New Jersey Generals vs Tampa Bay Bandits Week 7 Predictions, Odds, Picks

• Generals enter Week 7 on a five-game win streak and with a victory clinch the playoffs
• Bandits drop to .500 as they fail to beat the Philadelphia Stars last week, losing 28-35
• Watch Generals vs Bandits live on Saturday, May 28, 2022, at 12:00 PM ET on USA

Generals vs Bandits Odds

Generals vs Bandits Pick

The Generals are on a roll that the Bandits most likely won’t stop so take New Jersey to cover the spread in Week 7 and clinch their playoff berth.

New Jersey Generals

With just four games remaining on the USFL’s regular-season schedule, every win counts for those teams with postseason hopes, like the North Division-leading New Jersey Generals who play the .500 Tampa Bay Bandits, a team still fighting for that second playoff spot in the South.

The Generals enter Week 7 on a five-game win streak kept alive last week in the last seconds of play as backup QB Luis Perez snuck into the end zone for the game-winner, his role now could be as the starter after De’Andre Johnson left last week’s game in the first quarter with an injury.

The Bandits dropped to .500 as they failed to keep up with the Philadelphia Stars last week, losing 35-28 (hope you bet the over!) in a game where Tampa Bay’s defense allowed 21 second-half points and almost 200 yards of rushing, a problem for Bandits DC Pepper Johnson to solve.

Here are our best predictions, odds, and picks for Generals vs Bandits – good luck, win big!

New Jersey Generals vs Tampa Bay Bandits Predictions

Can Generals QB Luis Perez Continue to Play Like a Starter?

Right when it seemed that the New Jersey Generals were done with their duo QB experiment, starter De’Andre Johnson left last week’s game against the Houston Gamblers in the first quarter with an injury, and that led HC Mike Riley to go back to his other starter Luis Perez.

Perez is a 6’ 3” 222 pound Texas A&M alum who has garnered NFL interest (Rams, Eagles, Lions) as well as seen action in the AAF (Birmingham Iron) and the XFL (New York Guardians) before landing with the Generals and going 63/90 for 576 yards and 3 TDs with an INT in 2022.

Now if Johnson’s injury keeps him sidelined, Perez must take over the starting job and thankfully he will have the help of the league’s most productive WR Kavontae Turpin who so far has 29 receptions for 341 yards and 2 TDs, a dangerous duo who can make a difference here.

Can the Bandits Stop the Generals Rush Attack?

If the Bandits expect to beat the offensively talented Generals, HC Todd Haley better figure out how to neutralize New Jersey’s rushing attack, a group that currently leads the USFL in production with 1,065 total yards generated on the ground after six games played.

Last week, Tampa Bay’s defense allowed the Philadelphia Stars to rush for 197 total yards including three touchdowns by their RB Matt Colburn, that Bandits loss indicative of what a team that allows opponents to run for almost 128 yards per game can expect on any given weekend.

Expect a big game out of a healthy LB Christian Sam, a Tampa Bay playmaker who leads the team in total tackles with 42 (28 solo) while also posting an interception on the season, a rangy 6’ 2” 240 pound Arizona State alum who has benefitted from some NFL camp experience.

Generals Key Player: (RB) Darius Victor

The 4th most productive RB in the USFL so far is New Jersey Generals’ Darius Victor, a 28-year old dual-threat playmaker who has spent some time in some NFL camps (Saints, Cardinals) as well as being drafted into the XFL (New York Guardians) right before that league ended.

Victor’s NJ numbers don’t lie – he averages 4.5 yards per carry, and he has 82 rush attempts for 365 yards and 5 rushing TDs with 68 receiving yards, as well, a reliable check-down receiver for whichever QB needs him, a 5’ 8” 209-pound bowling ball that is tough to one-on-one tackle.

The rumor is that Victor’s thighs measure 30 inches around, and now there are even T-shirts for sale that say “Thick Thighs Save Lives, Darius Victor NJ” on them, a sign that this RB is already a popular player who can attract fans, something this crowd-depleted new league could use.

Bandits Key Player: (QB) Jordan Ta’amu

Despite his team’s 3-3 record, Bandits QB Jordan Ta’amu continues to have a statistically excellent season, right now the second most productive at his position in the USFL, his 128.9 QBR a decent indication of just how good this 24-year old from Pearl City, Hawaii really is.

Ta’amu played his college football at both NMMI and then Ole Miss, the almost 6’ 3” 221 pound QB getting signed and then released by the Houston Texans in 2019 right before being allocated to the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL where he became the starter under center.

Now Ta’amu works with Bandits HC Todd Haley and OC Bob Saunders, their passing attack averaging just 181 yds per game for an offense that puts less than 19 points on the scoreboard each time, a trend that must change if Tampa Bay expects to make the upcoming postseason.

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