Odds taken from BetMGM. Get a BetMGM free bet of $1000 today! Sign up here!
Team | Point Spread | Points Total | Money Line |
Tampa Bay Bandits | -3.5 (-110) BET HERE |
O45.5 (-110) BET HERE |
-149 BET HERE |
Pittsburgh Maulers | +3.5 (-110) BET HERE |
U45.5 (-110) BET HERE |
+115 BET HERE |
Maulers (+3.5)
Since Pittsburgh HC Kirby Wilson has been to the Super Bowl mountaintop before, expect him to have his Maulers ready to cover.
USFL Player Kyle Lauletta as a quarterback on the New York Giants
Capping off the USFL’s Week 1 Sunday triple-header is a powerhouse showdown between the number one ranked Tampa Bay Bandits and the number two Pittsburgh Maulers, a pair of newly formed pro football franchises that will headline the revamped league’s first week of games.
The Bandits are coached by the NFL-seasoned Todd Haley who has spent time with eight different NFL franchises since 1995, while the Maulers are led by HC Kirby Wilson, a Super Bowl-winning RB coach with 23 seasons of experience plus years of coaching in college.
Expect these hungry young spring football players to bring everything they have as these two 38-man active rosters compete for their first win of the season, with winning players earning an extra $850 for the W, a great game to bet on so here are our predictions, odds, and picks.
Good luck – win big!
Fans of the NFL know Todd Haley from his many different roles on various teams, his run as the Kansas City Chiefs head coach for two years and as the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers his biggest claims to fame in that popular pro league, as a head coach he is 19-26.
Having coached at that high a level and getting to work with the most talented players in the sport has given Haley a big picture look at how a championship team is (or is not) made, a vision that will no doubt help this new roster of USFL players become the best unit they can be.
This inaugural season happened quickly – the draft was in February – so the Bandits and the other seven USFL teams have not had a chance to work together let alone game plan against their first foe, so a HC with Haley’s NFL experience should work in Tampa Bay’s favor early on.
One of the most difficult team feats to achieve is winning a Super Bowl Championship in the NFL, and the Pittsburgh Maulers HC Kirby Wilson has done that twice as a coach, once with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002 and the other time with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008.
It’s that type of big-game experience that Wilson brings to the Maulers, which is key in a league built around coaches and players with little or no experience at that high a pro level, also aided by OC John Tomlinson and DC Jarren Horton as well as Marc Hull who coaches special teams.
In the early eighties, Wilson played as a defensive back and kick returner for two seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football league, so he will bring a defensive mindset to his game planning, a possible advantage in such a young league.
In the first round of February’s USFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Bandits selected quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, a 24-year old graduate of Ole Miss who went undrafted in the NFL but who spent time in plenty of pro camps including starring under center in the XFL for the St. Louis BattleHawks.
Ta’amu was born in Pearl City, Hawaii and now stands at 6’ 3” and 214 pounds, the perfect size to see over a pro offensive line, his thirty TDs at Ole Miss more proof that he can get the ball to his open receivers, something he did almost 65 percent of the time over his two-season there.
Another skill Ta’amu has is his quickness that was on full display his two seasons at Ole Miss when he carried the ball 173 times for 507 yards and 10 touchdowns, a dual-threat that will come in handy given that these USFL active rosters are limited to just thirty-eight players.
Under center for the Pittsburgh Maulers this inaugural season is first round pick Kyle Lauletta, the 27-year old quarterback from Exton, Pennsylvania whose 6’ 3” 222-pound frame and accurate throwing arm have kept five different NFL teams interested in what he has to offer.
So far his only NFL real game experience was with the New York Giants in 2018 when he played in two games but only threw five attempts with zero completions although he did have one interception in that short time, a Richmond alum who hopes to shine in the USFL now.
In the Maulers’ wide receivers room are two former San Jose State stars, Bailey Gaither and Tre Walker, plus Temple’s Branden Mack, Fresno State’s DelVon Hardaway, and Miami’s Jeffrey Thomas all hungry young ballplayers ready to make Lauletta a star in this new league.
Free play options
Special contests for newbies
Bet $5, Get $300 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins
21+ | Terms and conditions apply
🔥 Claimed by 114 people this week!
No bet-throughs required
Lots of sport-specific promos
Promo code 'WSN1000'
$1,000 First Bet on Caesars OR $250 in Bonus Bets
21+ | T&Cs Apply. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
Bandits vs Maulers Information | |
What | Tampa Bay Bandits vs Pittsburgh Maulers |
Where | Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama |
When | Sunday, April 17, 2022; 8:00 PM ET |
How to watch | FS1 |
We support responsible gambling. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you need help, call 1-800-Gambler.
WSN.com is managed by Gentoo Media. Unless declared otherwise, all of the visible content on this site, such as texts and images, including the brand name and logo, belongs to Innovation Labs Limited (a Gentoo Media company) - Company Registration Number C44130, VAT ID: MT18874732, @GIG Beach Triq id-Dragunara, St. Julians, STJ3148, Malta.
Advertising Disclosure: WSN.com contains links to partner websites. When a visitor to our website clicks on one of these links and makes a purchase at a partner site, World Sports Network is paid a commission.
Copyright © 2024