The Boston Celtics (43-12) will try to extend their six-game winning streak when they face the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Boston’s most recent outing was a 136-86 blowout win over the Nets last Wednesday, and the Celtics are six games ahead of Cleveland for first place in the Eastern Conference. Chicago lost two of its final three games before the All-Star break, including a 108-105 setback at Cleveland last Wednesday. The Bulls are in ninth place in the conference, sitting four games behind eighth-place Orlando.

Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on Thursday at the United Center. The Celtics are favored by 8.5 points in the latest Bulls vs. Celtics odds, while the over/under is 225.5 points per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Celtics vs. Bulls 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 enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 60-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

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

Bulls vs. Celtics spread: Bulls +8.5
Bulls vs. Celtics over/under: 225.5 points
Bulls vs. Celtics money line: Bulls: +274, Celtics: -342
Bulls vs. Celtics picks: See picks here
Why the Bulls can cover
Chicago will be excited for a chance to play against the top team in the Eastern Conference at home, especially since it has not played at the United Center since Feb. 6. The Bulls beat the Western Conference-leading Timberwolves as 5.5 underdogs in that outing, powered by 33 points apiece from DeMar DeRozan and Coby White. They trailed by 23 points in that game before rallying for an impressive victory.

Veteran Andre Drummond had 16 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks, while Nikola Vucevic added 24 points. The Bulls picked up wins at Memphis and Atlanta during their four-game road trip, and every game matters with their current playoff positioning. They have covered the spread in four of their last five games, while the Celtics have only covered twice in their last 10 contests.

Why the Celtics can cover
Boston has won eight straight games against Eastern Conference opponents and has won six consecutive games overall. The Celtics closed the first half of the season with a 136-86 win over Brooklyn last Wednesday, giving Joe Mazzulla his 100th win as the head coach. Point guard Payton Pritchard, who is only averaging 8.1 points per game, poured in 28 points in the win over the Nets.

All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 56 points in the East’s win over the West in the All-Star Game, adding to their momentum. The Celtics have five players averaging double digits, led by Tatum (27.1 points per game) and Brown (22.0). Chicago has not been over the .500 mark this season and has only covered the spread three times in its last 11 games against Atlantic Division opponents. See which team to pick here.

How to make Bulls vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Bulls 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that 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.

LeBron James will miss the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, the team announced Wednesday. He is listed as out with left ankle peroneal tendinopathy.

James was excused from Wednesday’s practice. Before the All-Star break, he missed the Lakers’ game against the Utah Jazz last Wednesday because of the ankle issue.

On Sunday in Indianapolis, James said he got treatment “the last few days, trying to get my ankle as strong and as back to where I feel confident that I can finish off this last third of the season,” and he’d get more treatment the next day. He played only 14 minutes in the All-Star Game, all in the first half, and said that he is trying “to be as healthy as I can be physically” because “this last part of the season is very important for us.”

The Lakers have won six of their last seven games, but, because so many teams near them in the Western Conference standings have been seeing similar success, they haven’t made up much ground. With 26 games remaining in the regular season, Los Angeles is 30-26 and ninth in the West, with a slightly negative point differential. Golden State is in 10th place at 27-26.

James is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 34.9 minutes in his 21st season. Already the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, he is 132 points away from becoming the first player in league history to reach the 40,000-point mark James is on pace to do it in his sixth game after the break (March 4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, assuming he’s in the lineup for every game after Thursday’s) .

Los Angeles also announced that backup big man Christian Wood has an effusion (i.e. swelling) in his left knee and will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks. The Lakers are optimistic that this is a minor, short-term issue, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

The New Orleans Pelicans (33-22) will aim for their fourth straight victory when they host the Houston Rockets (24-30) on Thursday night. New Orleans won seven of its final eight games before the All-Star break, including a 133-126 win against Washington last Wednesday. Houston has lost five of its last six games, falling to Memphis on the road its last time out. The Pelicans picked up a 110-99 win against the Rockets when these teams met at the end of January.

Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on Thursday at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans are favored by 7 points in the latest Pelicans vs. Rockets odds, while the over/under is 229 points via SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Rockets vs. Pelicans 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 enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 60-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

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

Pelicans vs. Rockets spread: Pelicans -7
Pelicans vs. Rockets over/under: 229 points
Pelicans vs. Rockets money line: Pelicans: -281, Rockets: +230
Pelicans vs. Rockets picks: See picks here
Why the Pelicans can cover
New Orleans is in excellent form right now, having won seven of its last eight games to move into sixth place in the Western Conference. The Pelicans picked up road wins against the Clippers, Trail Blazers and Grizzlies during that stretch before beating Washington at home last Wednesday. Zion Williamson scored a team-high 36 points on 15 of 21 shooting, while CJ McCollum had 26 points.

