It’s the final weekend of the regular season and the final two playoff spots are still up for grabs. There is a lot of drama left to unfold in the XFL. Here is a preview of week 10:
Orlando Guardians (1-8) vs. St. Louis Battlehawks (6-3)
Date/Time/TV: Saturday, April 22, 12pm, ESPN, ESPN+
Line: St. Louis -8
Orlando has an opportunity to instantly impact the weekend in game one. If the Guardians can pull off an upset, the only tiebreaker Seattle will have to worry about is winning. St. Louis really needs to take care of business in this game to put pressure on the Sea Dragons.
Over the last three weeks or so, Orlando has been two completely different teams. The Guardians looked amazing against DC and then completely flopped in the next weekend. That is what makes this pick challenging. Which Orlando team will show up? St. Louis has too much on the line to lose.
The Pick: St. Louis 25, Orlando 19
DC Defenders (8-1) vs. San Antonio Brahmas (3-6)
Date/Time/TV: Saturday, April 22, 3pm, ABC,ESPN, ESPN+
Line: DC -3
On paper, this seems like a lock for DC. But the Defenders have nothing to play for this weekend, as the top seed has already been clinched for the playoffs. DC may even rest some starters to keep them fresh for the upcoming playoff game. It will be interesting to see how DC plays on defense in this game. DC’s defense is giving up 30.5 points per game. This is a concerning trend heading into the postseason. In games 1-5, DC gave up only 18 points per game.
On the other side of the ball, San Antonio has everything to lose in this game. To make the playoffs, San Antonio must win and hope for a Renegade loss to steal the last playoff spot away from Arlington. If this happens, both Arlington and San Antonio would be 4-6 and the tiebreaker would go to the Brahmas due to the victory over DC. But San Antonio struggles mightily to score points, and that will be the case again this weekend.
The Pick: DC 24, San Antonio 20
Houston Roughnecks (6-3) vs. Arlington Renegades (4-5)
Date/Time/TV: Sunday, April 23, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN+
Line: Houston -1
Arlington will wake up on Sunday morning knowing whether or not this is a must-win or a meaningless game. If San Antonio wins the day before, then this game becomes a must-win for the Renegades. If San Antonio loses, then Arlington will have already clinched the second playoff spot. Arlington gave DC a strong test last weekend, so it will be interesting to see if that translates into this week, or if the Renegades will be deflated because of it.
Houston, like DC, has nothing to play for this weekend. Houston will host the playoff game, no matter what happens in this game. If Arlington wins, Houston will host the Renegades the next weekend. This game may play out like a preseason game for the Roughnecks. With that said, the Houston defense wins the day in this one.
The Pick: Houston 22, Arlington 17
Vegas Vipers (2-7) vs. Seattle Sea Dragons (6-3)
Date/Time/TV: Saturday, April 22, 3pm, ABC,ESPN, ESPN+
Line: Seattle -8.5
Seattle’s dominant performance over St. Louis sent a strong message to the rest of the league. The Sea Dragons are 6-1 in the last seven games and need to defeat Vegas for a shot at the final playoff spot. There are multiple scenarios for the last playoff spot in the north, but one thing is certain. Seattle must win this game to qualify and will need to do so by as many points as possible so nothing is in question.
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