Did you know that the “under” has gone 6-2 through the first two weeks of XFL play? That makes some sense, as offenses take some time to work out the kinks in a brand-new league that did not feature a preseason. The D.C. Defenders and the Houston Roughnecks lead the East and West Divisions, respectively, with 2-0 records. St. Louis, New York, Seattle and Dallas are all 1-1, while Tampa Bay and Los Angeles are bringing up the rear in the two divisions, still looking for their first wins of the season. We have sports betting spreads and point totals for each of the four games as well as thoughts about each matchup. Let’s see how the XFL betting odds will be for this Week 3.
2020 XFL Week 3 Odds & Preview
Saturday, February 22
Houston Roughnecks (-5.5) at Tampa Bay Vipers (O/U 47) (2:00 pm ET, ABC)
Houston continues to get solid play from quarterback P.J. Walker. He threw three touchdown passes, all of them to Cam Phillips. The Roughnecks had their defense tested a bit by St. Louis, but they were able to hold on for a 28-24 win. A key for Houston is their running game, as they ran the ball 17 times, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. That gives Walker more time in the pocket as opponents have to respect the draw play instead of pinning their ears back and going all-out on the pass rush.
Tampa Bay opened up a 9-0 lead in their Week 2 battle against Seattle, but they ended up giving up that lead and falling to 0-2. Aaron Murray is still injured, so the quarterback job is split between Taylor Cornelius and Quinton Flowers. Neither of them played particularly well, as they went 19 for 34 combined for 172 yards and three picks. Tailback Jacques Patrick did run for 73 yards and Marcelis Branch notched a dozen tackles, but the offense is still a mess.
Final Score Prediction: Houston 31, Tampa Bay 16
Dallas Renegades (-4.5) at Seattle Dragons (44.5) (5:00 pm ET, FOX)
Landry Jones returned from injury to make his first start at quarterback for the Renegades. He threw for 305 yards and a score but also had a pair of interceptions in Dallas’ first win. Cameron Artis-Payne ran for 99 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.1 yards per carry. He scored the final touchdown of the game with just over a minute remaining in regulation. Tight end Donald Parham also had a big game, hauling in five catches for 76 yards and a score. With Jones back, Dallas’ offense should keep rolling.
Seattle had a nice comeback win against Tampa Bay last week, turning a 9-0 deficit into a 17-9 win. Keenan Reynolds hauled in a bomb from Brandon Silvers for a 68-yard score and scored the two-point conversion. One problem for the Dragons is their third down conversion rate, which was just 20 percent in that game.
Final Score Prediction: Dallas 24, Seattle 17
Sunday, February 23
New York Guardians (+7.5) at St. Louis Battlehawks (42) (3:00 pm ET, ESPN)
The Guardians were blanked by D.C. last week, only making five first downs. Matt McGloin had a pair of picks before going to the bench, but Marquise Williams was no better, as the team only had 95 passing yards on the day. The defense has some solid points, including the job Bunmi Rotimi is doing, but the Guardians have a lot of problems just two weeks in.
Who knew that the officiating in the XFL would be as controversial as it is in the NFL? There was a no-call on a pick that hurt St. Louis as they fell to Houston, but the Battlehawks’ offense looks terrific with Jordan Ta’amu running the show. He threw for 284 yards and three scores (along with two picks). It was those two turnovers that proved to be more than the team could overcome, but this is a dangerous offense.
D.C. Defenders (-7) at Los Angeles Wildcats (45.5) (6:00 pm ET, FS1)
Right now, Cardale Jones is the best quarterback in the XFL. He threw for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns (and, most importantly, no picks). Donnel Pumphrey picked up 4.3 yards per attempt, and Jameer Thurman had a defensive touchdown, giving the Defenders two in their first two games. The Defenders rolled in their 27-0 rout of New York.
Josh Johnson wasn’t bad at quarterback for L.A. last week, throwing for 196 yards and a pair of scores. Nelson Spruce caught both touchdown passes, with six receptions overall for 89 yards. On third down, the Wildcats were serviceable, going 7 for 13, and they had no turnovers, but they only gained 251 yards, so there is still work to do.
Final Score Prediction: D.C. 27, Los Angeles 17
