After a Saturday of upsets, week 9 of the UFL regular season rolls on. Today’s matchups don’t have any playoff implications but will be two tightly contested games. Both games are at 2:30 pm EST and will air on Fox simultaneously, requiring fans to have multiple screens ready.
Who's leaving Week 9 with a win? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/jZE9e5OXtx
— United Football League (@TheUFL) May 26, 2024
UFL Week 9: DC Defenders @ Memphis Showboats
Game Lines: Defenders -6; Total: 45.5
Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports
The day’s first matchup will have the (3-5) DC Defenders travel to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, to take on the (1-7) Memphis Showboats. Both teams are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and will be playing for pride in this one.
This will be a closely contested matchup with both teams playing a similar level of football in nearly every category. Both teams have been inconsistent in moving the ball down the field on offense. These teams have really struggled to move the ball on the ground, as both teams own the two worst rushing grades in the UFL per PFF.
The defenses in this matchup haven’t been anything to write home about this season as well. The Memphis Showboats post a league-low pass coverage grade at a very poor 39.6, and it has shown on the field with often lapses in coverage. If Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu can channel some of his old XFL magic, it could propel the Defenders by the Showboats.
Where both teams have excelled, with their special teams units, and this game very well could come down to which team wins the field position battle.
UFL Week 9: Michigan Panthers @ Houston Roughnecks
Game Lines: Panthers -4; Total: 40
The next matchup of the day has the (6-2) Michigan Panthers traveling to Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas to square off against the (1-7) Houston Roughnecks. The Panthers are locked into a matchup with the first-place Birmingham Stallions in round one of the UFL playoffs. The Roughnecks, on the other hand, are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
This game will contain two pivotal matchups that will determine the winner. The first matchup will be the Houston Roughnecks’ highest-rated run defense in the league (per PFF) against the Michigan Panthers’ strong rushing attack led by running back Wes Hills. This rushing attack has launched the Panthers into the playoffs and has given them the brand of a smash-mouth football team.
The next matchup to watch in the game is the Panthers pass rush against the Roughnecks offensive line. The Roughnecks have struggled in pass protection this year and it has cost them wins. The Panthers pass rush has been a huge advantage for Michigan this year and has helped them play with a lead, and run the clock out on teams.
In a battle of who can dictate the pass of the game, an early Panthers lead complimented by a solid rushing attack and suffocating pass rush, might just be the deciding factor in this one.
A two-leg parlay of the Memphis Showboats +6 and the Michigan Panthers money line gives odds of +192. (Meaning a $100 bettor would win $192).
All odds via the DraftKings Sportsbook.
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