They started their current hot streak with a 110-99 win at Houston on Jan. 31, which also started Houston’s current rough patch. Jonas Valanciunas had 25 points and 14 rebounds in that game, while Brandon Ingram also posted a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. New Orleans has covered the spread in five of its last six home games against Houston.

Why the Rockets can cover
Houston lost to New Orleans in the most recent meeting, but it won two matchups against the Pelicans earlier this season. The Rockets were 3-point home favorites in their 104-101 win in November and were 7.5-point road underdogs in their 106-104 win in December. They are only 3.5 games back of the final play-in tournament spot, so motivation should not be an issue in this game.

The All-Star break was well timed for Houston, as it gave third-leading scorer Fred VanVleet time to recover from an adductor strain. He is averaging 16.5 points per game, and he is going to be back on the court after missing five games. Cam Whitmore, who is also in double figures with 11.9 points per game, is going to return from a three-game injury absence of his own. See which team to pick here.

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

Nikola Jokic is a master of taking whatever the defense gives him, and on Friday night, the Boston Celtics were giving him the chance to operate one-on-one. With that chance, he became a scorer instead of a facilitator and dropped 34 points to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 102-100 win and end the Celtics’ perfect 20-0 start at home.

Jokic prefers to pass the ball and get his teammates involved, but he’s one of the most crafty and efficient scorers in the game, and he showed off all his tricks in this one. Here’s a rundown of his baskets:

Turnaround hook in the post
Drop-step layup on the left block
Fadeaway jumper from the post
Drop-step layup on the right block
Catch-and-shoot 3-pointer
Spinning fadeaway from the free throw line
Layup
Drop-step layup on the left block
Turnaround fadeaway in the paint
Jump hook
Catch-and-shoot 3-pointer
Euro-step runner from the free throw line
Turnaround fadeaway off the glass
Jump hook
And his shot chart for good measure:

screenshot-2024-01-19-at-9-42-55-pm.png
Nikola Jokic’s shot chart vs. the Celtics NBA.com/stats
Jokic went 14-of-22 from the field against the second-best defense in the league. A defense that possesses two elite interior defenders in Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. And while the Celtics were letting him go one-on-one to try and limit the Nuggets’ ball movement, they certainly weren’t letting him score. A number of those shots were highly contested and he deserved an and-one on a few of them, and he still barely missed.

“As I said before, he’s the best player in the world,” Porzingis said postgame.

Here’s the highlight reel so you can see for yourself:

Perhaps the crazier note is that he shot 63.6% from the field and it was his second-least efficient outing in nearly a month. Dating back to Dec. 28, when he made history with a perfect triple-double on 11-of-11 from the field, Jokic has made 110 of his 147 shots over 11 games. Of the 115 other players who have taken at least 100 field goals in that span, none are shooting better than 68.4%, and only five have cracked the 60% mark.

The Nuggets needed every single one of Jokic’s buckets against the Celtics, as they held on down the stretch for their most impressive win of the season. Coming into the national TV showdown, the Celtics were 20-0 at TD Garden, which was the best home start in franchise history and tied for the 11th-best home start in league history.

While the Celtics still have the best record in the league at 32-10, Jokic and the Nuggets reminded everyone on Friday that the title still runs through Denver. Nikola Jokic is a master of taking whatever the defense gives him, and on Friday night, the Boston Celtics were giving him the chance to operate one-on-one. With that chance, he became a scorer instead of a facilitator and dropped 34 points to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 102-100 win and end the Celtics’ perfect 20-0 start at home.

Jokic prefers to pass the ball and get his teammates involved, but he’s one of the most crafty and efficient scorers in the game, and he showed off all his tricks in this one. Here’s a rundown of his baskets:

Turnaround hook in the post
Drop-step layup on the left block
Fadeaway jumper from the post
Drop-step layup on the right block
Catch-and-shoot 3-pointer
Spinning fadeaway from the free throw line
Layup
Drop-step layup on the left block
Turnaround fadeaway in the paint
Jump hook
Catch-and-shoot 3-pointer
Euro-step runner from the free throw line
Turnaround fadeaway off the glass
Jump hook
And his shot chart for good measure:

screenshot-2024-01-19-at-9-42-55-pm.png
Nikola Jokic’s shot chart vs. the Celtics NBA.com/stats
Jokic went 14-of-22 from the field against the second-best defense in the league. A defense that possesses two elite interior defenders in Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. And while the Celtics were letting him go one-on-one to try and limit the Nuggets’ ball movement, they certainly weren’t letting him score. A number of those shots were highly contested and he deserved an and-one on a few of them, and he still barely missed.

