Given the offensive struggles on both sides to start the season, is the under the best bet on the board for Sunday’s Roughnecks vs. Panthers matchup at 12:00 p.m. ET?
Roughnecks vs. Panthers Event Information
Houston Roughnecks (+1.5) at Michigan Panthers (-1.5); o/u 37.5
12:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, April 14, 2024
Ford Field, Detroit, MI
TV: ABC
Sinneett comes off bench in Week 2 loss
Former FCS Walter Payton Player of the Year Reid Sinnett came off the bench in relief of starter Jarrett Guarantano to complete 19 of 30 passes for 221 yards with a touchdown.
Roughnecks inside linebacker Reuben Foster put together another stellar outing with a team-high six tackles, two tackles for loss and two pass breakups. The Roughnecks and the Renegades are the only remaining winless teams in the UFL.
Jake Bates turning into early-season storyline
The Panthers’ kicker has been one of the main storylines for the UFL this season, making back-to-back field goals from beyond 60 yards after never attempting a field goal since high school.
Can Bates make another kick from 60-plus yards for a third straight week? If Bates accomplishes that impressive feat, he would be the first to do so in professional football. The only other kicker to make two, 60-plus field goals in back-to-back weeks was Brett Maher for the Dallas Cowboys in Weeks 6 and 7 of the 2019 NFL season.
Bates has made field goals of 64, 62 and 52 yards this year, and when the UFL season is over, he’ll likely be in an NFL training camp come July. But for now, Bates is focused on helping the Panthers win games.
Roughnecks vs. Panthers Prediction
Take the under. Both of these teams have stunk offensively to start the season. The Roughnecks scored a whopping 12 points in an 18-12 loss to the Showboats in Week 1, then followed up that lousy performance with a 23-18 loss to the Defenders in Week 2.
The Panthers, meanwhile, needed a 64-yard field goal from Bates in order to score 18 points in an 18-16 win over the Battlehawks in Week 1. In Week 2, the Panthers mustered only 13 points in a 20-13 defeat versus the Stallions. On a positive note, both of these teams have played well defensively.
Roughnecks vs. Panthers Week 3 UFL Prediction: UNDER 37.5
