Week 3 of the USFL season kicks off on Saturday afternoon, as the Tampa Bay Bandits take on the Houston Gamblers from Birmingham, AL. Both teams lost in Week 2 after winning their season openers, and will look to get back on the right track to move to 2-1 on the season. In Saturday’s USFL betting picks, we look at Bandits vs Gamblers in a game where one quarterback is going to need to step up.
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Bandits vs Gamblers Betting Pick
This game will be played at Protective Stadium at 4:00 PM ET on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
Why Bet The Bandits:
✅ Both teams had abysmal quarterback play last week, but Jordan Ta’amu is far more likely to put in a good performance this week than Clayton Thorson. Thorson threw three interceptions against a suspect Birmingham Stallions defense last week, and failed to break 100 yards passing in Week 1 against the Michigan Panthers. His struggles at quarterback will continue to cost the Gamblers here.
✅ While the Bandits’ offense has not met expectations so far, they do have a promising running game to lean on. They racked up 130 rushing yards and averaged just over 4.0 yards per carry in last week’s loss to the New Orleans Breakers. Look for Tampa to use its running game to set Ta’amu up in more favorable passing situations, rather than the other way around.
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✅ Houston really should be 0-2 on the season, but frequent turnovers by the Panthers (including a fumble that Houston returned for a touchdown in the red zone) really gifted the Gamblers their Week 1 game. Barring another disastrous performance in the turnover department by an opponent of the Gamblers, they will settle into a 1-2 record at the end of this week.
Tampa Bay Bandits
The Tampa Bay Bandits had an impressive first week of the season on the defensive end, holding the Pittsburgh Maulers to just three points in a 17-3 victory. But they did not follow up that performance well, as the were blown out 34-3 by the New Orleans Breakers in Week 2. After a rough six quarters of football on the offensive end, the question is whether Jordan Ta’amu and the Bandits can get back on track when they possess the ball.
After taking a 17-0 lead in the first half against the Maulers in Week 1, the Bandits have scored just six points in six quarters of football. Tampa Bay had just 64 passing yards last week against the Breakers, and should fare better in that department against a Houston team that has not been convincing defensively early in the season.
Houston Gamblers
The Houston Gamblers lost their first game in this iteration of the USFL last week, falling 33-28 to the Birmingham Stallions. Houston started the game by giving up a pick-six, but managed to take a lead into the half. They were outscored 20-10 in the second half, though, as the flaws in the Houston offense were too much for them to overcome.
If the Gamblers want to win in Week 3, they are going to need to get more out of Clayton Thorson, or anyone else at the quarterback position. Houston failed to hit the 100 passing yards mark in Week 1, and got three interceptions from Thorson in Week 2. If they cannot ramp up their passing production while limiting the turnovers, the Gamblers could be in for a long season.