The St. Louis Battlehawks visit the Dallas Renegades in the final game of Week 1 of the XFL’s first season Sunday. Kickoff at Globe Life Park in Arlington is set for 5 p.m. ET. Below, we breakdown the Battlehawks-Renegades Week 1 matchup, with XFL betting picks and tips.
Battlehawks at Renegades: XFL Week 1 preview, betting trends and notes
- Renegades head coach/general manager Bob Stoops will lead his team out against Battlehawks boss Jonathan Hayes. Stoops makes his debut in professional football after a long career in the college ranks. Hayes previously was the Cincinnati Bengals tight ends coach.
- Fantasy football fans will be excited for the return of RB Christine Michael, who tops the Battlehawks’ backfield depth chart. P Marquette King and WR/KR Keith Mumphrey are among the other recognizable names on the roster.
- The Renegades also have some notable ex-NFL talent in RB Cameron Artis-Payne and QB Landry Jones (knee). Jones’ status for the season opener is in question due to injury.
- Both home teams won on the first day of XFL action, Saturday. The DC Defenders beat the Seattle Dragons 31-19 and the Houston Roughnecks took down the LA Wildcats 37-17.
- The Renegades are the favorites to win the inaugural XFL Championship Game April 26, at +300 odds. The Battlehawks are the second-biggest longshots at +1000.
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Battlehawks at Renegades: Key injuries
Battlehawks
- DL Will Clarke (calf) out
- TE Cole Hunt (hamstring) questionable
Renegades
- WR Jeff Badet (thigh) probable
- QB Landry Jones (knee) questionable
Battlehawks at Renegades: Odds, betting lines and prediction
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:15 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Renegades 35, Battlehawks 30
Moneyline (?)
Both home favorites won with relative ease on the opening day of the 2020 XFL season. As such, the play would be to back the Renegades (-455), especially with the two teams on near-opposite ends of the futures odds. These odds are just too chalky with so much still unknown about these teams and this league. With a $10 bet on the Renegades to win returning a profit of $2.20, we’ll PASS on the moneyline in favor of the spread.
The Battlehawks (+333) could be worth a small investment with better than a 3-1 return on your investment, but we’re following the trends from Saturday and sticking with the favorite.
Against the Spread (?)
Saturday’s two games were decided by 12 and 20 points. Despite those results, we’re backing the BATTLEHAWKS (+9.5, -115) to stay within 9 points in a loss or win outright. The heavy number on the Renegades seems to be reflective of the assumed quarterback advantage with Jones under center. If he’s unable to go, he’s likely to be at less than full health and could be replaced by Philip Nelson or Eric Dungey.
Over/Under (?)
Take the OVER 51.5 (-110) after Saturday’s two games played to either side of this number with totals of 50 and 54 points. The final game of the week has allowed extra preparation time for both sides and the two head coaches have now had two games of real football to get a better understanding of the XFL’s new rules and game strategy.
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