DC Defenders vs Michigan Panthers Picks, Predictions & Odds for UFL Final

• The Michigan Panthers battle the DC Defenders in UFL championship game Saturday, June 14th
• The Panthers are 3-point home favorites to win the title
• Check out my Defenders vs Panthers preview with odds, picks and predictions, below

The UFL championship game is finally here, with the 7-and-4 Michigan Panthers battling the 7-and-4 DC Defenders. Michigan got here by defeating the Birmingham Stallions 44-29 in the USFL Conference Championship. Meanwhile, DC eliminated the St. Louis Battlehawks 36-18 in the XFL Conference Championship.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 pm ET from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. ABC provides the broadcast coverage in the United States.

DC Defenders vs Michigan Panthers Odds

Michigan is favored by a field goal, and are -166 to capture the win on the moneyline. That’s an 62.41% implied win probability. The underdog Defenders are +140, for an implied probability of 41.67%. The total is set at 50.5 points, with -108 the price for the over. 

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DC Defenders Betting Trends

The DC Defenders entered the postseason with a pair of losses, 24-21 to Houston and 13-8 to St. Louis, but then dismantled that same Battlehawks team 36-18 in the Conference Finals to reach the championship game. Head Coach Shannon Harris was named the Buddy Teevens UFL Coach of the Year.

QB Jordan Ta’amu didn’t suit up in the regular season finale, but then went 18-for-26 for 204 yards with one TD and one INT. The big contribution came from running back Deon Jackson, who carried the ball 21 times for 110 yards and a pair of scores, and backfield mate Abram Smith toted the rock 13 times for 64 yards and found pay dirt.

In the lone matchup with Michigan in the regular season, DC was pasted 38-14. Ta’amu wasn’t the reason they lost, as he threw for 259 yards and a pair of TD’s. The defense didn’t live up to the team nickname, allowing two TD strikes by UFL offensive POY quarterback Bryce Perkins, plus three scores on the ground, one of which was by Perkins.

On the campaign, DC wasn’t overly impressive in terms of points per game (5th), despite being first in yards per outing, and the defense was in the bottom half of the league. However, Andre Mintze and Derick Roberson had 5.5 sacks each, tied for the third most in the UFL. They both recorded a sack in the playoff victory versus St. Louis.

Defenders vs Panthers Season Stats (Eight Teams Ranked)

Michigan Panthers Betting Trends

Michigan also entered the postseason having lost two straight, but despite a depleted defense, shocked Birmingham 44-29 in Head Coach Mike Nolan’s first victory in seven all-time matchups versus Skip Holtz in the UFL.

All-UFL QB Bryce Perkins came back for the postseason after missing the final three games of the regular season. In that affair versus the Stallions, he was outstanding, going 20-for-25 for 238 yards, with a passing and rushing TD.

Running back Toa Taua led the league with six rushing scores in the regular season, and he did not disappoint versus Birmingham, carrying the ball 21 times for 85 yards and a whopping three TD’s.

The stout run D (tops in UFL) was on display in the USFL Conference Championship, holding down the opposition to just 61 yards. They also sent QB J’Mar Smith to the bench, after he was 4-for-10 for 102 yards with a TD and pick.

It’s partially due to injury, but the Panthers can be exploited through the air with a suspect secondary. In the regular season, they allowed the most passing yards per outing (211.2). After Smith was benched, Matt Corral was 12-for-25 for 147 yards and two TD’s (along with one INT) against Michigan.

Defenders vs Panthers Prediction

Here’s hoping this year’s championship game is better than the 25-0 stinker last year, won by Birmingham over San Antonio. It has to be a closer contest, right?

With Michigan sporting the most points per outing this year, and DC third worst in points allowed, it might be difficult for the Defenders to keep up with the track meet. QB Bryce Perkins is so special as a dual-threat quarterback that it’ll be ‘pick your poison’ for the DC D, and I expect it to be too much for them to handle.

• Defenders vs Panthers Pick: Panthers -3 (-115)