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The Indiana Pacers (20-14) will try to extend their six-game winning streak when they face the Boston Celtics (27-7) on Saturday night. Indiana extended its hot streak with a 150-116 win over Atlanta on Friday, setting a team record with 50 assists. Boston had its six-game winning streak snapped in a loss at Oklahoma City on Tuesday, but it bounced back with a 126-97 win over Utah on Friday. The Celtics are in first place in the Eastern Conference, while Indiana is in fourth place.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Celtics are favored by 6 points in the latest Pacers vs. Celtics odds, while the over/under is set at 247.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Celtics vs. Pacers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model entered Week 11 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 106-59 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Boston-Indiana. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

Celtics vs. Pacers spread: Celtics -6
Celtics vs. Pacers over/under: 247.5 points
Celtics vs. Pacers money line: Celtics -226, Pacers +184
Celtics vs. Pacers picks: See picks here
Why the Pacers can cover
Indiana is one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, having won six consecutive games to move into fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Pacers set a franchise record with 50 assists in a 150-116 win over Atlanta on Friday, as Tyrese Haliburton accounted for 18 of those dimes. Center Myles Turner led the team with 27 points, while Bennedict Mathurin added 18 points.

Bruce Brown missed five games due to a bone bruise in his right knee, but he scored 17 points against Atlanta in just his second game back on the court. Indiana beat Boston by 10 points in the most recent meeting between these teams, knocking down 19 of 40 attempts from 3-point range. Haliburton scored a team-high 26 pints in that Dec. 4 matchup, which was part of the NBA’s in-season tournament.

Why the Celtics can cover
Boston is coming off an impressive showing of its own, cruising to a 126-97 win over Utah on Friday. The Celtics held a 36-point lead in the second quarter, allowing them to rest their starters for most of the second half. They tied a franchise record by scoring at least 120 points for the ninth consecutive game, matching the 1959-60 Celtics team.

The Celtics have won 12 of their last 14 games and will be motivated to maintain their lead atop the Eastern Conference standings. Jayson Tatum poured in 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 155-104 win over Indiana on Nov. 1, as the Celtics knocked down 20 of 35 3-point attempts. Boston has covered the spread in eight of its last 12 games, and it has won 15 of the last 20 meetings between these teams. See which team to pick here.

How to make Pacers vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Pacers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

The Philadelphia 76ers (23-11) and Utah Jazz (16-20) will both be hoping to move on from lopsided losses when they square off on Saturday night. Philadelphia is coming off a 128-92 loss to New York on Friday night, falling four games behind Boston atop the Atlantic Division standings. Utah had its three-game winning streak snapped in a 126-97 loss at Boston on Friday to open a three-game road trip. The Jazz are in fourth place in the Northwest Division, trailing Denver by 8.5 games for third place.

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia is favored by 11.5 points in the latest 76ers vs. Jazz odds, while the over/under is 237.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Jazz vs. 76ers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model entered Week 11 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 106-59 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Utah-Philadelphia. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

76ers vs. Jazz spread: 76ers -11.5
76ers vs. Jazz over/under: 237.5 points
76ers vs. Jazz money line: 76ers -737, Jazz +522
76ers vs. Jazz picks: See picks here
Why the 76ers can cover
Philadelphia has done an excellent job of bouncing back from losses this season, as it has not suffered consecutive losses since Dec. 1. The 76ers cruised to a 110-97 win over Chicago on Tuesday, covering the 10.5-point spread prior to their loss against New York on Friday. Star center Joel Embiid has finished with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in 15 consecutive games, giving him a chance to become the first player to hit that mark in 16 straight games since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972.

Tyrese Maxey had 27 points and nine assists on Friday night, while Kelly Oubre Jr. added 15 points in the loss. Utah is on the second leg of back-to-back road games after getting blown out by Boston on Friday night. The Jazz shot just 36.2% from the floor and committed 18 turnovers in the loss, falling to 5-15 on the road this season.

Why the Jazz can cover
Utah is coming off a rough performance, but it has been playing much better of late. The Jazz beat the Heat, Mavericks and Pistons by a combined 51 points, tying a franchise record with 154 points in an overtime victory over Detroit on Wednesday. John Collins had 12 points and 11 rebounds against the Celtics on Friday, posting his tenth double-double of the season.

Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 17 points, while Collin Sexton added 13 points. Philadelphia shot just 40.7% from the field in its loss to New York on Friday, including a 6 of 23 mark from 3-point range. Embiid has been dealing with an ankle injury that he appeared to tweak on Friday, while Tobias Harris sat out during the fourth quarter with left ankle soreness.

How to make 76ers vs. Jazz picks
The model has simulated Jazz vs. 76ers 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

The Houston Rockets (17-16) will wrap up a seven-game homestand when they face the Milwaukee Bucks (25-10) on Saturday night. Houston won back-to-back games over Detroit and Brooklyn before losing to Minnesota in a 122-95 blowout on Friday. Milwaukee snapped its two-game losing streak with a 125-121 win at San Antonio on Thursday. The Bucks are in second place in the Eastern Conference standings and are 4.5 games ahead of Indiana for first place in the Central Division.

Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Toyota Center. Milwaukee is favored by 7 points in the latest Rockets vs. Bucks odds, while the over/under is set at 237.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Bucks vs. Rockets picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model entered Week 11 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 106-59 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Milwaukee-Houston. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

Rockets vs. Bucks spread: Bucks -7
Rockets vs. Bucks over/under: 237.5 points
Rockets vs. Bucks money line: Rockets +215, Bucks -263
Rockets vs. Bucks picks: See picks here
Why the Rockets can cover
Houston lost six of its final eight games in December, but it bounced back with wins over Detroit and Brooklyn earlier this week. The Rockets cruised to a 136-113 win over the Pistons, who were playing their first game since snapping a 28-game losing skid. Center Alperen Sengun led Houston with 26 points and nine assists, upping his season averages to 21.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

The Rockets added a 112-101 win over Brooklyn on Wednesday, covering the 5-point spread. Sengun poured in a game-high 30 points, while point guard Fred VanVleet posted a double-double with 21 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Houston has covered the spread in four of its last five home games against Milwaukee, which has only covered three times in its last nine games.

Why the Bucks can cover
Milwaukee bounced back from a pair of losses to Indiana with a 125-121 win at San Antonio on Thursday, as Giannis Antetokounmpo won a showdown with Victor Wembanyama. Antetokounmpo had 44 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, shooting 19 of 28 from the floor. Veteran point guard Damian Lillard added 25 points, 10 assists and four rebounds.

The Rockets committed 15 turnovers and finished minus-14 on the glass in their blowout loss to Minnesota on Friday. Milwaukee has already won one game between these teams this season, notching a 128-119 victory on Dec. 17. The Bucks have won five consecutive games against teams from the Western Conference, while Houston has only covered the spread once in its last seven games against Central Division opponents. See which team to pick here.

How to make Rockets vs. Bucks picks
The model has simulated Bucks vs. Rockets 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

Saturday’s main NBA slate will only consist of four games, and fantasy managers can take advantage of stacking by picking out a group of productive players from the same team when the pool of options is smaller. The Indiana Pacers are the team that stands out from the limited pack ahead of their 7 p.m. ET matchup with the Boston Celtics. Both teams boast top-five scoring offenses, but Indiana is struggling with injuries and could have a significantly shorter rotation.

Here’s the full breakdown of the three players you may want to pair together for your lineups on Saturday:

Pacers stack
Tyrese Haliburton
Myles Turner
TJ McConnell

The Pacers dusted off the Atlanta Hawks 150-116 on Friday and will face the Celtics in the second half of a back-to-back on Saturday. While each side will be playing for the second night in a row, both secured blowout victories in their previous contest. As a result, the stars should be well-rested for this one.

Haliburton is averaging 22.3 points, 13.7 assists, and 6.3 rebounds despite logging a mere 25 minutes against Atlanta. His premier playmaking already helped him post a 26-point triple-double when Indiana hosted Boston earlier this season. He’s averaged 20 points, 15 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game at home since the start of last December. Pairing him with one of his favorite targets makes too much sense here.

Turner scored on 40 more Haliburton assists than any of his teammates this season. He’s thrived during Haliburton’s hot run, with averages of 21.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks at home since last December. He was a dud in his first matchup with the new-look Celtics, but averaged 20.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in three head-to-head matchups with Kristaps Porzingis last season.

