As the inaugural season draws to a close, the USFL heads into its final stint of divisional games. Two playoff spots have been taken as Week 8 of the USFL schedule begins. The Birmingham Stallions and New Jersey Generals, leaders of their divisions, were the first teams to clinch a playoff spot following Week 7. Additionally, one South Division team was eliminated in Week 7 after the Gamblers suffered another perplexing loss.
With just three weeks remaining in the season, let’s see how the Week 8 USFL games could affect the playoff schedule and seeding.
USFL Week 8 schedule: TV channel, odds, and picks
The Philadelphia Stars have amassed 70 points over the past two weeks and seem intent on locking up their playoff spot in Week 8. RB Matt Colburn II and Darnell Holland combined for 124 yards and two touchdowns while the defense put on a show in the fourth quarter. While not the last-second loss from previous weeks, getting outscored 22-0 in the fourth quarter is embarrassing.
The Stars’ win makes the path to the postseason nearly impossible for Michigan and Pittsburgh, but it isn’t 0% yet. Meanwhile, the Bandits will be praying for the Stallions to remain undefeated so Tampa can catch the Breakers and make the playoffs. Can this vastly improved Breakers team avenge their early-season loss to Birmingham? Let’s dive deeper into the USFL’s Week 8 schedule.
Pittsburgh Maulers (1-6) at New Jersey Generals (6-1)
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET, June 3
- Channel: USA
- Live stream options: fuboTV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV
- USFL Odds: (Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Spread: Generals -9
- Moneyline: Generals -425, Maulers +320
- Over/Under: 41
The Week 8 action on the USFL schedule begins Friday night as the Pittsburgh Maulers and New Jersey Generals go head-to-head. The Generals jumped out to an early lead over the Tampa Bay Bandits in Week 7 and never looked back. A trip to Canton, Ohio, is guaranteed with six wins under their belt. For the Maulers? Not so much.
While the Maulers did put up some resistance, they fell to the Stallions in Week 7, dropping to 1-6 and on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs. They’ll need some help from the Panthers, but Pittsburgh’s slim chance at making the postseason starts by taking down the North Division’s leader.
As impressive as it would be to see the team who struggled the most so far this season have a late-season turnaround, it doesn’t look like Kirby Wilson and Co. have enough on this roster to accomplish this feat. The Generals take care of business and get one week closer to clinching the North Division’s top spot.
Prediction: Generals 24, Maulers 13
New Orleans Breakers (5-2) at Birmingham Stallions (7-0)
- Start time: 3 p.m. ET, June 4
- Channel: FOX
- Live stream options: fuboTV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV
- USFL Odds: (Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Spread: Stallions -3
- Moneyline: Stallions -165, Breakers +165
- Over/Under: 44.5
The Game of the Week of the USFL’s Week 8 schedule sees the Breakers seeking revenge for their Week 3 loss to the Stallions. Still undefeated, the Stallions clinched a playoff spot in Week 7. They will also clinch first place in the South Division if they complete their season sweep of the Breakers. While the path to the postseason is a bit more complicated, the Breakers have a chance to do the same in Week 8. New Orleans QB Kyle Sloter led his team to victory in the USFL’s first overtime shootout. The consistency from Larry Fedora’s squad to come in every week to get the job done has paid off well.
The Breakers have no better time to strike than now. The Stallions have quite a few contributors sidelined with various injuries. Although recently acquired RB Bo Scarbrough has played well, New Orleans has only allowed just teams to score more than 20 points this season. One is Birmingham, but the offense has made leaps and bounds in the time since. Stallions QB J’Mar Smith has a tall task in Week 8. New Orleans evens the season series with Birmingham and hopes the Gamblers can play a full 60 minutes against Tampa.
Prediction: Breakers 27, Stallions 24
Michigan Panthers (1-6) at Philadelphia Stars (4-3)
- Start time: Noon ET, June 5
- Channel: FOX
- Live stream options: fuboTV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV
- USFL Odds: (Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Spread: Stars -5.5
- Moneyline: Stars -250, Panthers +200
- Over/Under: 47.5
While having former QB Shea Patterson feeding information to the Breakers coaching staff may have been frustrating, the Panthers still gave the Breakers quite a battle in Week 7. Unfortunately, they lost, dropping to 1-6 and in danger of missing the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Stars eliminated the first team from playoff contention in Week 7 after scoring 22 unanswered fourth-quarter points to defeat Houston.
If the Panthers want to make the USFL playoffs, they cannot lose another game this season. However, Michigan’s opponent is eager to wrap up the North Division’s playoff berths by Week 8. A Stars win sends Philadelphia to Canton while eliminating the Panthers and Maulers. New QB Josh Love played well for Michigan in Week 7, but the Stars’ offense hit a new groove against the Gamblers and will be looking to pick up where the fourth quarter left off. The North Division playoff game is set, but the seeds still have time to change.
Prediction: Stars 34, Panthers 21
Houston Gamblers (1-6) at Tampa Bay Bandits (3-4)
- Start time: 4 p.m. ET, June 5
- Live stream options: Peacock
- USFL Odds: (Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Spread: Bandits -5
- Moneyline: Bandits -235, Gamblers +190
- Over/Under: 44.5
Week 8 is about survival for the Bandits. Back-to-back losses in Weeks 7 and 8 have widened the gap between themselves and the Breakers. However, with three weeks remaining in the 2022 season, the Bandits still have a chance. While handing the Stallions their first loss this season would get New Orleans closer to the playoffs, they cannot clinch a spot without a Bandits loss.
All Tampa needs is a win. Lucky for them, they drew the best Week 8 matchup in the South Division. The Gamblers have already been eliminated from playoff contention. Things got so bad in Week 7 that Houston turned to QB Kenji Bahar to finish the game. While it wasn’t a one-possession loss, the Gamblers’ Week 7 fourth-quarter meltdown was a microcosm of their inaugural season. While Houston may provide some resistance, I have no faith in picking the Gamblers to win.
Prediction: Bandits 28, Gamblers 23
USFL Week 8 Playoff Clinching scenarios
With the 10-week season quickly coming to an end, teams are starting to clinch playoff spots. While seeding still has a chance to change, Birmingham and New Jersey clinched playoff spots in Week 7. Here are the clinching scenarios for Week 8.
- Philadelphia Stars clinch the final North Division playoff spot if:
- Stars win, OR
- Maulers loss and Panthers loss
- New Orleans Breakers clinch the final South Division playoff spot if:
- Breakers win and Bandits loss
- Birmingham Stallions clinch the top seed in the South Division if:
- Stallions win
- New Jersey Generals clinch the top seed in the North Division if:
- Generals win and Stars loss