Houston pulling away from the pack in XFL odds
Houston Roughnecks linebacker Edmond Robinson recovers a fumble and runs towards the end zone. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire)
March 12th, 2020
Another week of the XFL passed by with another Houston Roughnecks victory. Meanwhile, other top contenders like the St. Louis BattleHawks and Dallas Renegades took losses. This boosted Houston’s odds to win the title up to +160 while it pushed second favorite St. Louis back to +400.
The biggest surprise was the drop in odds for the DC Defenders. DC got a big win over St. Louis that pushed them into a three-way tie atop the East Division. However, this increased their XFL Championship odds from +425 to +650.
Let's look at the current odds for the XFL Championship and determine if anyone can overtake the Houston Roughnecks.
Odds to win the 2020 XFL Championship
| Team | XFL Championship Odds |
|---|
Houston Roughnecks | +160 |
St. Louis BattleHawks | +400 |
DC Defenders | +650 |
Dallas Renegades | +700 |
New York Guardians | +750 |
Los Angeles Wildcats | +800 |
Tampa Bay Vipers | +2500 |
Seattle Dragons | +2500 |
Houston offense still surging
The Roughnecks offense put up another 30+ point performance last weekend with a 32-23 win at home over the lowly Seattle Dragons. They had to do it in comeback fashion as they trailed 23-14 with nine minutes to go in the third quarter. However, that is the benefit of having a great offense. You can score quickly to make big comebacks. Just look at what the Kansas City Chiefs did in the playoffs this year.
Houston has amassed 21 touchdowns this season, 10 touchdowns more than the second favorite BattleHawks. Only the Los Angeles Wildcats are close with 18 touchdowns scored. The P.J. Walker-Cam Phillips connection is clicking on all cylinders and does not appear to be containable. Phillips finished last week with 10 catches on 13 targets for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
CAM. PHILLIPS. 🔥
— XFL on FOX (@XFLonFOX) March 7, 2020
He scores his NINTH touchdown of the season and extends the @XFLRoughnecks lead in the second half
📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/ukBS9bd5mv
This week the Roughnecks travel to New York to face a Guardians defense that is second in scoring to only St. Louis. The Guardians just smashed the Dallas Renegades on the road 30-12. This could be the game that will determine if it's time to give into the favorites and place your wagers on them.
Other contenders
The BattleHawks took a disappointing loss last week at DC, in which their defense was exposed by the Defenders' back-up QB. It's fair to wonder what would happen in a title game against Houston, should St. Louis reach that point. P.J. Walker could make plays against them with his legs and Houston could outscore them as they do everyone else they have faced.
DC is now back in a tie for the division lead at 3-2 with a perfect 3-0 home record. However, I believe the success of Tyree Jackson against St. Louis had more to do with the surprise factor than his true ability. The Defenders get to put their undefeated home record on the line this week against another contender in the Renegades. Look out for an upset there by Dallas.
Former @UBFootball QB Tyree Jackson with a rope for the DC touchdown. That's his first of his XFL career. #UBHornsUP pic.twitter.com/12Kqg67YZO
— Greg Vorse (@GregVorse) March 8, 2020
One dark horse team to consider is the Los Angeles Wildcats at +800. They sit at 2-3, but have the second best touchdown differential at +4. They have the second best offense in the league and get to show it off against the worst defense in the league, Seattle, this weekend. Josh Johnson has full control of the offense now and is using his NFL experience to lead this team. Do not count out that experience factor come playoff time.
Josh Johnson calls L.A. Wildcats OC Norm Chow and says his staff is doing "too much arguing and complaining," then tells them to call plays #XFL pic.twitter.com/6rWIcg4sbV
— Kevin Boilard (@KevinBoilard) March 9, 2020