McConnell is more of a dart throw, as his ceiling will likely be determined by Andrew Nembhard’s availability. The reserve point guard racked up 10 points and 10 assists in 23 minutes against the Hawks. He’s thrived as the primary ball handler off the bench with averages of 8.0 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in the pair of games Nembhard has missed with a back injury. The Gonzaga product is questionable for Saturday and few value players will be able to match McConnell’s potential in this small slate. He could play significant minutes in a close game or blowout, given Indiana’s lack of depth at point guard.

The 2023 USFL champion will be crowned in less than three weeks, but there’s still plenty to be determined when it comes to the playoff picture. Much of it will come down to the final week of the regular season next Saturday and Sunday; we did, however, learn a few things in Week 9.

For starters, we learned that while the defending champion Birmingham Stallions didn’t always look like the best team this season, make no mistake: the Stallions are the team to beat. Birmingham became the first team to clinch a playoff spot — the only team to do so with just one regular-season week remaining — after dismantling the Houston Gamblers.

So, who else will make the playoffs? Two teams make it from each division, and we’ll dive into every team’s chances below, but first a look at the Week 9 scores.

Saturday
Pittsburgh Maulers 19, Michigan Panthers 7
New Orleans Breakers 31, Memphis Showboats 3
Sunday
Birmingham Stallions 38, Houston Gamblers 15
New Jersey Generals 37, Philadelphia Stars 33

South Division playoff race
The Stallions (7-2) are in the playoffs. The New Orleans Breakers (6-3) sit a game back, and split their two games with Birmingham during the regular season, so they still have an outside shot at the top seed. The other two South teams — the Houston Gamblers (5-4) and Memphis Showboats (5-4) — need a win in Week 10 combined with a Breakers loss to have any chance at getting the No. 2 seed.

The South teams all play each other in Week 10 — Stallions vs. Showboats on Saturday, and Breakers vs. Gamblers on Sunday.

The Stallions’ two losses this season came against the Breakers in Week 3 and Gamblers in Week 5. Since the start of last season’s USFL reboot, Birmingham has gone just 2-2 against Houston and 16-1 against every other team combined.

Stallions quarterback Alex McGough added to his case as league MVP on Sunday, throwing for 208 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT (his first interception since Week 4). One of McGough’s TD throws was this one to Jace Sternberger just before the half.

What a throw, what a catch. Alex McGough to Jace Sternberger has been one of the top connections in the #USFL this season, and another score for the duo gives the @USFLStallions a halftime lead.

It’s heating up in Houston. #USFL | @_Jstern pic.twitter.com/8nUYwo43TN

— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) June 11, 2023
Sternberger’s touchdown gave the Stallions a one-point lead heading into halftime, but it was all Birmingham in the second half.

The Breakers — aka the only USFL team other than Houston to beat the Stallions in the past two years — also have momentum on their side after crushing the Memphis Showboats. New Orleans controls its own playoff destiny, with a win over the Gamblers next week giving it the No. 2 seed.

The Breakers won with defense on Saturday, including one of the wildest plays in the league this season that resulted in a pick-six.

A MUST SEE PICK-6! 🙌

🎥: @nbc | @peacock pic.twitter.com/9rAXTi70Y7

— New Orleans Breakers (@USFLBreakers) June 10, 2023
New Orleans looks to be back on track after stumbling to three straight losses after a 4-0 start. It’ll be a surprise if the Stallions and Breakers aren’t the two South playoff teams.

North Division playoff race
There’s a strong argument to be made that the USFL’s four best teams reside in the South Division and its four worst in the North. Take the Pittsburgh Maulers, for example — a team that was 2-6 last week yet still controls its own playoff destiny.

Pittsburgh’s win over the Michigan Panthers put both teams at 3-6. The New Jersey Generals are also 3-6, with the division-leading Philadelphia Stars a game ahead of the other three North teams at 4-5.

The Stars had a chance to clinch a spot on Sunday night, but lost to the Generals 37-33. New Jersey led 30-16 entering the fourth quarter before holding off a late Stars rally. Philly lost despite quarterback Case Cookus throwing for 263 yards with 3 TDs and no picks. Darius Victor led the Generals with two rushing TDs.

