26 Feb

2024 NBA picks, Feb. 22 best bets from proven model

The Phoenix Suns (33-22) travel to play the Dallas Mavericks (32-23) on Thursday evening. This is the third matchup of the season between these foes after they’ve split the first two, and on Jan. 24, Phoenix beat Dallas 132-109. The Mavericks have hit the Under in 20 of their last 30 games, while the Suns have hit the 1H money line in 23 of their last 35 away games. Bradley Beal (hamstring) is questionable for Phoenix.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Mavs are 1.5-point favorites in the latest Suns vs. Mavericks odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 245 according to SportsLine consensus. Before making any Mavericks vs. Suns picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer 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.

Now, the model has set its sights on Suns vs. Mavericks. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Mavericks vs. Suns:

Suns vs. Mavericks spread: Dallas -1.5
Suns vs. Mavericks over/under: 245 points
Suns vs. Mavericks money line: Dallas -123, Phoenix +103
PHO: The Suns are 5-1 ATS in their last six games
DAL: The Mavericks are 4-1 ATS in their last five games played on a Thursday
Suns vs. Mavericks picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Suns can cover
Guard Beal (questionable) is getting more into the flow as the season goes on. Beal has good shooting range to stretch out the defense while getting to the lane regularly. The Florida product logs 18.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. In the Feb. 8 win over the Jazz, Beal had 30 points and seven assists.

Guard Grayson Allen fits into his role perfectly. Allen can get hot in a flash due to his jumper and does a good job slashing to the rim. The Duke product averages 12.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per contest. On Feb. 13, Allen had 19 points, four assists, and made two threes. See who to back at SportsLine.

Why the Mavericks can cover
Guard Luka Doncic is one of the best playmakers in the game. Doncic doesn’t beat defenders with his athleticism but does it with his IQ instead. The five-time All-Star leads the NBA in scoring (34.2) and ranks third in assists (9.5). In his last outing, Doncic finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.

Guard Kyrie Irving is another fearless force in the backcourt. Irving uses his shifty ball handles and utilizes his sweet jumper to space out the floor. The Duke product logs 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. In the Feb. 14 meeting against the Spurs, Irving notched 34 points, nine boards, and seven assists. See who to back at SportsLine.

How to make Mavericks vs. Suns picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 242 points. The model also says one side hits in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.

26 Feb

Bucks star to miss at least two more games with ankle sprain

Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton will miss at least the next two games with an ankle sprain, head coach Doc Rivers told reporters on Thursday. The Bucks are set to return to action after the All-Star break against the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, before traveling to take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

The Bucks have never given an official timeline for Middleton, who has not played since the team’s loss to the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 6. He left the arena that night on crutches and in a walking boot, according to Eric Nehm.

About six minutes into the matchup with the Suns, Middleton had the ball on the wing and was guarded by Kevin Durant. He worked himself into a rhythm, pulled up for a 3-pointer, and landed on Durant’s foot. His left ankle rolled violently, and he collapsed to the floor in obvious pain.

After briefly reviewing the monitor, the officials upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 1 on Durant. Middleton took the flagrant free throws himself — he went 1-of-2 — and briefly remained in the game. However, he was not moving well and checked out at the next dead ball. He immediately went back to the locker room with the Bucks’ medical staff and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

It’s still unclear when Middleton will return to action, and it’s not surprising the Bucks are taking the cautious route given his health problems in recent years.

Dating back to the 2022 playoffs, when he sprained the MCL in his left knee in the first round, Middleton has been a regular on the injured list. He’s dealt with a myriad of upper and lower body problems and has undergone two surgeries — one on his wrist and another on his knee last summer. So far this season he has missed 13 games and played in both ends of a back-to-back just once.

Having Middleton healthy for the postseason will be paramount for a Bucks team that is still hopeful of competing for a title despite a rocky 3-7 start under Rivers.

26 Feb

2024 NBA picks, Feb. 22 best bets from proven model

The Golden State Warriors won’t have to contend with LeBron James when they return from the All-Star break to host the Pacific Division-rival Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. James is out against Golden State due to an ankle injury that sidelined him at Utah in Los Angeles’ final game prior to the break. The Lakers (30-26) still defeated the Jazz 138-122 for their sixth win in seven overall contests and fourth straight on the road. The Warriors (27-26) also have won six of seven after posting a 140-137 triumph at Utah last Thursday.

Tip-off at Chase Center in San Francisco is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET. Golden State is a 6-point favorite in the latest Warriors vs. Lakers odds, according to SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 243.5. Before making any Lakers vs. Warriors picks or NBA predictions, you need to see what SportsLine’s advanced computer model has to say.

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.

