With only a couple weeks remaining in the XFL season, a pair of teams will continue to lobby for playoff positioning as the Arlington Renegades travel to the nation’s capital to take on the DC Defenders. Join us for our XFL odds series where our Renegades-Defenders prediction and pick will be made.
Coming into Week 9 with a dead-even 4-4 record and fresh off of an 18-16 win over the Orlando Guardians, the Renegades are in must-win mode with the playoffs on the horizon.
As for the Defenders, they have only lost once this season, two weeks ago in a high-scoring affair with Orlando. Nevertheless, DC was able to get back on track last week by defeating the Seattle Sea Dragons 34-33.
Here are the Vipers-Roughnecks XFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Renegades-Defenders Odds
Arlington Renegades: +9 (-110)
Washington DC Defenders: -9 (-110)
Over: 43 (-110)
Under: 43 (-110)
How To Watch Renegades vs. Defenders
TV: ESPN
Stream: WatchESPN
Time: 12:00 ET/9:00 PT
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Renegades Could Cover The Spread
While the Renegades control their destiny in clinching a playoff berth after some much-needed wins down the stretch of the regular season, it will be easier said than done going on the road and taking the Defenders out of their element. Regardless, the Renegades have played long stretches of the year looking like clear-cut contenders. Needless to say, legendary head coach Bob Stoops should have the troops ready for war in this critical showdown.
The first order of business the team needs to address comes in the form of newly acquired quarterback Luis Perez. After being shipped from Vegas to Arlington in Week 7, the Renegades have slowly but surely made strides offensively with Perez under center. Simply put, Perez has proven this year that he is far from a game manager and could be in store for a big game versus DC.
Arlington’s bread and butter comes on the defensive side of the ball, where the team allows 17.6 points per game, second-lowest in the league, and is led by the uber-talented Donald Payne. If worse comes to worst, expect Arlington’s ball-hawking defense to save the day by forcing turnovers and making life uncomfortable for the Defenders offensive attack.
Why The Defenders Could Cover The Spread
In what is expected to be a sellout crowd of +18,000 screaming fans at Audi Field, the Defenders are playing as well as anyone in the XFL. Even more impressive, DC has already clinched a playoff berth, now playing to secure the top seed in the XFL North.
The Defenders are favored to win on paper, and for good reason.
DC boasts the most explosive offense in the XFL, averaging a whopping 30.1 points per game—best in the league and nearly six points better than second-place. The Defenders are led by QB Jordan Ta’amu who owns most rushing yards by a quarterback in the entire league. The odds of the Defenders covering the spread may come down to Ta’amu and his ability to extend plays with his feet.
DC possesses a ferocious rushing attack as a whole. Running back Abram Smith leads the XFL with 720 yards on 120 carries. Without a doubt, the Defenders main priority should be to shove the rock down the throats of the Renegades. Alas, DC doesn’t have an elite defense by any means, but hopefully finding success in running between the tackles and dominating time of possession will help DC in covering.
Final Renegades-Defenders Prediction & Pick
Without a doubt, there are plenty of playoff implications on the line in this showdown between two talented XFL squads. However, at the end of the day, it will be the Defenders humming offense that will be too difficult to slow down by the time the clock hits triple zeroes.
Final Renegades-Defenders Prediction & Pick: Defenders -9 (-110)
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