XFL Week 9 Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Saturday (2023)
Week 8 of the XFL season was critical as two teams clinched their playoff spot. Similarly, two teams were eliminated from playoff contention. The Houston Roughnecks broke their three-game losing streak with their win over the San Antonio Brahmas. More importantly, the team clinched a playoff birth.
Meanwhile, the D.C Defenders got a hard-fought 34-33 win over the Seattle Sea Dragons. The North division leaders have a 7-1 record and have clinched a playoff spot. They can secure the No. 1 seed in the division with a win this weekend and a St. Louis Battlehawks loss.
While two playoff spots have been secured, two are still up for grabs. The race in the North Division is coming down to the wire, with the Battlehawks having a 6-2 record after winning three straight contests. Meanwhile, the Sea Dragons have a 5-3 record after having their five-game winning streak snapped last week. If St. Louis wins this week's matchup against Seattle, they will clinch a playoff spot.
Whether the matchup has playoff implications or not, there are always bets to make, so let's look at some potential XFL bets you should make this week.
Best XFL Bets for Week 9
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Vegas Vipers vs. Houston Roughnecks
Houston returned to the winning column last week with a 17-15 victory over San Antonio. However, this isn't the same team that started the year. The Roughnecks averaged 30.5 points per game over the first four weeks this season. Furthermore, they had an average margin of victory of 16.8 points per game during that span. Unfortunately, things have changed over the past four weeks. Houston has a 1-3 record doing that span, averaging only 18 points per game. Their three losses have been by an average of nine points per game, losing all three by at least seven points.
Bettors shouldn't expect Vegas to roll over and give up despite being eliminated from the playoffs as they have won two of their past four games. Furthermore, they covered the seven-point spread last week against the Battlehawks, losing 21-17. While the Vipers have a 2-6 record this season, they have lost by more than four points only three times, with two of those losses coming at the hands of the Defenders. More importantly, Vegas has played better on offense over the past month, averaging 21 points per game over their last four contests.
No one should be surprised that Houston is favored in this game. Despite their recent three-game losing streak, the Roughnecks are still one of the top four teams in the XFL. Meanwhile, Vegas has struggled most of the year, only earning wins over San Antonio and Orlando. The Roughnecks will win, but expect this game to be a close fight, with the Vipers covering the 6.5 points.
Pick: Vipers +6.5 (-110)
Orlando Guardians vs. San Antonio Brahmas
The Guardians shocked the XFL world with a 37-36 win over the previously undefeated Defenders two weeks ago. Unfortunately, they came crashing back down to Earth last week with an 18-16 loss to the Arlington Renegades. Orlando has had explosive offensive performances this year, scoring 32 or more two different occasions. However, they have also struggled on offense most of the year, averaging only 19.1 points per game. Furthermore, the Guardians have averaged only 14 points per game in their other six games this season, scoring under 20 in every contest.
While the Brahmas have a 2-6 record this season, they have only gotten blown out once. Their other five losses this year have been by an average of five points per game, losing every contest by nine or fewer points. More importantly, San Antonio has been one of the lowest-scoring teams in the XFL this season, averaging only 14.5 points per game. They have scored 15 or fewer points in six straight contests and in all but one game this season. Meanwhile, the Brahmas have been one of the top defenses in the league, giving up only 16.4 points per game.
All four matchups this week have some playoff implications, however, this matchup is the least important. The Guardians have been eliminated from the playoffs, while the Brahmas are hanging on by a thread. San Antonio will be eliminated with a loss on Saturday or a Renegades win on Sunday. With both teams lacking playoff motivation, this game will likely be a low-scoring boring matchup.
Pick: Under 39.5 (-110)
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.