UFL Week 3 Picks & Predictions: Panthers vs. Brahmas (Sunday)

The Panthers and Brahmas are coming off losses last week. Yet, Michigan won in Week 1, and San Antonio is 0-2. Additionally, the Panthers have a rest advantage after they played last Friday, and the Brahmas played on Sunday. Michigan is positioned to rebound, but there might be a more appealing betting selection than laying 6.5 points with the favored hosts.

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UFL Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Week 3 (Sunday)

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Michigan Panthers vs. San Antonio Brahmas

The Panthers have the second-highest graded defense by Pro Football Focus (PFF) through two weeks. They held the Showboats to 12 points in Week 1 before allowing 21 to the back-to-back-to-back champion Stallions. They can get a pass for the step back after holding a lackluster offense in check in Week 1, namely, since San Antonio’s offense is much closer to Memphis’s than Birmingham’s.

The Brahmas have scored only 18 points this year, tallying precisely nine points in each contest. After A.J. Smith resigned on Tuesday, San Antonio will attempt to turn their offense around with a new offensive coordinator.

Maybe the change will generate a spark, but it could also lead to sloppiness and a disjointed offense this week since it was a mid-week change. Kellen Mond has struggled mightily to complete passes, with just a 51.7% completion percentage and 64.8% adjusted completion rate, per PFF. He’s also eaten six sacks, which are drive killers.

Sadly, the Panthers will be without Breeland Speaks after placing him on the injured reserve (IR). Nevertheless, they still have competent pass-rushers and talent at every level of the defense.

San Antonio’s defense has coughed up 33 and 26 points to the Renegades and Battlehawks. The improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 might not feel like much, but St. Louis has looked like an unstoppable offense through two weeks, and Michigan’s offense isn’t in the same tier. The Panthers scored 26 points in Week 1 before dipping to 12 in Week 2.

Unfortunately, Michigan’s defense wasn’t the only side of the ball dealt a blow by an injury. Instead, Matt Colburn is headed to the IR, removing Michigan’s most efficient running back (76 rushing yards at 4.2 yards per carry versus 87 for 3.1 for Nate McCrary) from the mix. Depending on perspective, this contest has the makings of a defensive slugfest or a snoozer between a pair of head coaches, Mike Nolan and Wade Phillips, with decades of experience coaching on defense in the NFL.

Pick: Under 36.5 (-118)

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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.