The inaugural UFL season has reached the home stretch, as it approaches Week 8 of 10. This game features a matchup between the D.C. Defenders (3-4) and the St. Louis Battlehawks (5-2). The Defenders need to win this week to stay alive in playoff contention. They’ll face a tough task on the road against a Battlehawks team that is eager to bounce back from last week’s defeat to the Stallions.
Before Betting on Defenders vs Battlehawks
The Defenders came up well short at home against the Panthers, falling to 3-4 on the season. It was a disappointing performance following a huge win over the Brahmas in Week 6. D.C. is not completely out of it yet, but the defeat put them right on the cusp of elimination. A loss this week would almost certainly erase the Defenders already slim chances of making the playoffs.
Despite the offense only scoring 9 points, QB Jordan Ta’amu played well, completing 10 of 14 passes for 127 yards and touchdown. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the Defenders went wrong in the loss, but a fumble on the opening kickoff certainly didn’t help. D.C. needs to be more disciplined and have a better game plan moving forward. Another loss could have head coach Reggie Barlow on the hot seat.
St. Louis came up just short on the road against the undefeated Stallions on Saturday. It was a hard-fought game in which they led 20-17 entering the 4th quarter. While the Battlehawks had another solid offensive performance, the defense left much to be desired after a strong first quarter. They’ll need to find some consistency to avoid a similar performance in the postseason.
After facing the stiffest competition in the league, St. Louis is battle-tested and should quickly get back into the win column. QB AJ McCarron will attempt to bounce back from a mediocre performance in which he completed 19 of 32 passes for 161 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The running game didn’t support McCarron much on Saturday, giving the Battlehawks even more to improve on this week.
Defenders vs Battlehawks Offshore Odds
When these two teams last faced off in Houston back in Week 5, the Battlehawks surged ahead to a 45-12 victory. Faced with the same matchup at home in Week 8, St. Louis is expected to get pick up the win and get back on track. The Defenders, on the other hand, face an uphill battle against a capable team on the road. A loss here would all but eliminate them, so this game could be much closer than anticipated.
