Pittsburgh claimed the #1 seed in the North Division by winning their last two games over the Michigan Panthers and New Jersey Generals, and in those two games and their 31-27 North Division championship game win over the Panthers, they forced nine turnovers.
In the earlier matchup with the Stallions, McGough’s two interceptions were turned into two field goals, which helped the Maulers have an advantage entering the final quarter.
Pittsburgh Maulers vs Birmingham Stallions Prediction and Picks
Prediction for Maulers vs Stallions: Stallions to win
Best Bets for Maulers vs Stallions: Stallions -7.5 & Maulers/Stallions over 45.5
The only way that Pittsburgh wins this game is if they continue to force turnovers like they have recently and did in the previous matchup with Birmingham.
But I don’t see a repeat of that in the rematch. McGough has been hot at the business end of the season, and I look for him to put in another clutch performance to help the Stallions repeat as USFL champions.
Where to Bet on Maulers vs Stallions
The USFL championship betting odds mentioned in this article came from Bovada, but they aren’t the only sports betting site out there offering Maulers vs Stallions odds.
There are a number of online sportsbooks that are good for betting on the USFL, but here are four that we highly recommend.
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