“The bowling ball, Darius Victor!” 🎳

Who else but @yungvitov for the TD 👏 pic.twitter.com/AaGJPSQXf2

— New Jersey Generals (@USFLGenerals) June 12, 2023
The Week 10 games in the division pit the Maulers vs. Generals and the Stars vs. Panthers. If the Stars win, they’ll be the No. 1 seed with the Maulers-Generals winner the No. 2 seed. A Stars loss makes things very interesting: The Stars, Panthers and Maulers-Generals winner would finish in a three-way tie for first at 4-6, meaning tiebreakers would decide the top two seeds as well as who’s out of the playoffs.

The good news for the Stars — who lost to the Stallions in the USFL title game last year — and every North team is that, as the XFL title game proved, regular-season records don’t mean anything in the playoffs.

The USFL is back, and if you’re wondering what the 2023 standings look like and how the playoffs work, you’ve come to the right place. Each team plays 10 regular-season games beginning April 15 (here’s the full schedule), with the top two from each division moving on to the playoffs. The North Division and South Division title games will be on June 24 and 25. The USFL championship game will be held at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 1 in Canton, Ohio.

We’ve got the standings below, and don’t miss all of CBS Sports’ USFL coverage here.

The USFL’s 10-week regular season is in the books and with the two playoff semifinals set, there couldn’t be a much bigger contrast. The South Division semifinal features the league’s two highest-scoring teams with the two best records. The North Division semifinal features the two lowest-scoring teams, with both below .500.

Here’s a quick rundown of what to know after the weekend’s final four regular-season games:

— The two USFL semifinals will be Pittsburgh Maulers vs. Michigan Panthers on Saturday, followed by Birmingham Stallions vs. New Orleans Breakers on Sunday. The winners will play in the championship game the following Saturday, July 1.

— The defending champion Stallions are favored to repeat. The Stallions, who beat the Memphis Showboats 27-20 over the weekend, have the league’s best record at 8-2. In two seasons of the rebooted USFL, the Stallions have gone 19-3.

— The Breakers are the No. 2 seed in the South Division and will face the Stallions for the third time this year in the semifinals, a rematch of last year’s South semifinal. The Breakers clinched a playoff spot by beating the Houston Gamblers on Sunday, 17-10.

— The Pittsburgh Maulers clinched a semifinal berth by beating the New Jersey Generals on Saturday, 26-6. Fittingly for a team from Pittsburgh, the Maulers have allowed the fewest points in the league. However, they finished with just a 4-6 record, and needed victories in the final two weeks to reach four wins — which was somehow good enough to win the division.

— The Michigan Panthers got the final playoff spot by coming back from a 20-6 halftime deficit against the Philadelphia Stars on Sunday night in a 23-20 victory. The Panthers, Stars and Maulers all finished 4-6 in the East, but the Maulers got the top seed with the best division record (4-2), including going 2-0 against Michigan. The Panthers swept the Stars.

Below we’ll break down everything to know about the 2023 USFL playoffs. Here’s how to watch the two semifinals:

North Division semifinal
Teams: Pittsburgh Maulers (4-6) vs. Michigan Panthers (4-6)
Location: Canton, Ohio
Date, time: Saturday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET
TV: NBC

South Division semifinal
Teams: Birmingham Stallions (8-2) vs. New Orleans Breakers (7-3)
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Date, time: Sunday, June 25 at 7 p.m. ET
TV: Fox

Stallions vs. Breakers: USFL’s top teams set for playoff rematch
The bad news for the Breakers is that their reward for finishing with the league’s second-best record is that they’ll have to beat the team with the best record to reach the final. Birmingham beat New Orleans three times last year, including the semifinal, and once more this season. On top of that, the South Division semi will be held in Birmingham.

But the Breakers — who won one more game than they did last season — do have reason to believe they can pull off an upset. For one thing, they scorched the Stallions defense in Week 3 in a 45-32 victory. The teams’ other meeting, in Week 7, saw Birmingham win 24-20.

The Stallions have scored the most points in the league by far, led by quarterback Alex McGough (league-leading 20 TD passes, second-most passing yards at 2,104). Jace Sternberger leads the USFL in receiving TDs (7) despite playing tight end.

The Breakers, meanwhile, have allowed the second-fewest points in the USFL, while also scoring the second-most. New Orleans quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson is the only QB to have thrown for more yards (2,433) than McGough, while running back Wes Hills is the league’s rushing yards leader (679).

