Just like that, we are already a quarter of the way through the first XFL season. Week 1 was full of exciting action and surprising play, all of which trickled into this week as we witnessed more impressive Spring League performances. Houston Roughnecks QB P.J. Walker continued to impress, throwing a total of seven touchdowns in his two first games. The Tampa Bay Vipers, early fan favorites, continued to look deflated, putting up nine points in Seattle. Scoring continued to be hit or miss, with unders hitting at a 6-2 pace so far. Keeping all that in mind as we take a look at last week’s results while giving some early XFL Week 3 betting odds and best bets.
XFL Week 2 results
DC Defenders 27, N.Y. Guardians 0
The Defenders became the first team in the short XFL history to record a shutout when they defeated the New York Guardians, 27-0. Cardale Jones continued to prove that he is in the upper echelon of QB talent in this league: 23-for-37 with 276 passing yards and two TD passes. However, the defense was the story this week as the Defenders held the Guardians off the scoreboard after they put up over 20 points the prior week.
Start spreading the news.
This defense is legit. pic.twitter.com/A1IlCD1bzc
— DC Defenders (@XFLDefenders) February 16, 2020
The biggest moments from this game came from Guardians QB Matt McGloin. McGloin played terribly. He was 8 of 19 for 44 yards and two picks. The interesting theater in a sadistic way was being able to have access to McGloin during his struggles. One of the best aspects of the new XFL is the accessibility to players and coaches on the sidelines. After being benched, McGloin expressed his frustrations to one of the sideline reporters.
“At no point in time did I think we were comfortable out there. At no point in time did I think we were in a position to try to be successful.”
McGloin’s frustrations made sense, the Guardians looked awful. After an impressive first week, the team will need to go back to the drawing board. It won’t be any easier this week as they will come up against the suddenly surging St. Louis Battlehawks.
Seattle Dragons 17, TB Vipers 9
There isn’t much to say about this one. Seattle came into the season with the worst odds to win the championship in the league, while TB had the best. It goes to show you how little we know coming into the first season of a new league. Tampa Bay still hasn’t won a game and have scored a total of 12 points in two weeks. Seattle’s home field attendance was impressive and should help them get past their 3.5 win total.
Dallas Renegades 25, L.A. Wildcats 18
The Renegades got back on track with a road win against the Wildcats. This was one of the more exciting games of the weekend, with the lead changing multiple times. Dallas finally found an identity on offense with RBs Cameron Artis-Payne and Lance Dunbar rushing for 141 yards on just 20 carries. Artis-Payne specifically scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns of 21 yards and 17 yards, respectively. If Dallas wants to be a contender, they will need to rely on their run game. If Landry Jones continues to progress, this team could be dangerous.
Houston Roughnecks 28, St.Louis Battlehawks 24
This was the best game of the week as we witnessed a QB duel between Walker and Jordan Ta’amu. Both QB’s had three TD passes each. Cam Phillips was excellent for Houston with eight catches for 63 yards and all three TD catches. The Battlehawks are starting to look like legitimate championship contenders, being able to move up and down the field in the air and on the ground. Both these teams will likely be in the playoffs.
XFL Week 3 betting odds and best bets
Tampa Bay Vipers (0-2) vs. Houston Roughnecks (2-0)
Saturday, February 22, 2020 – 02:00 PM EST
Opening XFL Week 3 betting odds: Houston -5.5, Total 46
This one is interesting. I am not quite sure why the line is less than a TD here considering how terrible the Vipers have looked. I think that the public and oddsmakers are still holding onto hope that Tampa Bay will come into form and become the team we expected them to be at the start of the year. The Vipers are the only XFL team to have not scored an offensive TD through two weeks. QB Taylor Cornelius was a bit better than Aaron Murray, but not that much better. Quinton Flowers continues to be a complementary piece behind center but is not the answer at QB. This offense is just a mess.
Houston will be able to put up points on the road against Marc Trestman and whatever QB they decide to rollout. As far as the total, these are two of the top three defensive teams in the XFL over the first two weeks. They have combined for an average game total of 39.5 points, and this total sits at 46. I would lean to the under and Houston.
Official plays: Houston -5.5 | Lean: under 46
Seattle Dragons (1-1) vs. Dallas Renegades (1-1)
Saturday, February 22, 2020 – 05:00 PM EST
Opening XFL Week 3 betting odds: Dallas -4.5, Total 44
This is the typical overreaction game. The public saw that Dallas was able to get a win against the Wildcats and have now jumped back onto the Renegades train. Based on my rankings, I think that Dallas is more of a one or two-point favorite on the road here. There is some value in Seattle at home with their impressive home field advantage. It might not be enough for me to jump on right now, but if the number continues to climb, I will likely play Seattle.
Seattle QB Brandon Silvers can’t stop turning the ball over, and the Dragons’ offense as a whole leaves a lot to be desired. If they can limit their mistakes, they should be able to keep this close. In terms of the total, I like the under in this one. Dallas will continue to run the football and chew the clock, while Seattle isn’t the type of offense to put up big points. The spread is a stay away, but the total is an under play.
Official plays: Under 44 | Lean: Seattle +4.5
St. Louis Battlehawks (1-1) vs. New York Guardians (1-1)
Sunday, February 23, 2020 – 03:00 PM EST
Opening XFL Week 3 betting odds: Battlehawks -8.5, Total 41
New York will be licking their wounds as they head to St. Louis with questions at the quarterback position. Will McGloin be back under center, or will the team look elsewhere? New York looked awful this past week and St. Louis has impressed. They are the 4th best offense in the league as far as net yards per play but have only a +2 point differential. The spread is the largest of the week, while the total is the lowest. It is an interesting situation.
With a total this low, oddsmakers are expecting that the Guardians put up near the same amount of points as last week. New York’s defense still has potential, but their offense is a big question mark. I’m not sure I’d be excited to back them on the road this week. However, this over-a-TD spread is too big for me to jump on — we still do not know enough about these teams to be laying that many points.
Lean: under 41 and Guardians +8.5
L.A. Wildcats (0-2) vs. DC Defenders (2-0)
Sunday, February 23, 2020 – 06:00 PM EST
Opening XFL Week 3 betting odds: DC -8, Total 44
This DC team looks destined to compete for the XFL Championship. The Defenders have looked solid on offense in both of their games this year, while their defense may be the most opportunistic bunch in the whole XFL. Cardale Jones has looked good so far and the team is one of the more balanced in the league.
The Wildcats got Josh Johnson back at QB last week and were able to give the Renegades a bit of a fight. With the Wildcats being at home, I think they could have upset potential here. Johnson should be better with a week under his belt and this one might be competitive. However, my favorite play here is going to be the over. L.A’s defense is by far the worst in the league allowing 6.2 yards per play. The Defenders will be able to put up points here, and I see this one being a shootout.
Official plays: Over 44 | Lean: Wildcats +8
Click to view the running list of our bets for the 2020 XFL season. Be sure to bookmark that page and visit it often throughout the week to stay updated on our latest moves.
We will continue to release XFL plays and analysis throughout the week. Make sure to follow @PFNBets for all of our plays.