Week 3 XFL Best Bets

Who else has been wildly impressed with the new XFL? The rule changes, the experimentation and the action on the field has been a joy to watch and it seems like the duo of Vince MacMahon and Oliver Luck is in firm control of the present and the future, which is exciting for all of us who can’t get enough of the game of football. So far, the Houston Roughnecks and D.C. Defenders are the 2-0 teams while the Los Angeles Wildcats and Tampa Bay Vipers sit at the bottom of the standings at 0-2. The St. Louis BattleHawks, Dallas Renegades, Seattle Dragons and New York Guardians all check in at 1-1 heading into Week 3. 

On Saturday, the Vipers host the Roughnecks at 2:00pm EST on ABC followed by a 5:00pm EST showdown between the Renegades and Dragons in Seattle televised on FOX. On Sunday, the Battlehawks host the Guardians at 3:00pm EST for ESPN’s telecast, followed by a matchup in LA between the Wildcats and Defenders at 6:00pm EST on FS1. Watch this Week 2 highlight video below to get pumped up and then let's break down the three best bets of the week!

Defenders (-8) at Wildcats

Sunday 2/23/20, 6:00pm EST (FS1)

After allowing 19 points to Seattle in Week 1, the Defenders shut out New York in Week 2. D.C. has the makeup of a quality XFL team. Cardale Jones is arguably an NFL-ready quarterback and might be the best in the entire XFL. Rashad Ross, Eli Rogers and DeAndre Thompkins make up a talented receiving corps while Donnel Pumphrey and Jhurrel Pressley combine to make up a dynamic backfield. They’ve been sound defensively. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are coming off a disappointing home loss to the Renegades despite gaining the services of quarterback Josh Johnson, who missed Week 1 due to an injury. If you recall, the XFL blocked Johnson from signing with the Detroit Lions during the end of the NFL regular season, so he’s another NFL-caliber QB in this league. However, he didn’t make much of an impact outside of his two touchdown passes in Week 2, completing 18-of-34 passes for 198 yards through the air. Against arguably the best defense in the XFL and with a lack of reliable offensive game-breakers outside of wideout Nelson Spruce, it’s easy to see the Wildcats falling to the Defenders at Dignity Health Sports Park (the home of the LA Galaxy). Judging by the fact that one of the largest sports markets in the United States essentially ignored the Los Angeles Chargers (and to a lesser extent the Rams) play last season, don’t expect much of a home-field advantage for the Wildcats.

Roughnecks (-275) at Vipers

Saturday 2/22/20, 2:00pm EST (ABC)

Fans at Raymond James Stadium during the NFL season had to deal with Jameis Winston’s proficiency of throwing to opposing defenses as recently as a couple months ago. Unfortunately for the Vipers, Coach Marc Trestman has former AAF backup Aaron Murray (who is banged up), Taylor Cornelius (who struggled in his first start) and Quinton Flowers (who is a run-first option best suited for designed packages) to choose from as far as the quarterback position is concerned. Sorry, Tampa Bay. Since the XFL has been a quarterback-first league so far, the fact that the Vipers have given up the fewest yards in the league defensively doesn’t matter, especially this early on. Think about this: XFL MVP frontrunner P.J. Walker has already thrown seven touchdowns to just one interception so far. The three Vipers quarterbacks have combined to throw no touchdowns with five interceptions. While Tampa Bay’s defense has been solid, their offensive woes and lack of talent at the quarterback position should allow the Roughnecks to move to 3-0. 

UNDER 40.5: Guardians at BattleHawks

Sunday 2/23/20, 3:00pm EST (ESPN)

After managing 23 points in Week 1, the Guardians put up a goose egg on the road against the Defenders last week. After starting 8-for-19 for 44 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, talkative quarterback Matt McGloin was benched for Marquise Williams, who went 4-for-8 for 50 yards in relief. However, the Guardians offense as a whole was a complete failure from start to finish, which doesn’t exactly paint an optimistic picture for them against the BattleHawks, who nearly beat the Roughnecks in Houston, losing 28-24 last week. What’s evident about this BattleHawks offense is that they’re going to run the football. Last week, quarterback Jordan Ta’amu went 30-for-37 for 284 yards, but also ran the ball eight times for 32 yards and a touchdown. The team ran the ball 35 more times as well. In Week 1, St. Louis ran the ball 41 times compared to 27 passes. Due to New York’s offensive woes last week and St. Louis’ preference to run the ball (which will keep the clock moving), I love the under in this game, even if it’s the lowest on the slate. As 10-point favorites (the heaviest on the slate), the BattleHawks are expected to be in firm control of this game, which lends itself to a ground-heavy game script with clock management in mind.