Now, the model has set its sights on Warriors vs. Lakers. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Lakers vs. Warriors:

Warriors vs. Lakers spread: Golden State -6
Warriors vs. Lakers over/under: 243.5 points
Warriors vs. Lakers money line: Golden State -238, Los Angeles +193
GSW: The Warriors are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games
LAL: The Lakers are 12-16 ATS on the road this season
Warriors vs. Lakers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Warriors can cover
Klay Thompson had one of his best offensive performances of the season in Golden State’s victory at Utah as he scored a season-high 35 points off the bench. The 34-year-old shooting guard, who eclipsed the 15,000-point mark for his career, was 7-for-13 from 3-point range and also grabbed six rebounds as he entered as a reserve for the first time since his 2011-12 rookie season. Thompson was just 5-for-23 from beyond the arc over his previous three contests.

Thompson scored 24 points in Golden State’s first meeting with Los Angeles this campaign, a 145-144 double-overtime loss at home on Jan. 27, while Stephen Curry led all players with 46 points. The 35-year-old Curry also eclipsed the 40-point mark in the Warriors’ last home game, recording 41 in a 130-125 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 14. He made nine 3-pointers in that defeat and is 36-for-67 from beyond the arc over his last four contests. See who to back at SportsLine.

Why the Lakers can cover
With James unable to play, more will be expected of Anthony Davis, who leads Los Angeles in scoring with an average of 24.9 points. The 30-year-old Davis also came up with a strong performance in the first meeting with the Warriors, scoring 29 points while pulling down 13 rebounds. It was one of the 42 double-doubles recorded this season by Davis, who is fourth in the league in that category while ranking third in rebounds (12.2) and fifth in blocks (2.5).

Davis is coming off an effort against Utah in which he registered game highs of 37 points and 15 boards. Fellow power forward Rui Hachimura set a career high of 36 points on 13-of-19 shooting in that contest. The Lakers are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings against Golden State and they’ve won nine of their last 11 games played in February. See who to back at SportsLine.

How to make Warriors vs. Lakers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 241 points. The model also says one side hits in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.

24 Jan

Hornets’ LaMelo Ball remains top fantasy target for Friday amid hot streak

Seven games will make up Friday’s NBA schedule. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam will play together for the first time ever, but we’re focused elsewhere ahead of the weekend. Two players recently made comebacks from injuries and could end up being some of the most optimal players available. Among them is star Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball.

Are you looking for strong returns? Here’s who you should keep an eye on as you look to build lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel:

Ball wasted no time putting up big numbers after returning from an ankle injury to face the San Antonio Spurs. He tallied 28 points, three rebounds, five assists, and five steals in his first appearance of 2024. He went on to average 25.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists over his next two games. San Antonio won’t have Victor Wembanyama this time around, so Ball could play more minutes in a more competitive game.

The Atlanta Hawks will face the Miami Heat without Trae Young on Friday, so Murray will take over as the primary ball handler. The highly sought-after trade target has a chance to show what he can do running the show ahead of February’s deadline, and he shouldn’t disappoint. Murray’s averaging 26.5 points, 9.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds without his backcourt partner this season. He can flourish against Miami’s lackluster defensive guards.

Carter Jr. was demoted to a bench role earlier in January after returning from an injury and will stay in one for the Orlando Magic’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. Goga Bitadze should have a tough time keeping up with one of the league’s most physical scorers. Joel Embiid is sure to be aggressive early and look to draw fouls, so Carter Jr.’s defensive prowess could be called on quickly. He’s averaged a double-double against Embiid since joining the Magic.

24 Jan

Bulls star out at least 1-2 weeks with right ankle sprain, per report

Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine will miss at least one-to-two weeks with a right ankle sprain, according to Shams Charania. LaVine, who had only recently returned from a five-week absence with a right foot injury, was hurt during the team’s win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.

Early in the third quarter, LaVine was driving to the basket when he stepped on the foot of Raptors big man Jontay Porter Jr. and rolled his ankle. He hobbled off the floor and threw a towel in frustration as he made his way back to the locker room immediately. He later returned to action but was not moving well and only played seven minutes in the second half.

Zach Lavine is heading to the locker room after twisting his ankle 😬 pic.twitter.com/E2vNDpL3Ph

— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) January 19, 2024
This was LaVine’s seventh game back after his long-term absence earlier in the season. In late November, he left the team’s loss to the Boston Celtics with what the team termed “right foot inflammation.” His spell on the sidelines spurred a turnaround, as the team went 10-7 without him, which only made it more likely that both sides would look for a potential trade.

Though LaVine should be back on the court prior to the Feb. 8 trade deadline, this latest injury figures to lessen what was already rather meager interest in the two-time All-Star. There just aren’t that many teams interested in acquiring LaVine due to his massive contract — he’s in the second year of a five-year, $215M deal — and poor play this season. And those that do want him may require the Bulls to attach assets to get the deal done, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.

