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It is a USFL North Division clash as the Michigan Panthers face off with the New Jersey Generals. It is time to continue our USFL odds series with a Panthers-Generals prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Much like the other spring league, the XFL, the parity between the two divisions is not there. In the South Division, three teams are tied at 4-2. Here in the North Division, the Stars lead it at 3-3, while the Generals and Panthers are tied with the Maulers at 2-4. The Panthers opened their season at 2-0, with wins over the Gamblers and the Stars, but since have lost four straight games including one to the Generals at home. In that period, they have struggled to score, being held at 13 or fewer points in each of those games.
The Generals lost their first game of the season at the hands of the Stallions, but then beat the Maulers and Panthers to get to 2-1. Three losses under one touchdown followed, and the Generals now sit at 2-4. With the playoff spots out of the division still up for grabs, this is a big game for both teams.
Here are the Panthers-Generals USFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
USFL Odds: Panthers-Generals Odds
Michigan Panthers: +6.5 (-110)
Pittsburgh Maulers: -6.5 (-110)
Over: 39.5 (-115)
Under: 39.5 (-105)
How To Watch Panthers vs. Generals
TV: FS1
Stream: Fox Sports App
Time: 5:30 PM ET/ 2:30 PM PT
*Watch USFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
The running back for the Michigan Panthers has been a game-breaker this year. While he sits sixth in the USFL in rushing yards with 289 and has only scored on the ground twice this year, his ability in the kick return game combined with his rushing has been a major difference. Corbin has 446 kick return yards, and his combined yardage this year has him leading the USFL in all-purpose yards on the season. He can make big plays at any moment, and his making a few in this game will be a huge difference. Crobin has not seen the ball as much lately, and the Panthers have struggled during that time. Michigan may need to look to find creative ways to get him the ball.
The Panthers need some work from their quarterback Josh Love though. Love has just 836 passing yards in six games this year. That ranks him fifth in the USFL, but he is third in the USFL in passing touchdowns. The issue is that he has thrown five interceptions in the year. Love has thrown some very untimely interceptions this year that have killed drives and killed the chance of the Panthers winning. If Love can take care of the ball in this one, and add to his touchdown total, the Panthers could be in a position to win this game.
Helping that will be a solid defensive unit led by Breeland Speaks. Speaks is the USFL leader in sacks this year, and has been solid on the defensive line. He also leads the team in tackles for a loss and is third on the team in tackles overall. If Speaks can get into the backfield and end some drives, Michigan will be in a position to win this game, even with an offense that is struggling to score.
Why The Generals Could Cover The Spread
The Generals have to take care of the ball in this game if they are going to win. They have ten turnovers on the season and have a league-leading eight fumbles on the year. New Jersey has turned over the ball too much, and also not made many explosive plays on offense. This has caused them to make a quarterback change. Kyle Lauletta is going to be playing over De'Andre Johnson in this one. Lauletta looked good against the Gamblers in his last time out, going 17-30 for 177 yards and a touchdown. Still, he threw an interception and failed on some vital third-down conversions as the Generals lost.
New Jersey does have the most yards per game on the ground this year in the USFL. Darius Victory leads the way with 377 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. His backup, Trey Williams, has 161 yards and a touchdown on the ground as well this year. Those two may need to step up to keep this ground attack going though. Johnson was sitting second on the team in rushing yards with 255, as he was a dual-threat QB. Lauletta is not nearly the same threat with his legs. While he can make some plays on the ground, there is still a major difference between the two. Placing Lauletta in positions where he needs to convert longer third downs is not a good option for the Generals, and they will need to find solid production from their two backs in this one.
Final Panthers-Generals Prediction & Pick
This over-under line is fairly high considering the teams. In all six of the Panthers games this year, there have been less than 43 points scored. These are two of the three worst passing units in the league, and they both rely on the run game. That churns the clock and keeps scoring low. Even more, both of these teams have made some crucial turnovers that have killed drives in their recent games. With a low-scoring game, 6.5 points is a lot to ask a struggling New Jersey to cover.
Final Panthers-Generals Prediction & Pick: Michigan Panthers +6.5 (-110) and Under 39.5 (-105)