After nine full weeks of spring football action, the USFL heads into the final week of its inaugural season. All playoff participants have punched their tickets and await their respective conference championship games. Many may think there’s nothing on the line in Week 10 of the USFL schedule. However, the league announced an added wrinkle for one game this week. Let’s look at who plays who in the final week of the USFL season.

USFL Week 10 schedule: TV channel, odds, and picks

The New Orleans Breakers completed their season sweep of the Tampa Bay Bandits to punch their ticket to Canton, Ohio. QB Kyle Sloter and RB Jordan Ellis lead their position groups in yards gained, and the defense has played well all season. More surprising was the Birmingham Stallions’ Week 9 loss to the Houston Gamblers. The Stallions’ first stumble of the season puts the top overall seed on the line in Week 10.

The New Jersey Generals sit at 8-1, tied with the Stallions for the best record in the USFL. If the Stallions win, they remain in the top spot in the USFL with their head-to-head win over New Jersey. Should the Bandits hand Birmingham its second straight loss, the Generals need a win to steal the USFL’s top seed in the last week of the season. Let’s take a deeper look at the Week 10 USFL schedule.

Philadelphia Stars (6-3) at New Jersey Generals (8-1)

• Start time: Noon ET, June 18
• Channel: USA
• Live stream options: fuboTV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV
• USFL odds: (Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
  • Spread: Generals -2.5
  • Moneyline: Generals -145, Stars +125
  • Over/Under: 41

The Philadelphia Stars needed a miracle from Michigan in Week 9 to poach first place in the North Division. Meanwhile, the Generals would not let their seven-game win streak end, scoring a late fourth-quarter touchdown to win the game. So while the North seeding is set in stone, the Generals can still become the top team in the league. The Stars, on the other hand, need a tune-up after an off Week 9.

Philadelphia went down to the wire with the Pittsburgh Maulers, winning by just one point. After Bart Andrus’ high-octane offense had churned the past few weeks, the Maulers put up noticeable resistance. Stars QB Case Cookus has pushed this offense to its best, along with the emergence of RB Matt Colburn II. The outcome of this game will depend on how many players the head coaches rest with their playoff spots secure, but the Generals keep the pressure on Birmingham in their attempt to be first in the USFL’s inaugural season.

Prediction: Stars 26, Generals 23

Birmingham Stallions (8-1) at Tampa Bay Bandits (4-5)

• Start time: 4 p.m. ET, June 18
• Channel: FOX
• Live stream options: fuboTV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV
• USFL odds: (Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
  • Spread: Stallions -3.5
  • Moneyline: Stallions -165, Bandits +140
  • Over/Under: 40.5

As hard as they tried, Tampa Bay head coach Todd Haley and the Bandits couldn’t find the answers in Week 9 to take down the Breakers. Now officially out of the playoffs, the Bandits head into the offseason looking for ways to join the party next season as a team on the cusp of playoff contention.

The Stallions, while winning, were struggling a bit with injuries and a watered-down performance. The Gamblers’ defense shocked everyone by turning Skip Holtz’s squad into a one-dimensional team. Birmingham is slated to take on the Breakers in the South Division Championship and must regain its consistency to earn an easy trip to the USFL Championship Game. The Stallions advance to 9-1, ending the season on a high note in preparation for the postseason.

Prediction: Stallions 24, Bandits 13

Michigan Panthers (1-8) at Pittsburgh Maulers (1-8)

• Start time: Noon ET, June 19
• Channel: USA
• Live stream options: fuboTV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV
• USFL odds: (Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
  • Spread: Panthers -2.5
  • Moneyline: Panthers -145, Maulers +125
  • Over/Under: 42

The first tilt on tap for the USFL’s Week 10 Sunday schedule has the highest stakes of the weekend. Michigan and Pittsburgh face off for the first pick in every round of the 2023 draft. As announced by USFL Executive Vice President Daryl Johnston, while both teams are 1-8 and typically the loser of this game would receive the first overall pick in the draft, the USFL is mixing things up. Instead, the winner of this game between 1-8 North Division foes will receive the first pick in every round.

The Maulers and Panthers performed valiantly in Week 9, giving the North’s playoff participants everything they had. Unfortunately, both franchises fell late in the game and could not find a final spark for their upsets. While both teams could have packed it in ahead of Week 10, the USFL has added some incentive to win this game, creating an incredible atmosphere in the final week of a rough season for these two teams.

The Panthers have looked to be the better of the two teams, but the Maulers’ defense is a force to be reckoned with, giving the league’s best offenses headaches. The Maulers pull off the upset and look forward to what steps the team can take to avoid consecutive losing seasons.

Prediction: Maulers 21, Panthers 17

New Orleans Breakers (6-3) at Houston Gamblers (2-7)

• Start time: 8:30 p.m. ET, June 19
• Channel: FS1
• Live stream options: fuboTV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV
• USFL odds: (Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
  • Spread: Generals -7.5
  • Moneyline: Generals -350, Panthers +270
  • Over/Under: 47.5

The Breakers’ win in Week 9 clinched their playoff birth and saved them from any late-season shenanigans at the hands of the Bandits. Meanwhile, the Gamblers’ surprising Week 9 victory over Birmingham might’ve done them more harm than good.

Solely speculation, however, Houston’s second victory meant there were just two teams tied for last place in the USFL. It’s fair to assume that if the Gamblers had lost in Week 9 and been 1-8, the battle for the first pick would have never been proposed.

Breakers HC Larry Fedora yanked Kyle Sloter last week in favor of former Tulsa QB Zach Smith. While Sloter leads the league in passing yards, his performance as of late has been underwhelming. Couple that with the defense’s inconsistency over the past few weeks, and the Breakers have their work cut out for them heading into the postseason. The defense found its legs again in Week 9, but Fedora and offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone have just one game left to crack the code on what’s causing Sloter’s struggles.

Prediction: Breakers 24, Gamblers 16