The XFL is coming off another exciting week of action, as the Guardians pulled off an incredible 37-36 upset win over the Defenders, giving them their first win and handing D.C. its first loss on the season. The Guardians were 9.5-point underdogs and have continued to be one of the better teams against the spread in the XFL this season (4-3). Overall, the favorites went 2-2 against the spread and 2-2 on the moneyline.
Week 8 begins on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. ET between the Vipers and Battlehawks on ESPN. After that, the Renegades will look to bounce back from a tough loss last week to Seattle as they go on the road to play the Guardians at 4 p.m. ET (ESPN). On Sunday, we have another doubleheader, as the Roughnecks will try to snap their three-game losing streak against the Brahmas at 3 p.m. ET (ABC). Finally, to wrap up Week 8, the Defenders will travel to the Pacific Northwest to play the Sea Dragons at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2).
Below, we'll break down the best Week 8 bets and give out our predictions on how things could shake out across the league:
XFL Week 8 picks, predictions
All odds courtesy of BetMGM
Vegas Vipers at St. Louis Battlehawks
Saturday, 1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Spread: Battlehawks -7.5
- Moneyline: Vipers +240, Battlehawks -300
- Over/Under: 46.5
UPDATE: A.J. McCarron is among the inactive players for the Battlehawks today, which means we will likely see Nick Tiano under center for St. Louis. Without McCarron under center, we like the Vipers to cover the 7.5-point spread, despite being 2-5 against the spread this season.
The Vipers had one of their best offensive performances of the season in last week's win 26-12 win over the Brahmas. Jalan McClendon, who was making his XFL debut, brought a spark to Vegas' offense, completing 21-of-31 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 25 rushing yards on the ground, which helped the Vipers' running game. McClendon will try to carry that momentum into Saturday's game against the Battlehawks, who handed the Roughnecks their third-straight loss last week.
When St. Louis played Vegas a couple of weeks ago, Battlehawks QB A.J. McCarron picked apart the Vipers' defense, completing 23-of-29 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns. The Vipers' offense could not get anything done with Brett Hundley or Luis Perez, as the Battlehawks forced Perez into two interceptions and recorded four total sacks. Looking forward to Saturday's game, we should expect another solid showing from Vegas' offense despite the Battlehawks' defense allowing 15 points per game in their past four games. The Vipers will not standout wide receiver Jeff Badet, who did not all week due to a thigh injury. Lastly, we must give St. Louis credit for going on the road and beating the Roughnecks even though they were missing some key players. We will lay the points with St. Louis, who has the far more explosive offense and is 5-2 against the spread this season.
Pick: Battlehawks 30 (-7.5), Vipers 21
Arlington Renegades at Orlando Guardians
Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Spread: Guardians -1.5
- Moneyline: Renegades +100, Guardians -120
- Over/Under: 42.5
The Guardians are shockingly favorites to win this week after picking up their first win this season over the formerly undefeated Renegades. Orlando seems to have found their identity offense with Quinten Dormandy under center. Dormandy was outstanding in last weekend's win, completing 27-of-34 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns. He also scored three rushing touchdowns, making it one of the best performances we saw this season.
Dormandy's play over the past few weeks gives Orlando an edge at QB, even though Arlington has Luis Perez and added former Mizzou/Clemson QB Kelly Bryant this season. However, it's tough to see Perez making this Arlington offense significantly better than it was with Drew Plitt or Kyle Sloter. If the Renegades want to win, they need their defense to lead the charge. Arlington's defense is giving up 17.9 points per game this season (third-fewest in the XFL) and 81.7 rushing yards per game (third-fewest). It might be a low-scoring game, as the Renegades' O/U record is 2-5. However, the Guardians have figured something out and have not quit on the season.
Pick: Guardians 18 (-1.5), Renegades 15
Houston Roughnecks at San Antonio Brahmas
Sunday, 3:00 p.m. ET, ABC
- Spread: Roughnecks -5.5
- Moneyline: Roughnecks -200, Brahmas +165
- Over/Under: 40.5
The Roughnecks suffered their third-straight loss last week to the Battlehawks. Houston did not have starting QB Brandon Silvers and standout LB Tim Ward, who both were out with an injury. Cole McDonald got the start, completing 15-of-32 for 106 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He also was the team's second-leading rusher with 40 yards on eight carries. The Roughnecks' offense has looked completely different without Jontre' Kirklin, who was a playmaker alongside Deontay Burnett. Houston had Cedric Byrd step up last week (seven receptions for 50 yards), and they added former Chargers WR Michael Bandy, but it wasn't enough.
Houston will hope to have Silvers back under center this weekend because the Renegades and Brahmas still have a shot to win the XFL's South division. Speaking of Brahmas, they lost another starting quarterback to an injury, as Kurt Benkert fractured his ribs in last week's loss. With Benkert done for the rest of the season, San Antonio will start Jack Coan, who missed the past two games due to injury, per Greg Luca of the San Antonio Express-News. However, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Paxton Lynch play on Sunday, who was signed earlier this week after starting the season with Orlando. Nevertheless, this Brahmas' offense is in shambles, and this is a get-right spot for the Roughnecks, who have championship aspirations.
Pick: Roughnecks 24 (-5.5), Brahmas 12
DC Defenders at Seattle Sea Dragons
Sunday, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2
- Spread: Sea Dragons -1.5
- Moneyline: Defenders +105, Sea Dragons -125
- Over/Under: 46.5
In the final game for Week 8, we have a Week 1 rematch between the Defenders and Sea Dragons. Seattle has won five-straight games, putting it in a position to be first in the XFL's North Division. Meanwhile, the Defenders are coming off a tough one-point loss to the Guardians last weekend. D.C. had a chance to win the game at the end, but kicker Matthew McCrane missed a 63-yard field-goal attempt. However, one could make the case it probably shouldn't have come down to that if the Defenders' defense played better.
The Defenders' defense had one of their worst performances this season, allowing Dormandy to throw for 328 yards and score six total touchdowns. The Defenders did not force Dormandy into any turnovers and had just three sacks. That doesn't bode well heading into this week's game against the Sea Dragons, who are scoring 23.2 points per game in their past five games. Seattle also added former NFL running back Phillip Lindsey, giving it an explosive option out of the backfield. This should be an excellent game to end Week 8, as the Defenders try to pull off the two-game season sweep. It will be highly contested, with both teams doing what they do best, but the Defenders prove that last week's loss was a fluke and snap Seattle's win streak.
Pick: Defenders 28 (+1.5), Sea Dragons 25