The Stallions beat the Breakers 31-17 in last year’s semifinal after grabbing the lead before halftime on a 90-yard kick return TD (the league’s first). The rematch is set up to be the best game of the season; expect the Breakers to keep it closer than last year, with a real shot at an upset.

Maulers, Panthers both playoff surprises
Pittsburgh was 2-6 through eight weeks. Michigan entered Sunday night with a 3-6 record and trailed the Stars by two touchdowns at halftime. Yet somehow here we are, with one of those teams set to make the USFL championship game.

To the Maulers’ credit, they finished with a bang, holding their last two opponents to a combined 13 points to finish 4-6. Pittsburgh relies on the league’s best defense. Offensively, quarterback Troy Williams (1,414 yards, 6 TDs, 3 INTs) is also the team’s rushing leader (341 yards, 3 TDs).

The Maulers beat the Panthers twice this season (23-7 in Week 5, and 19-7 in Week 9), accounting for half Pittsburgh’s wins.

Michigan, which struggled through a 1-6 stretch after starting the season 2-0, switched up its starting quarterback for the regular-season finale. After going with Josh Love (1,556 yards, 13 TDs, 10 INTs) all season, the Panthers went with E.J. Perry, a more mobile QB, on Sunday night. Perry threw for 141 yards with without a passing TD or pick, but led the team in rushing with 10 attempts for 48 yards and a touchdown.

These teams have both allowed more points than they’ve scored, but as we saw in the XFL championship game, the regular season doesn’t matter once the playoffs begin.

For the second year in a row, the USFL has completed a successful season and made it to the playoffs. The North and South divisions could not have been more different in 2022. The two best teams in the North held 4-6 records, while the top two teams in the South were the only clubs in the entire league with winning records. Here’s our “final four.”

The Pittsburgh Maulers and Michigan Panthers are your two representatives from the North. It’s pretty surprising both teams made it in, as Pittsburgh once sat at 2-6, and Michigan trailed the Philadelphia Stars 20-6 on Sunday before scoring 17 unanswered points to clinch a spot in the postseason.

More on USFL
USFL playoff semifinals: How to watch
Johnston: Maulers ‘dangerous team’ entering playoffs
As for the South, we get a playoff rematch this weekend. It will be the reigning champion Birmingham Stallions vs. the New Orleans Breakers. Both teams enter red-hot, with the Stallions having won five in a row, and Breakers having won three in a row.

Below we break down how to watch the USFL playoffs, and give our gambling picks.

Michigan Panthers (4-6) at Pittsburgh Maulers (4-6)
When: Saturday, June 24, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game location: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, OH

This is the playoff game being overlooked by everyone, but maybe these two first-year head coaches can put on a show. That show likely won’t include a ton of points, however. The Maulers allow just 257.4 yards of total offense per game, which ranks No. 1 in the league, and 17.2 points per game, which ranks second behind the Breakers. Offensively, everything goes through quarterback Troy Williams, who leads the team in passing yards (1,414), passing touchdowns (6), rushing yards (341) and rushing touchdowns (3).

For the Panthers, there’s a quarterback question as Josh Love was replaced by E.J. Perry last week. What you need to know for this matchup is that Pittsburgh swept Michigan in the regular season, defeating the Panthers twice by a combined score of 42-14.

The pick: Maulers -3
Projected score: Maulers 17-10

New Orleans Breakers (7-3) at Birmingham Stallions (8-2)
When: Sunday, June 25, 7 p.m. ET (Fox)
Game location: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL

Last year in the postseason, it was Kyle Sloter leading the Breakers into battle vs. the Stallions. Fast forward to now, and Sloter is on the Stallions roster, while McLeod Bethel-Thompson is under center for New Orleans. Bethel-Thompson led the league in passing with 2,433 yards, was third in passing touchdowns with 14 and had eight interceptions. He won a championship not even a year ago with the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League, and is looking for another. Running back Wes Hills led the league in rushing with 679 yards.

On the other side, no one has thrown more touchdowns than Birmingham’s Alex McGough, who has 20 TD tosses. His tight end, Jace Sternberger, leads the league in receiving touchdowns with seven, while wide receiver Davion Davis is second in the USFL with 575 receiving yards.

