The 2026 UFL season is back with Week 1 between Friday and Sunday. Will the Birmingham Stallions, under new head coach A.J. McCarron, open the season with a win? Will the D.C. Defenders begin their title defense with a win? And what about the new teams, such as the Orlando Storm and Louisville Kings, have in store for us?
Here are our best bets for the opening week of the regular season.
Birmingham Stallions vs. Louisville Kings -- Stallions -4.5 (-110)
The Stallions are the preseason favorites to win it all under McCarron's guidance, as he can use his previous NFL experience -- and also in spring football -- to take the Stallions to the next level. The Stallions have a lot of offensive talent on their roster, starting with Matt Corral under center and Deon Cain as the No. 1 wideout, but they should be solid defensively as well. As for the Kings, Louisville inherited much of the Memphis Showboats' roster -- and that was one of the worst teams in the UFL in 2025. With Jason Bean under center for Memphis, they shouldn't be much of a threat for the Stallions. Birmingham will probably monopolize possession and establish an early lead en route to a comfortable victory.
D.C. Defenders vs. St. Louis Battlehawks -- Over 44.5 points (-110)
The Defenders are the reigning champions, and they return the core of that title-winning group for the 2026 season, headlined by the presence of Jordan Ta'amu under center, with Deon Jackson, Ty Scott and Keke Coutee as the team's primary offensive weapons. However, it would be absolutely wrong to sleep on the Battlehawks, who have consistently been one of the best teams in the UFL in recent years, and that trend shouldn't change in 2026. It's hard to see how the Battlehawks will be on offense since they have a new head coach in Rickey Proehl, a new signal-caller in Brandon Silvers, and a new running back in Jarveon Howard. Both offenses are expected to be explosive, so we're leaning on the over here.
Columbus Aviators vs. Orlando Storm -- Storm -1.5 (+100)
Both the Aviators and the Storm will be making their UFL debuts in Week 1, but it seems Orlando is the better-equipped team to secure the win here. The Aviators will have a journeyman under center in Jalan McClendon, who started the final seven games for the Houston Roughnecks in 2025, throwing for 1,464 yards and six touchdowns with a 65.3 completion rate. Needless to say, those are far from being eye-popping numbers. As for the Storm, it's unclear who will get the nod since there's still a competition between Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jack Plummer, but one thing is certain: both options are better than McClendon. It will probably be a tight, sloppy game since both teams will be making their debuts in the competition, but the Storm have more individual talent, and that should put them over the top here.
