Spring professional football is back and this year it will be a consolidated effort after the USFL and XFL merged in the past year to form the UFL. Play for the new league begins Saturday at 1 p.m. ET as the Birmingham Stallions and Arlington Renegades kick the season off. The Stallions are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Week 1 UFL odds, while the over/under is 41.5 in that matchup. St. Louis Battlehawks (-7) vs. Michigan Panthers kicks off Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.
Sunday’s UFL schedule begins with DC Defenders vs. San Antonio Brahmas (+6) at noon ET, followed by Memphis Showboats vs. Houston Roughnecks (PK) at 3 p.m. ET. Before locking in any Week 1 UFL picks or predictions of your own, you need to see what proven SportsLine football expert Emory Hunt has to say.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007. He is a former running back for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and knows the game from a player’s perspective. Hunt’s dedication to analysis of all levels of professional football helped him crush the CFL, XFL and USFL in 2023, posting a combined ATS record of 98-73 in his SportsLine articles. Anybody following saw huge returns.
Now, he has set his sights on the 2024 UFL Week 1 schedule and revealed his UFL picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Hunt’s picks.
Top Week 1 UFL predictions
One of Hunt’s top Week 1 UFL picks: He’s backing the DC Defenders (-6) to cover against the San Antonio Brahmas in the first game on Sunday. The Defenders fell short of the XFL title last year but they were the best overall team during the regular season with a 9-1 record. Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu threw for 14 touchdowns and ran for three more, while running back Abram Smith topped 700 yards on the ground.
Both players are back to lead the 2024 UFL version of this roster, and Hunt is also very impressed with a defense that made life difficult on opposing quarterbacks in the XFL last year. “This is a tall order for a young QB (Chase Garbers) making his first pro start against one of the top XFL defenses last season. This secondary for the Defenders can take the ball away and score.” See Hunt’s other XFL picks here.
How to make Week 1 UFL picks
Hunt is also backing a team he says has the better quarterback room entering the season. He’s only sharing his UFL picks at SportsLine.
Who wins and covers in each game during the Week 1 UFL schedule, and which team with a QB edge should you be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see Hunt’s UFL picks, all from the football expert who went 98-73 combined on his XFL, USFL and CFL picks in 2023, and find out.
Week 1 UFL schedule, odds
Saturday, March 30
Birmingham Stallions vs. Arlington Renegades (-3.5, 41.5), 1 p.m. ET
St. Louis Battlehawks vs. Michigan Panthers (+7, 42), 4 p.m. ET
Sunday, March 31
DC Defenders vs. San Antonio Brahmas (+6, 43), noon ET
Memphis Showboats vs. Houston Roughnecks (PK, 40.5), 3 p.m. ET