The second UFL season is underway, and week one is now in the record books. The biggest news of week one was the DC Defenders upsetting the Birmingham Stallions 18-11.
The Stallions dominated the UFL last year and won their third straight pro football spring championship. The Stallions are under .500 for the first time in three years and have as many losses as last season.
The Defenders are one of the teams that lost their head coach this offseason and are currently led by interim head coach Shannon Harris. The Defenders defense dominated the Stallions in the season opener with eight sacks and two turnovers.
Harris said after the game, “Our defense was outstanding; any time you can contain these guys the way we did today — you’re talking about the three-time champs. We have a lot of respect for these guys.” Harris added, “Coach (Skip) Holtz has done well with that organization. Hats off to those guys, but our guys wanted it more.”
“Very emotional win for these guys.”@XFLDefenders Interim Head Coach Shannon Harris spoke with @HDouglas83 after their big win 👇 pic.twitter.com/kBmRF2uY3W
— United Football League (@TheUFL) March 30, 2025
Betting On The UFL
Game lines and futures for the XFL and USFL divisions are available from online sports betting sites. Below are some of the future odds offered by Bovada’s online sportsbook.
UFL Championship Game Winner 2025
- Birmingham Stallions +225
- Louis BattleHawks +325
- Arlington Renegades +425
- DC Defenders +450
- Michigan Panthers +500
- San Antonio Brahmas +1800
- Memphis Showboats +3000
- Houston Roughnecks +3500
As you can see, the Stallions are still favored to win the UFL Championship despite their week one loss to the Defenders. Game lines have been populating a few days before the weekend’s competitions and are currently unavailable.
TV Ratings For Week One
The UFL was in direct competition with TV viewers for the NCAA March Madness tournament, and data has only been released for the Battlehawks vs. Roughnecks Friday night game. The ratings from FOX indicate an average of 690k viewers, with a peak of 844k viewers. While dismal viewership for week one, the UFL is expecting an increase in ratings this weekend as more fans tune in after the end of March Madness.