Professional football is back with the start of the 2022 USFL season. Eight teams will compete for the championship over 10 weeks in the regular season and two playoff rounds.

Because the USFL is in its first season, every team is viewed as a potential contender in Week 1. One team is favored to win the championship, though no one has worse than +800 odds at BetMGM.

The Michigan Panthers lead the way as +400 favorites at BetMGM to win the 2022 USFL championship. With the first pick in the USFL draft, the Panthers took quarterback Shea Patterson. Patterson threw for 45 touchdowns and 15 interceptions as the Michigan Wolverines quarterback in the 2018-2019 college football seasons.

Michigan also has quarterback Paxton Lynch on the roster. Lynch is the only USFL signal caller who has played a regular-season NFL game.

Jeff Fisher is Michigan’s head coach. Fisher went 173-165-1 as an NFL head coach with a trip to the Super Bowl.

The Tampa Bay Bandits are second with +450 odds to win the championship. Some believe Tampa Bay should be the USFL favorite because the team is led by quarterback Jordan Ta’amu. Ta’amu was one of the best players in the XFL before the league prematurely shut down in 2020.

Former NFL head coach and offensive coordinator Todd Haley is the Tampa Bay head coach.

The New Orleans Breakers are third with +500 championship odds. Breakers head coach Larry Fedora was the head coach at Southern Miss and North Carolina from 2008-2018 before spending the 2020 season as Baylor’s offensive coordinator. Kyle Sloter, who had success in the preseason with the Minnesota Vikings, is New Orleans’ quarterback.

The Philadelphia Stars and Pittsburgh Maulers both have +600 championship odds. Philadelphia has a pair of relatively unknown quarterbacks who played below Division 1 college football. Former Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta was drafted by the New York Giants and will lead Pittsburgh.

The Birmingham Stallions (+700), Houston Gamblers (+700) and New Jersey Generals (+800) have the worst odds.

The 2022 USFL Championship Game is scheduled for July 3.

Jordan Ta'amu USFL
Jordan Ta'amu #8 of the Detroit Lions warms up prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on August 21, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Joe Sargent/Getty Images
RELATED STORIES