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The USFL is back in business, and the Birmingham Stallions and New Jersey Generals will take center stage Saturday night in the 2022 USFL season opener at Protective Stadium. The original USFL made a huge splash with big free-agent signings and up-tempo play in 1983, but the league folded after the 1985 season after a failed bid to force a merger with the NFL. Now, eight teams named for original USFL franchises will take part in a 10-game season in Birmingham, Ala., before a postseason that is set to be played at Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Birmingham as a three-point favorite in its latest Generals vs. Stallions odds, and the over-under for total points is set at 41. Before making any Stallions vs. Generals picks or 2022 USFL predictions, be sure you check out what SportsLine football expert R.J. White has to say.

White is CBS Sports' Fantasy and gambling editor and is SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert in against-the-spread picks. White went 445-378-24 on ATS picks on the NFL from 2017-21, returning $2,542 to $100 players. It's no surprise, as White has cashed huge twice in the world's most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest. 

His many years of experience in analyzing statistics and trends allowed him to crush his picks in the last major spring pro football league. He hit 16 of his 20 spread picks on the XFL in 2020 before the pandemic forced the league to shut down. Anyone who has followed White's picks has cashed in huge.

Now, White has set his sights on Generals vs. Stallions, and he just revealed his expert picks and USFL predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Now, here are several USFL odds and betting lines for Stallions vs. Generals: 

  • Generals vs. Stallions spread: Birmingham -3
  • Generals vs. Stallions over-under: 41 points 
  • Generals vs. Stallions money line: New Jersey +140, Birmingham -160 
  • NJ: Mike Weber rushed for 2,676 yards and 24 TDs in 38 games at Ohio State 
  • BIR: CJ Marable rushed for 1,972 yards in his last 24 games at Coastal Carolina

Why the Stallions can cover

In reality, every game is a home game for Birmingham, as long as crowds show up. All 10 games will be at Protective Stadium or Legion Field, so the Stallions should get backing if the league draws attention. Coach Skip Holtz has a pair of solid signal-callers and could use both, with top QB pick Alex McGough possessing a strong, accurate arm and J'Mar Smith providing a bit more mobility. McGough was drafted by the Seahawks in the seventh round out of FIU in 2018, and Smith was the 2019 C-USA Player of the Year under Holtz at Louisiana Tech.

The QBs should have some solid targets, led by Victor Bolden, who made the 49ers an undrafted free agent in 2017. Emmanuel Hall was an All-SEC player with Missouri in 2018, and tight end Sage Surratt was all-ACC for Wake Forest. RBs Tony Brooks-James and C.J. Marable are among the many players who have hung around the pro fringes. The defense's strength is a secondary led by Brian Allen and Josh Shaw, and linebacker Scooby Wright should be a leader for the team. He won the Nagurski Award as a sophomore with the Arizona Wildcats in 2014.  

Why the Generals can cover

New Jersey, led by former San Diego Chargers and Nebraska coach Mike Riley, took a big hit when No. 1 QB Ben Holmes was released after being injured. But minor-league star Luis Perez will join talented De'Andre Johnson as the signal-callers. The running game should be the strength of the offense regardless. Former Ohio State back Mike Weber and experienced former Texas A&M runner Trey Williams are joined by Darius Victor, who was fifth in the league in rushing yardage during the short-lived XFL. 

They should find some holes behind an experienced line led by LT Terry Poole, a former fourth-round pick of the Seahawks who has seven years of pro ball under his belt. The receiving corps has a lot of size to overmatch the Stallions secondary, including 6-foot-5 tight end Nick Truesdell. Wideouts J'Mon Moore and Darrius Sheppard both have had brief stints with the Green Bay Packers. The New Jersey defense lacks experience, except in the secondary, where De'Vante Bausby and Shalom Luani have combined for 57 games on NFL game-day rosters.       

How to make USFL 2022, Generals vs. Stallions picks

White has broken down the rosters and scrutinized this matchup from every angle, and he is leaning under on the point total. He also has a strong spread pick and even predicts an exact final score. He's only sharing that Generals vs. Stallions pick, and the rest of his expert USFL analysis, at SportsLine.

So who wins Stallions vs. Generals in Saturday's 2022 USFL opener? And which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see R.J. White's Generals vs. Stallions pick and analysis, all from the expert who has the knowledge and experience to nail his picks on new leagues, and find out.