Still, the Bulls’ front office is expected to keep exploring a deal as long as possible. Here’s what Brian Windhorst of ESPN had to say on the matter earlier this month: “If they could trade Zach LaVine in the next five minutes they would trade him and Zach would happily go to the airport. I don’t think anything has changed there, I think they absolutely want to trade him.”

In the meantime, the Bulls should be OK until he returns to the court, especially with their upcoming schedule. Over the next few weeks, they’ll play the severely shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Charlotte Hornets, and have just one game against a team with a winning record.

24 Jan

Dejounte Murray, Jordan Clarkson, Jerami Grant among top names drawing interest

NBA trade discussions are heating up ahead of the league’s Feb. 8 deadline, and it’s possible that we haven’t seen the last of this year’s major moves. Several teams are still looking to make roster changes for the back half of 2023-24 and rumors are swirling around a few notable names. We’ll go over the latest news.

Milwaukee Bucks kicking the tires on Dejounte Murray
The Bucks were deemed the early winners of the offseason when they shipped off Jrue Holiday in a deal that brought Damian Lillard to town. However, they might not be done making upgrades. Milwaukee has emerged as one of the teams interested in acquiring Murray, according to a report from Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. The Bucks’ once-elite defense has struggled at times this campaign and Murray could provide a much-needed boost as a pest on the perimeter. Whether Milwaukee has the assets to make such a deal remains to be seen. The Los Angeles Lakers are also among Murray’s strongest suitors.

New York Knicks interested in Jordan Clarkson
The Knicks made a splash when they unexpectedly sent RJ Barrett to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby and want to add guard depth as well. New York feels that it needs to bolster its front-court following the departure of Immanuel Quickley, and Clarkson is one of their preferred targets, according to a report from Marc Stein. The Utah Jazz combo guard is thriving in a backup role behind Collin Sexton and could provide a scoring spark off the bench for a Knicks squad that’s short on primary ball handlers. New York has also been linked to Malcolm Brogdon, Terry Rozier and Alec Burks. Quentin Grimes is among the players most likely to be traded if the Knicks find a suitable deal.

Portland Trail Blazers content with keeping Jerami Grant
Grant is nearly halfway through the first season of a five-year, $160 million deal, and it doesn’t seem like he’s headed anywhere new anytime soon. The 29-year-old wing is viewed as an important piece during Portland’s rebuild and GM Joe Cronin would prefer that he stays on board to provide mentorship, according to a dispatch from the Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin. Multiple teams are interested in Grant, who’s averaging just shy of his career-high in points and shooting 41.2% from long range. As Grant told Highkin, “I’m cool here. I’m good with what I’m doing.” And that will appear to be the case moving forward.

24 Jan

Chet Holmgren’s Thunder teammates show up for his high school jersey retirement

Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren was back in his old stomping grounds on Friday night to have his high school jersey retired at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis. The Rookie of the Year candidate was joined by nearly the entire Thunder organization with the team in town to play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

The ceremony took place prior to Minnehaha’s matchup with Providence Academy. After receiving his framed No. 34 jersey, Holmgren took the mic to say thank you to the packed house.

“I don’t got too many words for everybody,” Holmgren said. “I don’t want to keep these two teams from playing any longer than I already have. I’d just like to say thank you to everybody. I’ve been trying to make my rounds to say hi to everybody, but I probably won’t be able to make it to everyone, so this is my chance to say thank you to everybody who helped give me the opportunity to become who I am and to make this possible for me.

“I just want my jersey to be on the wall as an example to the standard that should be kept for everybody who walks through the doors of this school. If you help uphold that standard, it might not help get your jersey retired, but it will help you do great things in life. So, again, thank you everybody for coming.”

Chet Holmgren and his Thunder teammates posing with his No. 34 jersey pic.twitter.com/p6lGFg31Mb

— Joel Lorenzi (@jxlorenzi) January 20, 2024
Holmgren was a dominant force in high school, helping Minnehaha win four state championships in four years. In his senior season, he averaged 20.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.7 blocks per game en route to earning numerous national player of the year honors, Mr. Basketball in Minnesota and a McDonald’s All-American appearance.

After one season at Gonzaga, Holmgren was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but ended up missing his entire first season with a foot injury. This campaign, he’s finally been able to put his talents on full display at the highest level. He’s averaging 17.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, while shooting 38.5% from 3-point land. If it wasn’t for the presence Victor Wembanyama, he’d be the runaway Rookie of the Year.

21 Jan

Here’s who’s in, who’s out and everything to know entering Week 10

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.

21 Jan

Here’s a look at how all eight teams stack up in both divisions as regular season ends

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.

21 Jan

Breakers-Stallions rematch, Panthers-Maulers surprise

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.