The UFL continues week eight on Sunday with the DC Defenders and the St. Louis Battlehawks. It is time to continue our UFL odds series with a Defenders-Battlehawks prediction and pick.
The Defenders enter the game at 3-4 on the year, which is good for third place in their conference. They are also coming off a loss. Last week they hosted the Michigan Panthers and struggled to find points. They would fall 22-9. Meanwhile, the Battlehawks are in first in the conference at 5-2. They are coming off a loss though. Last week they faced the top team in the UFL, the Stallions, and would fall 30-26.
Here are the UFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFL Odds: Defenders-Battlehawks Odds
DC Defenders: +7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +330
St. Louis Battlehawks: -7.5 (-110)
Moneyline -410
Over: 44.5 (-110)
Under: 44.5 (-110)
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Why The Defenders Can Cover/Win
The Defenders are seventh in points per game this year. They are sixth in yards per game while sitting sixth in the run and seventh in the pass. Jordan Ta'amu leads the offense this year. He has 1194 yards passing and nine scores. Still, he has thrown five interceptions. He has also run for 126 yards on the ground but has not scored.
Cam'Ron Harris leads the rushing attack. He has 175 yards on the ground with three touchdowns. In the receiving game, it is Kelvin Harmon. He has 375 yards this year with three scores. Ty Scott has scored twice as well but has just 11 receptions for 262 yards. Still, Scott is second on the team in receiving. Chris Rowland has 152 as well, with two touchdowns the season. He is third on the team in receiving. Alex Ellis is fourth on the team in receiving with just 125 yards.
The Defenders are sixth in points allowed this year while sitting fifth in passing yards allowed and seventh in total yards allowed. They are also seventh against the run. On defense, Michael Joseph has been solid. He has six pass breakups this year. Still, the defense has just one interception, which is from Anthoula Kelly. They are getting into the backfield though. Malik Fisher has five sacks and five tackles for a loss.
Why The Battlehawks Can Cover/Win
The Battlehawks are fifth in the UFL in yards per game this year, they are fourth in rushing yards and third in passing yards. The Battlehawks are second in the UFL in points per game this year. AJ McCarron has been leading the team this year at quarterback. He has completed 66.7 percent of his passes this year for 1467 yards and 14 touchdowns. Further, he has thrown just three interceptions in the year. McCarron has also run a touchdown this year.
Meanwhile, Jacob Saylors leads the rushing attack. He has played in just six games this year but ran for 280 yards and four scores. Wayne Gallman also has two scores on the ground this year in six games, while Mataeo Durant has a touchdown with 134 yards on the ground. Hakeem Butler has been great in the receiving game. He has 567 yards on the year with five touchdowns. He has also brought in 38 of 53 targets on the year. Further, Marcell Ateman has also scored three times this year. He has 17 receptions for 208 yards on the season.
The Battlehawks are second in the UFL in yards against per game this year. They are fifth in rushing yards against while sitting the best in the UFL in passing yards against. They are also fourth in points against this year. Travis Freeney and Pita Taumoepenu both have four tackles for a loss this year. Freeney had three sacks, while Taumoepenu had five on the year. Meanwhile, Mike Rose has two pass breakups and two interceptions.
Final Defenders-Battlehawks Prediction & Pick
The Defenders looked like the offense was beginning to turn the corner, but then fell apart just last week. The Battlehawks have continued to improve. The offense is getting better each week, and AJ McCarron has been one of the best quarterbacks in the UFL. They did struggle some with the Stallions, but the Stallions are the clear best team in the league. The Defenders are not a low-quality team, but they are not on the same level as the Battlehawks in this one. The Defenders are not forcing turnovers, which is the only way to beat the Battlehawks. St. Louis just barely lost to the Stallions, and it was only due to the Stallions being able to force turnovers. With that, expect the Battlehawks to rebound in a big way and take out the Defenders with ease.
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Final Defenders-Battlehawks Prediction & Pick: Battlehawks -7.5 (-110)
