The Birmingham Stallions are gearing up for what is expected to be a successful trip to the Playoffs. According to oddsmakers at Bovada, the Stallions are favored to win the USFL Championship and repeat in 2023. After going into the regular season with +300 odds, the Stallions are now +125 to win.
Birmingham finished atop the USFL standings in the regular season. They had a fantastic mark of 8-2 to finish a game ahead of the New Orleans Breakers. The Stallions and Breakers were the only teams in the USFL to wrap up the season with a better record than .500.
The Michigan Panthers clinched the North Division with a mediocre record of 4-6. They are in the USFL postseason only after beating the Philadelphia Stars in the regular-season finale.
The 4-6 Panthers and 4-6 Pittsburgh Maulers are scheduled to meet in the North Division semifinal matchup. Things are much more difficult over in the South Division for the Breakers and Stallions, who were the best teams in the eight-team USFL this season. One team will be going home early despite outstanding seasons.
The Breakers have the second-best odds to win the 2023 USFL Championship. They are +250 to capture the USFL title this season. Meanwhile, the Maulers have +325 odds, while the Panthers face the longest USFL Championship odds at +600.
Stallions Looking For Second Title In Two Years
The first season of the reborn USFL was completed last year. The Stallions finished on top following an entertaining 33-30 win over the Stars.
It was all Stallions in the regular season, as they lost just one game with a record of 9-1. This year has played out similarly for the Stallions. Under head coach Skip Holtz, the Stallions have an overall record of 17-3 across the last two years in the regular season.
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With the win, we clinched the No. 1 seed in the South Division #GiddyUp đ pic.twitter.com/eQvkRvIGQd
â Birmingham Stallions (@USFLStallions) June 17, 2023
In the 2022 USFL Championship, QB Alex McGough took over for an injured JâMar Smith in the third quarter due to cramps. McGough led the Stallions in crunch time to a close win over the Stars.
Despite McGoughâs performance in the fourth quarter, he was not listed as QB1 on the depth chart entering this season. Holtz went back to Smith, who didnât last a game. Smith was lost for the season, and it wasnât the only key injury.
Star wide receiver Marlon Williams tore his Achilles to end his season in the season opener. Holtz designed the offense to operate around Williams. When he and Smith went down in the same game, there were some gasps from the Stallionsâ sideline.
McGough Drafted By Seahawks In 2018
McGough, a 27-year-old native of Tampa, Florida played four years of college football at Florida International University in Miami. Following a promising senior campaign, the Seattle Seahawks took a flier on McGough in the seventh round.
McGough didnât see the field in a regular-season game. During his time in training camp and preseason matchups, McGough sorely disappointed and was subsequently cut from the Seahawks.
He was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars a year later, but didnât last there. On September 1, 2020, McGough signed a practice-squad deal with the Houston Texans, but was released the following year.
Following another short stint with the Seahawks on their practice squad, McGough needed to look elsewhere to continue his pro career. Selected with the sixth pick in the first round of the 2022 USFL Draft by the Stallions, McGough finally found a team where he could get playing time.
ALL. THE. WAY!!!!!@_Jstern into the endzone for the touchdown! đ pic.twitter.com/5TJx5LKEqh
â Birmingham Stallions (@USFLStallions) June 17, 2023
In 2023, McGough was third in the league in passing yards and first in touchdowns. He concluded the regular season with 2,104 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Additionally, McGough stormed for 403 rushing yards and five scores on the ground.
From practice-squad filler in the NFL to a backup in the USFL. Now, McGough is closing in on the USFL MVP award. Getting to the 2023 USFL Championship in the semifinals is expected to be the largest test.
Stallions Small Favorites Over Breakers In Semifinals
The Stallions are not guaranteed a trip to the USFL Championship Game. There will be a 7-3 or 8-2 squad watching from home, while a 4-6 team from the North Division is playing in the title game.
New Orleans is a 3-point underdog at Birmingham in the South Division semifinal matchup. With this in mind, oddsmakers are not fully convinced that the Stallions are winning this game. They are favored, but not by much in this one at home.
One of the two losses for the Stallions was against the Breakers. On April 29, the Breakers put up 45 points in a 45-31 win over the Stallions. Former CFL quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson torched the Birmingham secondary for 283 yards and three touchdowns.
However, in their second meeting of the season, the Stallions bounced back with a 24-20 win on May 27. The defense was in significantly better shape, as they did not allow the Breakersâ offense to finish in the red zone.
In the North Division semifinals, the Maulers are 3-point favorites over the Panthers. This semifinal matchup was not decided until the final week of the regular season. The Maulers and Panthers needed a 4-6 regular season to clinch a spot in the playoffs.
Nothing like a comeback win to clinchâźď¸đ¤đ pic.twitter.com/FczdAPsX7s
â Michigan Panthers (@USFLPanthers) June 19, 2023
The Stallions were co-favorites to win the USFL Championship at +300 prior to Week 1. The New Jersey Generals, who were favored with the Stallions, were the most disappointing team in the USFL this year.
The Generals were never able to get their season on track and finished with a poor record of 3-7. Birmingham and New Orleans established themselves as the best teams in the USFL by a large margin this season. That being said, there is still a chance we have four-win champions in the XFL and the USFL in 2023.
