Caleb Wilfinger
Show Bio
Are you starved for football?
We are nearly 2 months removed from Super Bowl LVIII and still over 5 months away from the opening week of the 2024 NFL season, but the wait for live football is nearly over.
After a couple of seasons of the XFL and USFL, the two leagues have now merged to create the brand new UFL, an 8-team league that will satisfy your craving for football this spring. The UFL is set to kick off its inaugural season this Saturday and the campaign runs through mid-June, culminating with the championship game on June 16 in St. Louis. Here is everything you need to know about this new hybrid 8-team football league.
UFL rules, regulations and familiar faces
The general structure of the UFL is pretty simple. The league broken into two divisions: the USFL and XFL divisions. On the USFL side, the defending USFL champion Birmingham Stallions, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats and Michigan Panthers will travel over to the UFL, while the defending XFL champion Arlington Renegades, St. Louis Battlehawks, San Antonio Brahmas and DC Defenders join the league from the XFL side of things.
Some notable rules that we’ll see on UFL broadcasts this season include the kickoff rule, in which all kickoffs start at the 20-yard line, and every kick out of bounds results in the ball being brought out to the 30-yard line. There’s also the alternating possession rule in the 4th quarter, in which teams have the option of converting a fourth-and-12 from their own 28-yard line instead of attempting an onside kick following a scoring play. The overtime rules are much like how college football handles the extra session, except it immediately begins with the 2-point play period in a best-of-3 format, instead of waiting until after 2 overtime periods.
A few notable former NFL players are on UFL rosters this season, including AJ McCarron, Vic Beasley, Marquette King and DJ Swearinger. On the coaching side, Bob Stoops, Skip Holtz and Wade Phillips are just a few of the notable names putting on the headsets this season. With that brief rundown out of the way, let’s take a look at the title odds for this UFL season.
2024 UFL odds
Odds available with FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Birmingham Stallions (+310)
St. Louis Battlehawks (+370)
D.C. Defenders (+400)
Arlington Renegades (+550)
Memphis Showboats (+1000)
San Antonio Brahmas (+1200)
Michigan Panthers (+1300)
Houston Roughnecks (+1300)
2024 UFL best bet: Birmingham Stallions (+310)
It makes sense that the Birmingham Stallions are title favorites for the upcoming season. Not only are the Stallions the two-time defending USFL champions, but Birmingham also brings back talented offensive playmakers and a proven quarterback in Matt Corral, who was a former standout QB at Ole Miss before having a cup of coffee in the NFL with the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions. There are some new faces on the team but Holtz and company still have arguably the most complete offense in this new league, especially after acquiring Amari Rodgers, Gary Jennings and Kevin Austin to join Deon Cain and Marlon Williams in the wide receiver room. On the defensive side of the ball, Birmingham also picked up Mark Gilbert, who was the best in the USFL last year. Achieving a three-peat won’t be easy, but even as favorites, it’s hard to fade the Stallions this season.
Looking for more free sports betting picks? Check out our picks for every MLB game today
