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Spring football returned last weekend, with the most shocking result coming in the form of the defending Birmingham Stallions losing to a DC Defenders team that saw its head coach leave the team a week before the opening kickoff to take a collegiate job. This is a Stallions franchise that had lost a total of four games in three seasons -- including playoffs! -- entering 2025, so it would make a lot of sense to back them beating any opponent coming off a loss.

And yet, one of my best bets for this weekend involves fading the Stallions again, as you'll see below. I hit my first best bet of the season last week with Arlington's easy cover against San Antonio as three-point underdogs, a play I gave out on the SportsLine Discord. My initial three leans against the spread also came through, although I reversed course on one and decided to give Houston and C.J. Johnson the benefit of the doubt to cover an inflated line (won't make that mistake again!).

You can find my best bets and leans for UFL Week 2 below, but SportsLine subscribers received early access at the beginning of the week in our Discord and were able to play Arlington -8.5 as a best bet before the spread moved to double digits. Be sure to subscribe for early expert picks, curated betting advice and access to an incredible sports betting community.

All odds via DraftKings.

Birmingham Stallions (-2.5) at Michigan Panthers, O/U 38.5

Birmingham's offense looked awful in Week 1, with the offensive line giving up eight sacks and Alex McGough playing nothing like the 2023 MVP from his previous stint as starter. Bryce Perkins did an excellent job running the Michigan offense and will hopefully be left in this key matchup rather than rotating with Danny Etling, though I would expect Etling's involvement to be minimized in such a crucial early-season matchup. There's a decent chance this version of the Stallions isn't head and shoulders above the pack like it's been in recent years, and if that's the case, then Michigan is in the running for being in that top tier as well and should be favored here. I also like this to be low-scoring after what we saw from the Birmingham offense last week.

Best bets: Michigan +2.5 and Under 38.5 (+105)

Memphis Showboats vs. DC Defenders (-8), O/U 37

This was initially set to be the meeting of the two teams whose coaches left a week before the season started, but Memphis coach Ken Whisenhunt just as surprisingly returned from his leave of absence this week and will lead the Showboats here. I think the Defenders are quite a bit better than the Showboats in terms of talent, but I make the game DC -9 so not a play here for me.

Leans: DC -8 and Under 37 

Houston Roughnecks at Arlington Renegades (-10), O/U 39

On Monday I wrote in the SportsLine Discord that this line should be double digits when I gave out Arlington -8.5 as a play, and it got there pretty quickly. Like Michigan, Arlington is also in the running for best team in the league after dismantling the Brahmas, though you have to worry about bad turnovers costing them against good teams. That doesn't apply here, as Houston is clearly the worst team in the league again with awful coaching torpedoing their chances against anyone halfway decent. Arlington is the only way you can look here, but it's only a lean at the current number.

Leans: Arlington -10 and Under 39

San Antonio Brahmas at St. Louis Battlehawks (-7), O/U 39.5

I don't think the Brahmas are as bad as they looked against Arlington in Week 1, and I certainly think the Roughnecks made St. Louis look much better than they are. That latter factor is why I think this line is a few points high, as I'd only put two points between these teams on a neutral field. But if Kellen Mond looks as bad for San Antonio as he did last week, it might sink the Brahmas down to the bottom tier of the league for the foreseeable future.

Best bet: San Antonio +7
Lean: Over 39.5