SportsLine football expert Emory Hunt has determined the best bets you can make for Week 9 of the 2026 UFL season
By James Holliman May 21, 2026 at 10:17 am ET • 3 min read
Imagn Images There are two games left in the 2026 UFL season, and Week 9 features the game of the year so far when the league-leading Orlando Storm visit the second-place and defending league champions D.C. Defenders on Friday. The Storm beat the Dallas Renegades 31-24 last Friday to move to 6-2, while the Defenders dropped to 5-3 with a 33-30 loss to the Louisville Kings. Week 9 UFL action kicks off Friday with Storm vs. Defenders at 8 p.m ET, and Saturday features the Birmingham Stallions (4-4) vs. Columbus Aviators (2-6) at 3 p.m. ET. The Sunday UFL schedule kicks off at 4 p.m. ET with Louisville (4-4) hosting the Renegades (3-5), and Week 9 wraps up with the St. Louis Battlehawks (5-3) visiting the Houston Gamblers (3-5) at 7 p.m. ET.
If you have an interest in wagering on UFL Week 9 games, you have to see what SportsLine football expert Emory Hunt has to say. Born and raised in New Orleans, Hunt played running back at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and coached high school football before starting Football Gameplan, an in-depth analysis site. Over the past three seasons, Hunt is 132-111-2 on NFL bets. Here's a look at his picks for Week 9 of the UFL season.
Use the latest DraftKings promo code to tail Hunt's Week 9 UFL picks.
UFL Week 9 bets
- D.C. +2.5 vs. Orlando
- Birmingham -1.5 vs. Columbus
- Louisville -1.5 vs. Dallas
- St. Louis -3 vs. Houston
D.C. +2.5 vs. Orlando
The Defenders will lean on the combination of Spencer Sanders and Jason Bean at QB, trying to overcome the season-ending loss of Jordan Ta'amu to injury. Look for Bean to give them exactly what they need to keep going on that side of the ball. While the Storm have been steady, the lack of a consistent run game concerns me a bit. Expect the Defenders to come out swinging early in this game, treating it as a playoff matchup, and I'm also leaning toward the Under at 46.5 points.
Birmingham -1.5 vs. Columbus
We just saw this matchup last week in Birmingham, where the Stallions overwhelmed the Aviators' offense in the second half. Therein lies the difference between the two teams. The Stallions seem like a team that has played together for years, while the Aviators feel like the expansion team they are. Even in a rematch game, I don't expect Columbus to make the quick adjustments necessary to overcome the talent the Stallions possess on both sides of the ball. This is another lean to the Under, with the points total set at 43.5.
Louisville -1.5 vs. Dallas
Louisville feels like a team that will cause a significant problem in the postseason, as it is peaking at the right time. If the Kings win out, they'll make the postseason and could end up in D.C. for the championship game. The difference between these teams right now is QB play. Chandler Rogers is playing lights-out and with extreme confidence; conversely, Austin Reed hasn't played the MVP-caliber ball he played earlier this season. Though I thought we saw glimpses of the old Reed last week against Orlando. This is a classic situation where two teams are heading in different directions and the Kings will reign supreme. I'd also expect this to go Under the 46.5 points.
St. Louis -3 vs. Houston
Houston pulled off a shocker last week in St. Louis by beating the Battlehawks. Offensively, the Gamblers operated with much more efficiency than we've seen all season. Defensively, I've always felt they feed off the offense's effectiveness, and that was the case last week. Sometimes it takes getting punched in the mouth for a team to respond, and I fully expect the Battlehawks to bounce back on the road in a rematch with the Gamblers. This one looks like it could be another that goes Under, even with the lower 42.5 point total.
Join the Conversation comments
