To the United Football League we go, to the state of Michigan, to good old Detroit, and its Ford Field. On Apr 13 at 4:00 GMT, we have a most interesting match between the local panthers and the visiting Brahmas from San Antonio. UFL matches may not have the glamor of the NFL but they are just as exiting and just as competitive as their big brother’s.
It’s still the beginning
It will be the 3rd match for both sides. The visitors set off on the wrong foot losing to Arlington Renegades by a massive 33-9. They allowed 8 points at each of the first 3 quarters and 9 at the 4th. It may still be too early in the season but it’s an indication that something is wrong with their defense. We will know more on that after the result of their in-between match against the St Louis Battlehawks on Apr 07. On the other hand, the hosts got off nicely against the Memphis Showboats with a 26-12 win. A field goal on the 1st quarter and then 7, 7 and 9 points at the remaining three respectively, shaped that result. That’s a good offense. The match against the Birmingham Stallions on Apr 05 will show more on the direction they are going.
The pressure on San Antonio
There are only 8 teams participating at UFL and the season is just 10 weeks long. So, there is very little room for errors. A second defeat for the Brahmas may just mean a completely lost season. It’s a «must win» battle for them. On the other hand, the Panthers are the only team from the old USFL that won on the first round. The other 3 participants (Memphis Showboats, Brimingham Stallions, Houston Roughnecks), were defeated. Ostensibly, they do have some leeway to lose a game, but not much.
Which takes us to the odds. At this time, we have @2.13 for the Panthers and @3.84 for the Brahmas. Which indeed translates to a consideration that the motive is much stronger for the hosts. As always, we will keep an eye on the events at the matches in-between and make a sound judgement for the final suggestion on this one.
Update
Things are even worse now for the San Antonio Brahmas after their defeat at the hands of the St Louis Battlehawks by a massive 26-9. Now at the XFL division they are dead last with all other teams counting 2 wins each. Needless to say, that the match against the Michigan Panthers is their last card. Not that their opponents are in a much better position though. They lost to the Birmingham Stallions too by 21-12. However, they still lead the USFL division.
Compared to the Battlehawks, the Renegades and the Defenders, all other teams are at a disadvantage. Mathematically, they all have a chance as long as they can win their own matches and these three loose two or more. For the two teams we are talking about, this chance begins now. For both of them it’s a must win. Typically, the Panthers have performed better thus far, so they start at a higher pedestal than their opponents.
In all likelihood they will win one way or the other. Therefore, we will not look into the odds for the victory. They have dropped like a rock anyhow. Brahmas get a @3.01 now, while the Panthers pay at @1.39. From what we can see the best choice is a +5.5 Asian Handicap for Michigan, offered at @1.88. For those who will open an account at the best betting platform this is what we suggest for a wager.