The United Football League will set its sights on Protective Stadium on Sunday, June 8, as the 7-3 Birmingham Stallions play host to the 6-4 Michigan Panthers in the USFL Conference Championship. These teams ended their seasons in polar opposite fashion, tilting home-field advantage in this game in favor of the defending UFL champions. With a berth in the Father’s Day title game up for grabs, Birmingham is a slight favorite in a game that is expected to come down to the wire. Continue reading to get my prediction for Michigan Panthers vs Birmingham Stallions on Sunday.
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Michigan Panthers vs Birmingham Stallions Preview
Birmingham’s blueprint is built on defense this year. Skip Holtz’s group put up 24.4 points per game on offense, but they allowed points per game on defense, ranking behind only the St. Louis Battlehawks in that department. Birmingham has been beseiged by quarterback injuries this year but they have overcome that thanks to the offensive genius of Holtz and his staff. Here, the Birmingham defense will be tested as they will likely have to find a way to stop Bryce Perkins, whose dual-threat ability at the quarterback position has made Michigan tough to stop when he has suited up this season.
Michigan’s road to the playoffs has been defined by its explosive offense. The Panthers led the UFL in scoring offense, averaging 24.5 points per game to finish just ahead of Birmingham for that honor. Michigan finished with the league’s best offense despite the fact that Perkins missed the final two games of the regular season, with Danny Etling playing quarterback in his place. Here, Perkins will likely feature again for the Panthers and they hope his presence will be enough to push the Panthers into the UFL title game.
Birmingham won its final two games of the regular season, while Michigan lost its last two, which gave Birmingham home-field for this contest. This season, the Stallions are 2-0 against the Panthers. The Stallions won 21-12 in Michigan in Week 2, following that up with a 26-22 home win over Michigan in Week 9. It is hard to beat a team three times in the same season, but it is also hard to beat the Stallions in the postseason, as evidenced by all of their championships won in various spring leagues.
Betting Insights
- Current line: Stallions -1.5
- Moneyline: Stallions -134, Panthers +105
- Total: 44.5
This game is set to be evenly matched, with the outcome potentially coming down to whether or not Perkins is able to play the way he has for most of the season. The element of mobility from Perkins completely changes the way Michigan is able to play on offense and would have a huge impact on the way Birmingham is able to defend. As news emerges about Perkins’ status, we could see the line move substantially for this game.
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Michigan Panthers vs Birmingham Stallions Prediction
The Panthers have the ingredients to keep this contest within one score. They have a mobile quarterback and a battering ram of a running back in Toa Taua. But there is a reason that the Birmingham Stallions are the undisputed kings of spring football, as they have proven time and time again that they are great in single-elimination play.
Look for Holtz to script early tempo, forcing Michigan to defend sideline to sideline. On defense, the Stallions will do enough to contain Perkins and get pressure on him when he is in passing situations. My projection lands at Birmingham 27, Michigan 20. Birmingham should cover the spread and advance to the UFL championship game, while the game goes over the total.
Best Bet: Stallions -1.5
Secondary Lean: Over 44.5
