New Jersey Generals vs Philadelphia Stars Predictions, Odds, Picks

• The battle for the USFL’s North Division will take place this Sunday night
• The conservative New Jersey Generals take on the aggressive Philadelphia Stars
• Watch Generals vs Stars live on Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 8:00 PM ET on Peacock

Generals vs Stars Odds

Odds taken from BetMGM. Click on the links below to head to the sportsbook and place your bet.

Generals vs Stars Pick

With their more aggressive offense, expect the Stars to cover the spread so long as they can effectively protect their quarterback.

Philadelphia Stars (-1.5)

The battle for the USFL’s North Division will take place on Sunday night as the 1-1 New Jersey Generals take on the 1-1 Philadelphia Stars, two teams coming off a Week 2 victory who most likely understand that a win here would put them in a two-game statistical advantage for now.

Last week, the Generals defeated the Michigan Panthers in a low-scoring battle, 10-6, but now they will take on a Stars team who have scored the most points in the North Division (47) while New Jersey (34 total points) still continues to figure out how to best balance their offense.

The Stars took down the Pittsburgh Maulers last week with a strong passing attack behind an offensive line that struggles to keep QB Bryan Scott safe, a team that passes better than they run the ball with a defense that so far keeps whoever they play to exactly 23 points.

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

New Jersey Generals vs Philadelphia Stars Predictions

Can the Generals Secondary Stop Philly’s Passing Attack?

If New Jersey expects to outscore the Philadelphia Stars, they must neutralize the Stars’ effective passing attack and force them to rely on their run game since Philly seems to rely more on their passing (215.5 yds per game) than their rush (59 yards per game) the last two weeks.

The Generals do not have a defensive coordinator, but Dominique Franks serves as the Quality Control/DB Assistant for HC Mike Riley, and so far his secondary has produced several standout performers – S Dravon Askew-Henry, CB De’Vante Bausby, and S Shalom Luani.

This DB group has kept opponents to 157 passing yards per game, their tight coverage helping the Generals defense to keep their opponents to just 17 points per outing, with most of those points (28) being scored in Week 1 when they played (and lost to) the New Orleans Breakers.

Can the Stars Offensive Line Protect QB Bryan Scott?

The statistically best quarterback in the USFL after two games is Bryan Scott, an experienced pro hurler who has completed almost 71% of his 72 attempted passes, his 51 completions the most in either division as are his four touchdown passes with only two interceptions on the year.

QB Scott has done all that despite having been sacked a league-leading ten times for 43 negative yards, a sign that his offensive line is struggling to protect him as he works his quarterbacking magic, something that could result in Scott getting hurt and playing less.

The Stars’ offensive tackles are Blake Camper, Michael Rodriguez III, and Jacob Burton, the guards are Jackson Brown and Paul Nosworthy along with center Sean Brown, a line that needs to improve its protection and block better since Philadelphia only has 59 total yards of rushing.

Generals Key Player: (DE) Deyon Sizer

For the Generals to have any chance of winning this matchup with the Stars, their defensive line must put pressure on Stars QB Bryan Scott, and that means NJ DE Deyon Sizer will get a chance to show off his quarterback hunting skills that have served him well in pro football.

Sizer is a 26-years old sizable (6’ 4” 280-pound) end with NFL experience after having been signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and then spending time on their practice squad and active roster before finally being released from there in January 2022.

Now for the Generals, Sizer has five total tackles in two games plus 1.5 sacks and with his DE partner Kolin Hill (6 total tackles, 1 sack), the two should be able to put tremendous pressure on Stars QB Scott and force Philly to rely more on their less effective run game.

Stars Key Player: (RB) Darnell Holland

So far, offensively the Philadelphia Stars have relied more on their passing attack than on rushing the ball, but for them to become more balanced their run game must improve, with just 59 yards in ground offense per game over two weeks they seem to have issues with blocking.

Regardless, RB Darnell Holland must become more reliable, so far the 5’ 10” 195 pound Kennesaw State alum with just 11 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown, the more concerning stat being his three fumbles with one of those lost, a giant red flag that must be corrected.

Also rushing for the Stars is Paul Terry, so far with 8 carries for 33 yards and no touchdowns (or fumbles), an Eastern New Mexico alum who can also serve as a wide receiver and special teams player, versatility that becomes even more valuable on the USFL’s 38 man roster.

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