DC Defenders vs St Louis Battlehawks Predictions & Odds
By Chris Amberley in News
Published:
- The St Louis Battlehawks are 2.5-point favorites over the DC Defenders in the UFL Conference Championship Game on Sunday
- St Louis enters play riding a 6-game winning streak
- See my Defenders vs Battlehawks Predictions below, plus the best odds
The UFL Conference Championships kick-off on Sunday, with the nightcap featuring the DC Defenders and the St Louis Battlehawks. St Louis posted a league-high 8 wins this season, two more than DC, and online sportsbooks are bullish on them to advance to the league Championship Game next weekend. I’m inclined to agree, as the Battlehawks have the ingredients to exploit the Defenders on both sides of the ball.
The action gets underway at 6 pm ET at the Dome at America’s Center, in St Louis, MO, with FOX providing the broadcast coverage.
Defenders vs Battlehawks Predictions
- St Louis Battlehawks -2.5 (-108 at DraftKings)
My prediction is that St Louis defends home turf and gets a chance to play for the title next weekend. The Battlehawks enter play riding a 6-game winning streak, with former TCU quarterback Max Duggan posting a 5-0 record as a starter since taking over the offense. Duggan sat out last week’s win over the Defenders in a meaningless game, as did the rest of the key St Louis players.
He’ll be back under center on Sunday, and don’t be surprised if he puts up a big day with his legs. Duggan rushed for 300 yards in his five starts, scoring 5 times on the ground. No team in the league allows a higher yards per rush than the Defenders (4.8), which is music to the ears of Duggan, and All-UFL running back Jacob Saylors. The ladder finished second in the league in rushing yards and touchdowns, while also contributing 22 catches for 245 yards in the passing game.
The ground game will be the primary focus of the St Louis attack, but they should find success through the air as well when they chose. Duggan isn’t a model of efficiency, completing only 57% of his passes, but only San Antonio yields a higher completion percentage than DC. The Defenders also allowed 12 passing TD, tied for third most in the league.
DC does boast four All-UFL players on defense, but surrendered the third most points in the UFL this season, ahead of only San Antonio and Memphis, who combined for just 3 wins.
UFL Pass Defense Efficiency Rating – Bottom 4
On the other side of the ball, the Defenders will rely on Jordan Ta’amu to keep this game close. Ta’amu is a candidate for Offensive MVP, leading the league in touchdown passes (17), and ranking second in yards (2,155). He’s got a trio of reliable receivers led by Chris Rowland, while former Indianapolis Colts running back Deon Jackson headlines the rushing attack.
The problem in this matchup for Ta’amu and Co. is two-fold. One, the St Louis defense is legit. The Battlehawks led the UFL in scoring defense, racking up a league-best 9 interceptions, while surrendering the second fewest yards. St Louis also led the league in tackles for loss, and boast All-UFL pass rusher and sack leader Pita Taumoepenu.
The second is Ta’amu’s lack of efficiency. Yes he puts up big numbers, but he also has plenty of misfires. Ta’amu completed only 54% of his throws this season, while 2 of his 4 interceptions came versus the Battlehawks in his lone start against them.
Facing a team as talented as St Louis, those errant throws and missed opportunities will be devastating. The Battlehawks have too much talent and too many plus-matchups on both sides of the ball, and it will take mistake free football to beat them. I love St Louis to cover the 2.5-point spread and secure their spot in the Championship Game.
DC Defenders vs St Louis Battlehawks Odds
The best odds we can get on the Battlehawks -2.5 is -108 at DraftKings. St Louis is currently -142 moneyline favorites, with DC coming back as +120 underdogs. Total wise, the over/under sits at 47.5, a number that both meetings between these two teams failed to exceed.
Since Duggan took over under center back in Week 5, St Louis has won by 5+ points five times, and beat all three of the other UFL playoff teams at least once.
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Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
