With the home team laying 9 and the total sitting at 46.5 points, what’s the smart bet in Saturday night’s Defenders vs. Stallions matchup at 7:00 p.m. ET?
Defenders vs. Stallions Event Information
D.C. Defenders (+9) at Birmingham Stallions (-9); o/u 46.5
7:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 20, 2024
Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
TV: FOX
Defenders overcome 10-point deficit to win second game
The Defenders overcame a 10-point deficit with 2:08 left to play on Saturday to defeat the Arlington Renegades, 29-28, and improve above .500. Though the offense generated just 259 yards with the bulk of those coming on QB Jordan Ta’amu’s arm — 11 of 24 for 188 yards and two touchdowns — the Defenders were 3 for 3 in the red zone on scoring opportunities.
Kicker Matt McCrane made three field goals, including a 49-yarder with four seconds left to earn Reggie Barlow’s club their second consecutive win. Up next, the Defenders will face the best team in spring football, the Stallions, in Week 4 (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
Stallions improve to 3-0
The Stallions continued their march through spring football in search of their third consecutive league championship with a commanding 33-14 victory over the Memphis Showboats in their home-opener on Saturday.
Former Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez became the first 300-yard passer in UFL history, completing 18 of 38 passes for 344 yards in the win.
Meanwhile, the Stallions defense has become the best scoring defense in the league, allowing just 13.6 points per game through Week 3. Jon Chavis’ squad has recorded 17.0 sacks this season, including eight against the Showboats.
Defenders vs. Stallions Prediction
Take Birmingham. Nine is a heavy price to lay in a UFL game, but the Stallions are one of the rare exceptions. They’ve won their past 10 games and have not lost since May 13, 2023. They also rank first in scoring margin at +39 points. That’s a whopping 30 points ahead of the No. 2 team, Michigan, at +9. They’re destroying teams this season.
The key for the Stallions today is slowing down Ta’amu. The Defenders hung 29 points on the scoreboard last week but that came against an Arlington Renegades team that has yet to win a game. The fact that the Defenders trailed by 10 with 2:08 to play is an indication of how D.C. is closer to Arlington than it is Birmingham.
Defenders vs. Stallions Week 4 UFL Prediction: BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS -9