“As I said before, he’s the best player in the world,” Porzingis said postgame.

Here’s the highlight reel so you can see for yourself:

Perhaps the crazier note is that he shot 63.6% from the field and it was his second-least efficient outing in nearly a month. Dating back to Dec. 28, when he made history with a perfect triple-double on 11-of-11 from the field, Jokic has made 110 of his 147 shots over 11 games. Of the 115 other players who have taken at least 100 field goals in that span, none are shooting better than 68.4%, and only five have cracked the 60% mark.

The Nuggets needed every single one of Jokic’s buckets against the Celtics, as they held on down the stretch for their most impressive win of the season. Coming into the national TV showdown, the Celtics were 20-0 at TD Garden, which was the best home start in franchise history and tied for the 11th-best home start in league history.

While the Celtics still have the best record in the league at 32-10, Jokic and the Nuggets reminded everyone on Friday that the title still runs through Denver.

The Miami Heat have had better players than Udonis Haslem, but they’ve never had anyone who represented the city or the team’s culture better than the 20-year veteran who spent his entire career with the franchise. On Friday, Haslem was rewarded for all his hard work with one of the greatest honors a player can receive: having his jersey retired.

A number of Heat legends were in attendance for the ceremony, which took place at halftime of Miami’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks, including Dwyane Wade, Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning. The festivities started with a presentation by Heat broadcaster Eric Reid, who detailed Haslem’s accomplishments and the various gifts the organization had to offer: a $50,000 donation to Haslem’s foundation, a replica of the retirement banner and three new seats inside in honor of Haslem’s late father, mother and stepmother.

“Udonis, you did it, brother” 🥹

🗣️@EReidMiamiHeat pic.twitter.com/etSLVRnoy8

— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) January 20, 2024
Heat president Pat Riley took the mic next. “Udonis Haslem, his force mattered and it counted. And that’s one of the reasons why we’re hanging his jersey here today,” Riley said. “Udonis Haslem is going to leave a very big footprint.”

Then, it was time for the moment everyone had come to see.

4️⃣0️⃣ headed up into the rafters 👏 pic.twitter.com/thJj8OaN7K

— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) January 20, 2024
After his jersey was raised to the rafters, Haslem spoke to the adoring crowd for nearly 10 minutes. Though there were sunglasses hiding his eyes, the emotion was obvious.

“You all got the money on me crying, don’t y’all? I know you all think I’m going to cry,” Haslem said. “Yeah, it’s hard. It’s hard. It’s hard. Heat Nation, it’s been an absolute honor, man.”

UD got all our eyes sweating 🥹

Congratulations, @ThisIsUD 👏 pic.twitter.com/KtSx85vbXM

— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) January 20, 2024
Haslem’s time as a regular rotation player ended many years ago, but though he appeared in just 65 games combined over his final seven seasons, the Heat kept giving him a contract. If he hadn’t decided to retire at the end of last season, they probably would have given him another one. Instead, he moved to the front office, where he now runs their player development program.

“He was the glue,” Bam Adebayo said after the game. “A lot of people get lost in the stats, who averages the most, but he was the glue for everybody. And I feel like the glue guys are the most important guys on a team.”

All told, Haslem spent 20 seasons with the Heat after they signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He helped the team win three championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013, and made four other Finals appearances. He remains the franchise’s all-time leading rebounder with 5,791, and his 879 games played are second only to Wade.

“The Miami Heat organization, we will not only always celebrate his legacy, but we’ll educate people on his legacy,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And his legacy is important to the league as well. My hope is this gets acknowledged and recognized throughout the league … so this new generation of younger players can understand what being an all-time winner can look like.”

After the game, Haslem met with the media and summed up his feelings.

“When you come here and you look up in those rafters and you see the list of guys I’m sitting with, that’s what’s huge to me,” Haslem said of joining Chris Bosh, Wade, Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and Mourning as Heat players with retired numbers.

“That’s what makes me feel so amazing is the core group of guys I’m sitting with,” Haslem continued. “[Riley] ain’t just putting anybody up there. [Heat owner Micky Arison] ain’t just OKing anybody to go up in those rafters. To be in that group, to be in that family of guys, that’s what’s gonna be most memorable to me. All of those guys are Hall of Famers. I might not go in, but in my heart, in my soul, I’m just as appreciated in this organization.”

