Time to forget everything you thought you knew about the XFL following a head-scratching last two weeks. Up is down, down is up and only one team remains unbeaten. Having been fooled two weeks in a row by the DC Defenders, I’m off them like a coronavirus patient fleeing a cruise ship. And the Tampa Bay Vipers? REALLY? Anyway, here goes:
SATURDAY
Seattle Dragons at Houston Roughnecks
PICK: Seattle +12.5
My first-ever dog pick on an XFL game, and it’s coming against my favorite team, the unbeaten Roughnecks. But despite Houston’s Lamar Jackson Jr, QB P.J. Walker, Houston has been winning, but not by huge margins the last few weeks. They find a way to win, but not in as dominating a fashion as they had been. In both of the last two weeks, they won by 7, and the week before that by 4. It’s been a month since they blew anyone out, and while that’s still possible here, I’m thinking a comfortable win but a non-cover is in the offing.
New York Guardians at Dallas Renegades
PICK: New York +8.
Hot damn, two dogs in a row, but New York may well have saved its season by switching to QB Luis Perez, who played very well last year for the Birmingham Iron of the dear, departed AAF. Couple that with the loss of Dallas starter Landry Jones and New York should cover even if they don’t win outright. Dallas has two top running backs in Cameron Artis-Payne and Lance Dunbar, but New York’s defense tends to rise up and make stands when they need them most.
SUNDAY
St. Louis Battlehawks at DC Defenders
PICK: St. Louis -4.5
I got burned so badly the last two weeks on DC that I might give 40.5 against them, that’s how putrid they’ve been. Cardale Jones and Company have looked like they want to be doing anything else on this Earth other than running with or catching a football, or preventing their opponents from doing likewise. The French did a better job defending their country in WWII than the Defenders have in the last two weeks.
Tampa Bay Vipers at Los Angeles Wildcats
PICK: Los Angeles -2.5
Yes, Tampa looked worlds better gaining their first win last week. But it came against DC. (See above). ‘Nuff said.