USFL Week 9 Online Betting
Week 8 of the USFL season is in the books. The status quo held firm for the most part, with the league's elite teams coming out on top.
That said, the Birmingham Stallions had their biggest test of the season, needing a late field goal to ensure they remained perfect and moved to 8-0. Meanwhile, the Generals and Stars made quick work of the Maulers and Panthers as they fell to 1-7 and are completely out of the playoff picture. In the weekend finale, the Bandits dropping 13 points in the second quarter was enough to fend off the Gamblers.
With just two weeks left in the USFL's regular season, every team is still in playoff contention. And one thing is clear -- at least one deserving team from the South Division will miss the postseason.
In Week 8, when the four South teams were matched up with North opponents, all four from the South prevailed, setting up an odd situation where the worst team in the South had a better record than the best in the North. With the top two teams in each division making the playoffs, here's how the standings look with just eight games still to be played in the regular season.
Let's start with the North Division. The good news for the Philadelphia Stars, who reached the USFL title game last year, is that they're in first place. The bad news? They're only .500 after losing to the Birmingham Stallions and have allowed 31 more points this season than they've scored. In fact, every team in the East owns a minus-point differential. The Michigan Panthers are in the playoff picture, sitting in second place in the North despite a 3-5 record.
The Stars finish the season with games against the Generals and Panthers, so Philly controls its fate. Every team in the USFL faces only divisional opponents in what should be a wild final two weeks of the regular season. Everything is still up for grabs.
In the South Division, where all four teams are 5-3 or better, the defending champion Birmingham Stallions boast the league's best record at 6-2, but a stumble in the final two weeks against a pair of strong divisional opponents (Gamblers, Showboats) could still leave them home for the playoffs. Those Gamblers and Showboats, along with the Breakers -- who finally got back in the win column after a three-game slide -- are knotted at 5-3, with games remaining only within the division.
For the first time in 40 years, Birmingham Stallions head coach Skip Holtz had the autumn off. And he took full advantage. Holtz took in games at his alma mater, Notre Dame, and visited other top programs. He also took time to golf and hang with his family. Holtz spent the offseason basking in the glory of winning the 2022 USFL championship. Now the refreshed coach is ready to lead the Stallions to defend their title.
Holtz said he’d return both quarterbacks from that team in J’Mar Smith and Alex McGough. However, the Stallions will have to replace one of the best receivers and return men in the USFL last season in Victor Bolden Jr, who spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and signed a futures contract with the Denver Broncos.
Holtz said it would be up to new faces and guys returning to fill the void left by Bolden’s absence, with the expectation that Marlon Williams will play a bigger role in the offense. Williams finished with seven catches for 105 receiving yards and a score in the championship game.
Holtz said he would continue to look for homegrown products — like running back Bo Scarbrough — who either prepped in Alabama or played college football at Alabama, Auburn, or UAB, to further connect with the community.
A midseason addition in the 2022 campaign, the former national champion Bo Scarbrough added a bruising presence to Birmingham coach Skip Holtz’s backfield, averaging just over four yards per carry.
Scooby Wright returns as the leader of Holtz's defense. The former unanimous All-American was dynamic when healthy and had the game-clinching pick-6 in the USFL title game, a 33-30 victory against the Philadelphia Stars last July.
Winner of nine straight to start the regular season, Holtz also understands the Stallions will have a target on their back as the defending champs.
Holtz and the Stallions get an opportunity to start that defense during the season's opening week on April 15 at home against the New Jersey Generals. The Stallions have three straight home games before hitting the road for the first time against the Pittsburgh Maulers in Canton, Ohio, in Week 4.
The Stallions were the one team to enjoy a home-field advantage, with all eight teams playing in Birmingham last season. That changes this year, with the USFL expanding to four sites — Memphis, Detroit, Canton, and Birmingham.
Skip Holtz is well known in the south as a former head coach of the South Florida Bulls and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Holtz was fired by Louisiana Tech after serving there from 2013 through 2021. While with Louisiana Tech, Holtz went 64-50 with a 43-27 conference record. He led the Bulldogs to seven consecutive bowl games from 2014 through 2020.
His best season was in 2019, when he went 10-3 with a Conference USA West Division title. With a good performance in the USFL, Holtz could land another D-1 head coaching job in college football, should he want it.
Last year Holtz saw his stock rise dramatically by winning the USFL championship. It was a great case of what opportunities arise in the USFL.
2023 USFL Schedule
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