The Los Angeles Lakers’ inconsistent form continued on Friday with a 130-112 loss at home to the Brooklyn Nets. After taking a six-point lead into the break, they were outscored by 24 points in the second half, which prompted some sharp words from head coach Darvin Ham.

“Talk about the tale of two different halves,” Ham said. “That first half is what we’re working towards… And then the inconsistency showed up and reared its head in the second half… We have to decide which team we’re gonna be.”

“It’s over for the excuses,” Ham continued. “We got to play basketball.”

After a strong start to the season, which culminated in winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament in December, the Lakers have largely struggled. They’re 7-13 since the IST championship game, with multiple four-game losing streaks during this stretch. There have been positive flashes, including wins over the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder in recent weeks, but they haven’t been able to build on those performances.

The last time they won more than two games in a row was early December, and Friday night’s loss to the Nets was a microcosm of their issues.

In the first half the ball was popping (20 assists on 26 field goals and just four turnovers), they dominated in the paint (13-of-18 in the restricted area and 32 paint points) and knocked down open 3s (8-of-18). There was none of that in the second half. Their offense was a disaster, and because they weren’t locked in on the other end, they were eventually run out of the gym.

Perhaps the most damning aspect of the defeat was that their body language was so bad as things were falling apart that Doc Rivers even made note of it during the broadcast. They went from being on top of the world to down in the dumps in the span of a few hours.

With the loss, the Lakers fell back under .500 at 21-22, and are clinging to the 10th and final Play-In Tournament spot. At the close of Friday’s action they are half a game ahead of the 11th-place Houston Rockets and 1.5 games up on the 12th-place Golden State Warriors.

The New York Knicks (25-17) will wrap up their four-game homestand when they host the Toronto Raptors (16-26) on Saturday night. New York opened the homestand with a loss to Orlando, but it bounced back with wins over the Rockets and Wizards. Toronto has lost five of its last six games, falling to Chicago in a 116-110 final on Thursday. The Knicks are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, while the Raptors are in 12th.

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. New York is favored by 7.5 points in the latest Knicks vs. Raptors odds, while the over/under is 228 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Raptors vs. Knicks 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 enters Week 13 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 42-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Toronto vs. New York. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

Knicks vs. Raptors spread: Knicks -7.5
Knicks vs. Raptors over/under: 228 points
Knicks vs. Raptors money line: Knicks -306, Raptors +245
Knicks vs. Raptors picks: See picks here
Why the Knicks can cover
New York is off to an excellent start in January, winning eight of its last 10 games to move into fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Knicks edged the Wizards in a 113-109 final on Thursday, as Jalen Brunson poured in 41 points and dished out eight assists. Center Isaiah Hartenstein dominated the glass with 17 rebounds, while power forward Julius Randle finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

The Knicks began their current run when they activated OG Anunoby following a trade with the Raptors at the end of December. He is averaging 15.0 points per game, shooting 51.9% from the field and 43.5% from 3-point range. His defensive presence has also allowed the Knicks to hold opponents to 101 points per game over the last 10 games after allowing 113.9 points over their first 32 games.

Why the Raptors can cover
The Anunoby trade has also paid early returns for Toronto, which acquired RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second-round draft pick. Barrett and Quickley were both part of New York’s team that snapped a seven-year playoff drought in 2021 and helped the Knicks reach the second round last year for the second time this century. Quickley is averaging 18.0 points per game in Toronto’s starting lineup, shooting 45.2% from 3-point range.

Barrett is averaging 20.2 points per game and has upped his shooting percentage by more than 12 percent since joining the Raptors. He had 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists in a 121-97 win over Miami on Wednesday, while shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. scored a season-high 28 points on 10 of 13 shooting. The Raptors have won 14 of the last 20 meetings between these teams. See which team to pick here.

How to make Knicks vs. Raptors picks
The model has simulated Raptors vs. Knicks 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 almost 70% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

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.

How to make Stallions vs. Maulers picks
Hunt has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he’s leaning Under on the point total, he has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

The USFL is back for its second season — four decades after its original incarnation from 1984 to 1986 — and there will be a few changes.

All the league’s regular season games were held in Birmingham last year, but three new venues have been added to the mix for 2023: Memphis, Canton and Detroit. Birmingham, home to the defending champion Stallions, will also be a host.

The 10-week regular season kicks off on April 15. The top two teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs, with semifinals on June 24-25. The USFL Championship Game will be played in Canton on July 1.