New Jersey Generals vs Michigan Panthers Week 9 Predictions, Odds, Best Bets

• The NJ Generals are playoff bound and QB Luis Perez continues to impress 
• The playoff-eliminated Michigan Panthers are now playing for pride & paycheck only
• Watch Generals vs Panthers live on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at 1:00 PM ET on NBC

Generals vs Panthers Odds

Odds taken from BetMGM. Click on the links below to head to the sportsbook and place your bet.

Generals vs Panthers Pick

Expect Michigan to cover the spread here as New Jersey the clinched team could rest some starters in the second half.

Michigan Panthers -7.5 (-115)

It’s Week 9 in the USFL’s regular season and the first game out of the gate is a North Division battle between the 7-1 New Jersey Generals who have clinched a playoff spot and the 1-7 Michigan Panthers who will be watching postseason games from the comfort of their couches.

In Week 8, the Generals took full advantage of their one-win Divisional opponent, the Pittsburgh Maulers, and toppled them 29-18 after dominating the scoreboard during the game, and QB Luis Perez continues to impress as does NJ’s defense which keeps opponents to 17 pts/game.

Last week, it really looked like the Panthers might win their second game of the season when they got within a field goal of the Philly Stars to start the second half, but Michigan’s defense fell apart and allowed 25 second-half points, this playoff-eliminated team now playing for pride only.

Here are our best predictions, odds, and picks for Generals vs Panthers – good luck, win big!

New Jersey Generals vs Michigan Panthers Predictions

Can the Generals Dominant Rush Attack Thrive Against Panthers?

After eight spring football games, the New Jersey Generals rushing attack is ranked first in the league with almost 300 attempts for 1,320 yards on the ground and 16 rushing TDs averaging 165 yards worth of runs per matchup, a major part of HC Mike Riley’s offensive game plan.

A major reason for the Generals’ success on the ground is RB Darius Victor, a dual-threat headache for any defense, now currently leading the league in production at his position with 113 carries for 524 yards and 9 rushing TDs, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, his longest for 23.

Jersey faces a Panthers defense that keeps the opposition to just under 120 yards per game, a worthy force for the Generals to practice running against, that a necessary focus if they expect to succeed in the upcoming postseason when the competition and stakes will be higher.

Can Panthers QB Paxton Lynch Come Back and Win?

Going into halftime down by just a field goal last week made it look like returning QB Paxton Lynch had made a difference for the one-win Michigan Panthers, the 6’ 7” 244 pound giant former NFL hurler finally released from the inactive roster he was on due to a leg injury.

Lynch, who started 4 games for the NFL’s Denver Broncos back in 2016 and 2017 and threw as many TDs (4) as he did INTs (4) in those outings, a similar problem to what he suffered last week against the Stars when he threw for a pair of TDs and INTs in the loss, the team’s 7th.

The Panthers will face the Generals who are tough against the run (allow 75 yds per game) while against the pass they rank lower (allow 183.8 yds per game), so Lynch will have to find success against a Jersey defense that keeps opponents to just 17 points per game.

Generals Key Player: (QB) Luis Perez

One of the most accurate USFL QBs this season has been NJ Generals starter Luis Perez, who in seven games has completed almost 72 percent of his passes, proof that he gets the ball to wherever he’s aiming at with 100 completions off 139 targets for 970 yards and 5 TDs.

More proof of Perez’s accuracy as a thrower is that he has only posted one interception this year after only gathering as a team a few weeks before the first game of the season, a sign that the 27-year old Texas A&M Commerce alum is a big reason his Generals are playoff-bound.

Week 9 will be fun to watch Perez play since he takes on a Panthers defense that keeps opponents to just 167 passing yards per game, a worthy opponent to tune up against with just 2 more games until the playoffs, and OC Steve Smith and Perez will no doubt take advantage.

Panthers Key Player: (WR) Lance Lenoir Jr.

For Panthers QB Lynch to find the success he needs talented receivers to target, and for that, he has Lance Lenoir Jr., a 27-year old former Western Illinois player who spent some time in a few NFL camps (Cowboys, Seahawks, Bills) as an undrafted free agent, and a 2x All-MFVC.

Last week Lenoir caught eight passes off 12 targets for 64 yards (8 yards per catch), and on the season he is ranked second in the league in production after having caught 40 passes off 71 targets for 413 yards and a touchdown, a moderately fast player who is tough to tackle.

At 6’ 0” and 210 pounds, Lenoir can use his size to get a solid release at the line of scrimmage, to battle for contested catches, and to earn extra yards after the catch (149 YAC), his longest reception this season a 41-yarde with more to come as he and Lynch continue to meld.

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