Week 1 of the 2023 XFL season was one to remember, as we saw three games come down to the final two minutes and OVERs hitting big, which is the opposite of what we saw in Week 1 of the USFL last season when UNDERs hit in three out of four games.
Bettors might have had a profitable first week betting on the opening weekend slate of games as the favorites were 3-1 straight up on the moneyline but only 1-3 against the spread. The lone ATS win was Houston (-3.5), who dominated the Guardians 33-12. The favorites will try to enact some revenge in Week 2, starting with the Battlehawks traveling to Seattle to play the Sea Dragons on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET (FX).
After that contest, things continue with Saturday night's game between the Defenders and Vipers at 7 p.m. ET (FX). Finally, the second week of XFL action wraps up on a Sunday with a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. ET between the Brahmas and Guardians and ending at 7 p.m. ET with a Texas showdown featuring the Renegades and Roughnecks, who are currently the betting favorite (+350) on FanDuel Sportsbook to win the XFL championship.
Below, we'll break down the best XFL Week 2 bets and give out our predictions on how things could play out across the league:
MORE WEEK 2 XFL: DraftKings lineup
XFL Week 2 picks, predictions
All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
St. Louis Battlehawks at Seattle Sea Dragons
Thursday, 9:00 p.m. ET, FX
- Spread: Sea Dragons -4.5
- Moneyline: Battlehawks +170, Sea Dragons -200
- Over/Under: 37.5
Week 2 starts with a Thursday night matchup between the Battlehawks and Sea Dragons. St. Louis is coming off an incredible comeback win in Week 1 against the Brahmas where they scored 15 unanswered points with less than three minutes left in the game. As for the Sea Dragons, they had an excellent opportunity to win in Week 1 against the Defenders, but QB Ben DiNucci fumbled inside the red zone, effectively ending the game.
Heading into tomorrow night's game, we like the Sea Dragons to cover the spread and win outright over the Battlehawks. St. Louis' offensive line had issues with the Brahmas' defense, shown by A.J. McCarron taking five sacks. The Sea Dragons' defense didn't get any sacks against Jordan Ta'amu and D'Eriq King, but they should this week against McCarron, who isn't a threat to use his legs like those other two QBs. We are also banking on DiNucci having a clean game with his stellar wide receiver corps. The Battlehawks didn't have to worry about San Antonio's pass-catchers, but this week they will have their hands full with JahCour Pearson, who had 12 receptions (14 targets) for 95 yards last week, and Josh Gordon, who had six receptions (nine targets) for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Pick: Sea Dragons 24 (-4.5), Battlehawks 17
D.C. Defenders at Las Vegas Vipers
Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET, FX
- Spread: Vipers -3.5
- Moneyline: Defenders +140, Vipers -165
- Over/Under: 35.5
If there's a game this week where I can see the underdog winning, it's this one. The Defenders' offense wasn't great in last week's win over the Sea Dragons, but they did not need to be because of their aggressive defense. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had his guys ready to play, forcing three turnovers and scoring a defensive touchdown.
Now D.C. goes on the road to play Vipers QB Luis Perez, who imploded in the second half against Arlington's defense last week. Perez threw two interceptions that were returned for TDs, giving Arlington all the momentum. If Perez struggles again on Saturday, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team turn to former NFL QB Brett Hundley. The Vipers have an outstanding group of wide receivers, but D.C. has the secondary to match up with those guys. Look out for D.C. to employ the two-quarterback system again with Ta'amu and King, which worked well and should slow down the Vipers' defense. We like the Defenders on the moneyline, but it's reasonable to play it a little safer by taking the +3.5 on the spread.
Pick: Defenders 21 (+3.5), Vipers 17
San Antonio Brahmas at Orlando Guardians
Sunday, 4:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Spread: Brahmas -3.5
- Moneyline: Brahmas -170, Guardians +145
- Over/Under: 38.5
The Brahmas are still a work in progress on both sides of the ball after their heartbreaking Week 1 loss to St. Louis. However, this team can run with Kalen Ballage and Jacques Patrick, and their defense can bring the pressure, shown by their five Week 1 sacks. San Antonio should dominate on both sides against the Guardians, who struggled against the Roughnecks.
The Guardians opened the game with a touchdown pass from QB Paxton Lynch to TE Cody Latimer, but things would quickly go south. Lynch completed 14-of-20 passes for 125 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He was also sacked four times and benched for backup Quinten Dormandy, who showed some zip on his passes. However, he ultimately also struggled, throwing one touchdown and two interceptions while taking three sacks. We don't know who will start this week for the Guardians, as Deondre Francois could also be in the mix. Sadly, it doesn't matter who starts under center if Orlando cannot protect them. The Brahmas do not have to do anything special on offense or defense Sunday. If they can lean on Ballage, who ran well with 97 total yards on 27 touches, and play decent defense, they will cover this number in a low-scoring game.
Pick: Brahmas (-3.5) 17, Guardians 10
Arlington Renegades at Houston Roughnecks
Sunday, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2
- Spread: Roughnecks -4.5
- Moneyline: Renegades +175, Roughnecks -210
- Over/Under: 39.5
In the final game for Week 2, we have a Lone Star showdown between the Renegades and the Roughnecks. The Roughnecks had an excellent performance on both sides of the ball in last week's win over the Guardians, but it will not be as easy for Houston this weekend, as the Renegades have a solid defense at all three levels that could give quarterback Brandon Silvers fits.
In their win last week against the Vipers, the Renegades had two defensive touchdowns and allowed just 25 rushing yards. However, Arlington will be facing RB Max Borghi on Sunday night, who is a weapon out of the backfield as a pass catcher. Also, if the Renegades' defense can't force Silvers into a couple of mistakes, we could see a repeat of last week when Houston dropped 33 points. It should be a fun game to end the week, but we like Houston to win and cover the spread.
Pick: Houston (-4.5) 24, Dallas 18
