Birmingham Stallions vs St Louis Battlehawks Odds, Picks & Predictions (May 17)

• The Birmingham Stallions clash with the St. Louis Battlehawks in UFL action Saturday, May 17th
• The Battlehawks are slim 1.5-point home favorites in both team’s eighth game of the season
• Check out the Stallions vs Battlehawks odds, picks and predictions, below

The eighth week of UFL continues Saturday afternoon with a titanic duel between the Stallions and Battlehawks. Both teams are 5-and-2 on the campaign, with Birmingham leading the USFL Division and St. Louis second in the XFL Division. There’s just three games left on the schedule, so this should be hotly contested with both teams battling to win their respective divisions.

Kickoff for this tilt is scheduled for 1:00pm ET from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. FOX provides the broadcast coverage in the United States.

Birmingham Stallions vs St Louis Battlehawks Odds

St. Louis is favored by 1.5 points, and are -118 on the moneyline. That’s an 54.13% implied win probability. The total is set at 39.5 points, with -118 the price for the over. 

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Birmingham Stallions Betting Trends

On the season, Birmingham is 5-and-2, good for first in the USFL Division, and they have a point differential of +37, second best in the league. After a season-opening loss, they won three straight, then dropped a game, and followed that with a pair of victories. The latest one saw the Stallions erase a 19-point halftime deficit against the Houston Roughnecks for the largest come from behind victory in UFL history.

In early May, Birmingham placed QB Matt Corral on IR, meaning he’d miss the next five weeks. Case Cookus has been fairly efficient in his absence with five TD passes against just two INT’s, but a middling 53.3 completion %. Looking for a bit more consistency, the team is making a change at the pivot position. J’Mar Smith got the bulk of his work in 2022, where he went 6-and-1 and won both playoff contests with the club.

While none of their defensive stats jump off the page in terms of high sack totals or interceptions, they do lead the league with the fewest points per game allowed (15.3). In two of the last three outings, however, they’ve surrendered at least 24 points, sandwiched between a meager three points given up.

They are no stranger to scoring points, having picked up at least 20 in the last four battles, so at first blush, that makes the over point total of 39.5 in this one intriguing.

St. Louis Battlehawks Betting Trends

For the campaign, St. Louis has also won five games and lost two, following three straight victories. In the last two affairs, the defense has been stingy, giving up just 15 total points.

Up to Week 5, St. Louis had the most points per game in the UFL, but that has fallen a bit, as they now sit third (21.4). Running back Jacob Saylors leads the league with 348 rushing yards, and his four TD’s are one off top spot.

Max Duggan has been the starting QB the last four games, and while the team is winning, he has three touchdown passes and three picks, with just a 54.2 completion percentage. He has contributed three rushing scores with 240 yards with his legs and has been a very fascinating player to watch.

Defensively St. Louis is stout, ranking second in yards and points allowed. Pita Taumoepenu leads the league with 6.5 sacks and a pair of defenders have two interceptions. As a team, the Battlehawks eight INT’s are the most in the UFL.

There’s a very good reason the spread on this game is just -1.5 for the home squad, because these 5-2 squads are so evenly well matched.

Stallions vs Battlehawks Season Stats (Eight Teams Ranked)

Stallions vs Battlehawks Prediction

Initially I was all-in with betting the over for this matchup, but the fact that both squads aren’t dominant offensively gives me pause. In particular, they’re 1-2 in points allowed, so the defenses could reign supreme. With Birmingham going with a different QB, it could take a while to mesh and put points on the board.

Uniquely, whether you wager on either teams on the spread, moneyline, or over/under, it’s virtually the same price point. It’s slightly better value going with 39 or fewer points being scored, and I’m trusting the defenses in this one.

• Stallions vs Battlehawks Pick: Under 39.5 points (-102)