Fresh off a disappointing lost in week eight, the Battlehawks are heading to Houston in hopes of strengthening their claim for a playoff berth. St. Louis who currently sits at 5-3, will need a victory this weekend to clinch, along with a loss from the Kings, Defenders, or Stallions. Houston while their playoffs odds are slim to known, will need a win to stay relevant and alive in for their post-season hopes.
St. Louis Battlehawks vs. Houston Gamblers Week 9 Game Preview
Gameday Info
Date: Sunday, May 24th, 2026
Kickoff Time: 7:00 pm EST
Location: Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX Network: ESPN2
Game Betting Odds (via DraftKings)
Spread: Battlehawks -3
O/U Total: 42.5
Moneyline: Gamblers +136, Battlehawks -162
What to Watch for: St. Louis Battlehawks
St. Louis will need "more" from Luis Perez after a disappointing output in week eight, that ended in with a miscommunication during the final play of the game. With that being said, the Battlehawks did bring a Perez a familiar weapon in Sal Cannella to join Hakeem Butler, Jarveon Howard, and an emerging Steven McBride. With the continuity of the existing core, along with Perez's growing continuity, the Battlehawks could be primed offensively for a massive output this weekend.
Defensively, St. Louis is dealing with nagging injuries in the secondary to Jordan Mosley, and Trey Dean whose status for week nine is still unknown as of Friday afternoon. The team still has elite defenders in Sean Fresch, Pita Taumoepenu, and Carlos Davis all of which are playing at an All-UFL level.
What to Watch for: Houston Gamblers
For Houston, the outcome of this matchup will rely on two facets. Will Hunter Dekkers be able to continue to play at a consistent level, in addition to how can Defensive Coordinator Marvin Sanders follow up with his week eight performance.
Sanders was on the Renegades staff while Perez was their starting quarterback and seemed to have the inside track for success against his former quarterback. Going into week nine, while St. Louis could be considered a more talented football team position vs position, the inside track with Sanders could be the edge needed for the Gamblers.
Battlehawks-Gamblers Prediction
I considered last week to be a "lock" for the Battlehawks and obviously was proven incorrect with the St. Louis offense putting together an anemic performance. This week I do remain "bullish" on the Battlehawks however it is more about the difficulty of playing a team back-to-back weeks and still winning a ball game.
While the Battlehawks are extremely talented, it's clear that the team is still working through issues offensively with the team transitioning from Brandon Silvers to Harrison Frost, to now Luis Perez. Overall, I still think the team should be able to hold off Houston due to the connection and continuity between Sal Cannella and Perez.
Battlehawks 27, Gamblers 20