XFL, AAF, AAL, CFL ... change the letters, drop the talent level, put in a slew of crazy rules ... and The Degenerate will still be there, providing a public service for the hardiest of diehards. You know who you are.
WEEK 3 (Picks in CAPS)
SATURDAY
HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS -6½ at Tampa Bay Vipers
The league’s highest-scoring team goes up against a franchise that has scored just one TD in its first two games. Surprised the line is not higher.
DALLAS RENEGADES -4 at Seattle Dragons
The consensus choice of most sports books to win it all before the XFL season began, Dallas looked inept in its opening loss, and played moderately better in a week 2 win. Still, they have key players with NFL experience including QB Landry Jones and RB Cameron Artis-Payne.
SUNDAY
NY Guardians +10 at ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS
Ten points is a lot to give in any league, particularly one in which a touchdown can result in a 9-point play (with the XFL’s quirky 3-point conversion on the table). But New York looked completely inept in a 27-0 loss to DC last week, making their 23-3 opening week win over Tampa look more like an aberration than last week’s loss was.
DC DEFENDERS -8 at Los Angeles Wildcats
DC is playing well on both sides of the ball, and while the danger of a backdoor cover late in the game is always there, Cardale Jones & Co., combined with a ball-hawking defense, is the play here.