With the UFL regular season complete, the St. Louis Battlehawks get ready to host the Louisville Kings who finished the year 6-1 (after a 0-3 start), in opening round of the 2026 playoffs. St. Louis who boasts one of the league's best defenses, has struggled to find any continuity on offense undergoing three quarterback changes throughout the year. The Kings under Head Coach Chris Redman, underwent massive changes for the franchise, allowing the team to refocus under QB Chandler Rogers, and a whole new starting offensive line.
Louisville Kings vs. St. Louis Battlehawks Playoff Preview
Gameday Info
Date: Friday, June 7th, 2026
Kickoff Time: 6:00 pm EST FOX
Location: The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, MO
Game Betting Odds (via DraftKings)
Spread: Battlehawks -2.5
O/U Total: 46.5
Moneyline: Kings +110, Battlehawks -130
What to Watch for: St. Louis Battlehawks
Can St. Louis get comfortable on offense. While many can expect an outstanding defensive effort, the team has failed to put together drives and showed continuity on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Luis Perez has continued to struggle, and with the implementation of the "Air-Raid" offense, the Battlehawks haven't found the right pieces to make fans feel like the team has played a complete game.
Going into the playoffs, St. Louis will "ride and die" with Luis Perez as the "spring king" owns the most amount of success/experience on the roster, in the hopes of the getting over the hump and earning a championship berth. The team will hopefully lean on Jarveon Howard on the ground, to allow All-UFL wide receiver Hakeem Butler plenty of opportunities throughout the game. While the offense hasn't been as effective as fans would hope, the team has seen an emerging star in Steven McBride whose been one of Perez's favorite targets. McBride has totaled at least 75 receiving yards in the last three games all with Perez at the helm.
Defensively, despite the Battlehawks being injured in the secondary, the front seven has continued to dominate totaling over 30 sacks in 2026. Under Taumoepenu, and Travis Feeney, the Battlehawks pass rush will have to keep the Kings guessing through the air as the team registered 6 sacks on 38 drop backs in week six. While the Kings managed to turn out one of the more effective rushing attacks in the UFL, the Battlehawks managed to stifle the Kings in week six, with St. Louis holding the Kings to 12 rushing yards on 13 carries. For the Battlehawks, the defense will have to step up in the hopes of keeping the offense competitive and in the game for a playoff victory.
What to Watch for: Louisville Kings
The Kings will have to rebound from their week six loss, in which they only amassed 12 rushing yards on 13 carries. Over the year, with the rushing combination of James Robinson, and Ian Wheeler have propelled the Kings to the playoffs while also allowing quarterback Chandler Rogers to utilize his talented receivers.
It's no secret this Battlehawks teams' strength is their defense however, the Kings have plenty of weapons on the perimeter that could take advantage of an injured defensive secondary. Coupled with a new-look offensive line, the Kings may be able to see an improvement in their rushing attack with five new starters in the unit.
The Kings defense will be led by MVP/DPOY candidate Cam Gill, who owns the UFL single season sack record enroute to an NFL resurgence. The Kings will have the advantage with Gill, who should be able to take advantage of a less than mobile Perez, and less than stellar offensive tackles. The Kings also have possibly one of the more underrated secondaries in the UFL led by Cam Dantzler, and Corey Mayfield who led the league in interceptions enroute to an All-UFL selection.
Kings-Battlehawks Prediction
A lot of questions on both sides for both of these teams going into this playoff matchup. IF Perez can rekindle his 2023 magic, IF the Kings can run the ball effectively, IF Cam Gill can keep pressure on the Perez, IF Hakeem Butler is isolated in the slot, are all questions that will be answered later Sunday evening. This game will come down to a defensive battle that may be decided by special teams outputs. Look for the game to come down to kickers this Sunday, and the Kings have an absolute unit in Tanner Brown. With that being said, the Kings in my opinion edge out St. Louis due to their strong defense, strong clock management, and a bit of luck advancing to the United Bowl.
Kings 22, Battlehawks 17