The USFL Conference Championship will pit the Panthers vs. Stallions at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon from Birmingham, AL. With the Stallions laying 5 points as a home favorite and the total sitting at 43, what’s the best play on the board today from Protective Stadium?
Panthers vs. Stallions Event Information
Michigan Panthers (+5) at Birmingham Stallions (-5); o/u 43
3:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, June 8, 2024
Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
TV: ABC
Stallions rally from 10 points down to beat Michigan
After suffering their first loss in 379 days and seeing a 15-game winning streak snapped, Skip Holtz’s Stallions were determined not to lose two in a row — and they didn’t. In the process, they ended the Panthers’ five-game winning streak.
Birmingham came back from 10 points down against Michigan and finished the season at 9-1. The Stallions have not lost two in a row in the Holtz era and are now 30-4 dating back to 2022 in the USFL.
The USFL Conference Championship Game was already slated to be played at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, but the Stallions won home-field advantage by finishing atop the USFL Conference standings with a win against the team they’ll face Saturday for the right to represent their conference in the inaugural UFL Championship Game on Father’s Day (11 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
Following a change at defensive coordinator after Week 7, the Stallions defense has seemed a bit out of rhythm with Corey Chamblin as the new playcaller; Chamblin replaced John Chavis, who has been unavailable due to an ongoing health issue. Still, the Stallions should feel good about finding a way to win an ugly game that featured MVP favorite Adrian Martinez’s worst performance all season (14-for-28 for 163 yards and one touchdown).
Panthers blow a 10-point lead
The Panthers became the latest team to find out just how hard it is to vanquish the Stallions — even with a 16-6 lead at the start of the third quarter and what felt like a stranglehold on the game after each team’s respective opening drive.
The Panthers held the ball for seven more minutes than the Stallions, outgained them by 101 total yards and rushed for 135 yards. Michigan knows it can beat Birmingham in Saturday’s USFL title game (9 a.m. ET) because it should have done it in Week 10.
Panthers QB Danny Etling looked great with over 200 total yards and two scores. However, there’s some cause for concern for kicker Jake Bates, who missed what would’ve been the game-winner from 53 yards out. Bates, who has multiple makes from 60 yards or further this season, might be losing form at precisely the wrong time for the Panthers.
Panthers vs. Stallions Prediction
Take Birmingham. We’re about to see the Stallions ramp things back up after a few weeks of complacency. They suffered their first loss of the season in Week 9, an 18-9 defeat in San Antonio to the Brahmas, then had to rally a week ago against the Panthers.
The Stallions average 26.5 points per game, which is tops in the league. For as good of a season as the Panthers had, their offense ranked fourth offensively and they often relied on super kicker Jake Bates to finish drives for them with points. While Michigan is stout defensively at 19.0 points per game allowed, Birmingham is slightly better at 18.0 PPG allowed.
The game today won’t be as close, or at least not by the end.
Panthers vs. Stallions USFL Conference Championship Prediction: BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS -5