These two teams faced off twice in the regular season. In late April, the Breakers dropped 45 points on the Stallions in a 14-point win, and Hills exploded for 191 rushing yards and three touchdowns on a whopping 34 carries. A month later, the Stallions got their revenge with a 24-20 win despite the Breakers scoring 11 unanswered in the fourth quarter.

I find myself rooting for the veteran Bethel-Thompson, who is capable of overcoming what could be a raucous environment. Both offenses can put up points, but the Stallions defense allows a league-worst 309 yards per game! Isn’t there some saying about defenses and championships? Expect this fun matchup to be close, but I’m leaning toward the underdogs.

One of the USFL’s best defenses will face one of the league’s best offenses in an intriguing 2023 USFL Championship matchup on Saturday night. The Pittsburgh Maulers used their elite defense to punch a surprising ticket to the title game, but they will now be tasked with slowing down the Birmingham Stallions high-powered attack. Birmingham is the defending champion, while Pittsburgh is trying to go from worst to first this season.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Birmingham as the 7.5-point favorite, while the over/under is 46 in the latest Stallions vs. Maulers odds. Before making any Maulers vs. Stallions picks or USFL Championship predictions, see what SportsLine 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 college and professional football helped him start the USFL season 24-18 last year and he went 25-18 on his XFL spread picks this season.

Now, Hunt has set his sights on Stallions vs. Maulers. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Here are several USFL betting lines for Maulers vs. Stallions:

Stallions vs. Maulers spread: Stallions -7.5
Stallions vs. Maulers over/under: 46 points
Stallions vs. Maulers money line: Stallions -300, Maulers +240
Stallions vs. Maulers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Stallions can cover
Pittsburgh is relying on its defense and turnover rate to win the title, but that is not going to be a winning formula against an experienced championship team. Birmingham has been excellent at ball security throughout the season, and its offense can rack up points in a hurry. The Stallions made a statement when they cruised past New Orleans in the semifinals, racing out to a 40-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Alex McGough completed 21 of 31 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 84 yards and an additional score. The Stallions averaged 8.2 yards per carry and 9.9 yards per pass attempt, dominating the Breakers in every aspect of the game. They have the experience and championship mentality to win Saturday’s title showdown against a less experienced opponent. See who to back at SportsLine.

Why the Maulers can cover
Birmingham was ultimately able to escape with a victory when these teams met in the regular season, but it was one of their most challenging games. The Maulers took a 20-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter after quarterback Troy Williams scored on a 34-yard rushing touchdown. They also held McGough to a 58.6% completion rate and forced a pair of interceptions.

Pittsburgh limited McGough to 48 rushing yards, while Williams completed 63.6% of his passes for 217 yards and rushed for another 63 yards. The Maulers ranked second in the regular season in points allowed per game (17.2) and led the league in turnover margin (+8). Their defense will make it difficult for Birmingham to win this game by at least a touchdown. See who to back at SportsLine.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has brought in a familiar face — and a very familiar face at that. The Jaguars have signed tight end Josh Pederson, the son of coach Pederson, the team announced Monday.

Pederson played his college ball at Louisiana-Monroe before going undrafted in 2021. In 35 games for the Warhawks, he caught 99 passes for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns. Pederson previously had short stints with the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Kansas city Chiefs, but never suited up for an NFL game. Most recently, Pederson played for the USFL’s Houston Gamblers.

Josh Pederson
TE
This past USFL season, Pederson was the Gamblers’ second-leading receiver with 24 receptions for 325 yards in 10 games played. Houston went 5-5 and missed the postseason.

Last week, the Gamblers announced they had terminated Pederson’s contract with the designation that he was going to sign with an NFL team. Now we know who that team is. Pederson is the second USFL player to sign an NFL contract this offseason after the Cowboys added former MLS player and standout Birmingham Stallions kicker Brandon Aubrey.

AMAZING: #Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson attended today’s USFL game to see his son, Houston Gamblers tight end Josh Pederson:

And Pederson credited spring football as an important opportunity for players to show the #NFL what they can do.

👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/atqg7fqcEe

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 16, 2023
Currently, the Jaguars have six tight ends on roster: Evan Engram, Luke Farrell, Gerrit Prince, Sammis Reyes, Brenton Strange and Leonard Taylor. Engram received the franchise tag this offseason after a career year in which he caught 73 passes for 766 yards and four touchdowns, and Strange was selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the No. 61 overall pick.