Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The XFL heads into Week 3 and Tampa Bay and LA both need victories.
The XFL heads into Week 3 and in this short season it is a make-or-break time for the LA Wildcats and Tampa Bay Vipers, who are both looking for their first victory.
After an 0-2 start, the last team the LA Wildcats need to be facing are Pep Hamilton’s DC Defenders. Pepper Johnson was released after the first week as defensive coordinator. Winston Moss is looking at an 0-3 start and the Wildcats’ season could be finished before a month is out.
The DC Defenders and Houston Roughecks have emerged as betting favorites in the XFL East and West, respectively.
The Action Network has put out updated odds for XFL teams after two weeks of the season.
The DC Defenders are off to a 2-0 start under Pep Hamilton. They have a plus-four mark when it comes to touchdowns scored and allowed. The Defenders are the lone undefeated team in the East. They are listed at 2-1 on the betting line.
Houston DB Jeremiah Johnson returned a pick 66 yards to set up a Roughnecks touchdown.
Jeremiah Johnson picked off Jordan Ta’amu in the fourth quarter Sunday and brought it back 66 yards to put the Houston Roughnecks in scoring position.
P.J. Walker and Cam Phillips did the rest, connecting on their third touchdown of the game as Houston grabbed a 28-18 lead.
Walker and Phillips have connected for four touchdowns in the first two weeks of the XFL season.
The @XFLRoughnecks pick it off again and take it deeeeeep into @XFLBattleHawks territory.
đź“ş @FS1
đź–Ą https://t.co/Gme53LcuVh pic.twitter.com/X5WNtZoXxo— XFL (@xfl2020) February 17, 2020
FOX’s Greg Olsen noticed a Roughnecks player was in the neutral zone on the pick and Houston should have been flagged. QB Jordan Ta’amu felt he had a free play and made the risky pass. However, the officials missed the call.
The @XFLRoughnecks with ANOTHER touchdown
That's THREE receiving TDs on the night for @camphil5 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wDZeMrm0S8
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) February 17, 2020
Houston’s P.J. Walker is adding to his resume of exciting plays as Week 2 of the XFL continues.
Houston Roughnecks quarterback P.J. Walker has picked up where he started in Week 1.
After throwing four TD passes against Los Angeles, Walker is putting on a show against the St. Louis Battlehawks in a Week 2 game Sunday.
Roughnecks QB P.J. Walker was recommended to XFL commish Oliver Luck by his son, Andrew. Walker spent 2 seasons on Colts practice squad. Andrew told his Pop, “Dad, you’ve got to sign him. He can play!” Threw 4 TD passes in opening victory over LA. Maybe Andrew should be a scout!
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) February 14, 2020
Watch the electrifying former Temple star take off on an 11-yard run. Hate to say it again, but he is in Houston, home of the Texans’ Deshaun Watson, who has made some plays of this ilk.
Trying to tackle PJ Walker seems like an incredibly unfortunate thing to have to try to do
đź“ş @FS1
đź–Ą https://t.co/Gme53LcuVh pic.twitter.com/W56lcsOBCd— XFL (@xfl2020) February 17, 2020
Walker then broke contain and found Cam Phillips in the back of the end zone for a touchdown to make it 21-6 with less than two minutes to go in the first half in Houston.
Sheesh, @camphil5 got UP for this TD
đź“ş @FS1
đź–Ą https://t.co/Gme53LcuVh pic.twitter.com/YpW4hL8YmP— XFL (@xfl2020) February 17, 2020
Phillips did make a mistake after the TD, taking off his helmet. In the XFL, that is an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty enforced on the PAT. So, the one-point extra point from the 17 failed.
Oh, and the league knows how dominant Walker has been through six quarters.
This seems good pic.twitter.com/s6i9ltYkrS
— XFL (@xfl2020) February 17, 2020
He also knows how to go sidearm, a la Patrick Mahomes. At the half, he’s completed 13-of-21 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
We are HERE for sidearmed PJ pic.twitter.com/tmyH0zpRoZ
— XFL (@xfl2020) February 16, 2020
Jordan Ta’amu found Matt Jones, who wound up in the end zone 25 yards later on the screen pass.
Former Ole Miss QB Jordan Ta’amu was a perfect 3-for-3 passing halfway through the first quarter and found Matt Jones for the first touchdown of the game to give St. Louis the lead over Houston Sunday.
Check out the 25-yard play that found paydirt.
This game is already living up to the high expectations.
And it is still eaaaaaarly
đź“ş @FS1
đź–Ą https://t.co/Gme53LcuVh pic.twitter.com/CtOLzuQeh0— XFL (@xfl2020) February 16, 2020
Watch St Louis Battlehawks vs Houston Roughnecks Live Online.
The undefeated St. Louis Battlehawks (1-0) head to Houston to take on the Roughnecks who also won their first game of the season. Can the Roughnecks increase their lead in the XFL’s West division with a win at home or will the Battlehawks get their second straight victory? We’ll find out Sunday afternoon at TDECU Stadium in Houston.Â
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St. Louis was one of three teams in the XFL East division to come away with a victory in the league’s opener. The Battlehawks edged the Renegades 15-9 in Dallas. Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu completed 20 of 27 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown. Ta’Amu, who played collegiately at Ole Miss, also rushed for 77 yards on nine carries. Former Florida running back Matt Jones led the team with 21 carries and 85 yards, while Keith Ford scored the lone rushing touchdown. The Battlehawks defense was also stout, holding the Renegades to just 58 yards rushing. Linebacker Terence Garvin was all over the field with eight total tackles (two of those for a loss) and one sack.
In the XFL West division, Houston sits in first place after a 37-17 trouncing of the visiting Los Angeles Wildcats. After being down 17-12 late in the third quarter, the Roughnecks took the lead on a 39-yard touchdown pass from quarterback P.J. Walker to wide receiver Sam Mobley. That series was part of a 25-0 run for head coach June Jones. It’s no secret that Jones’ offenses like to air the ball out. Walker finished the day 23 of 38 for 272 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. If St. Louis wants to stay in the game, it starts with limiting Walker and the passing game.
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Previewing Sunday’s St. Louis Battlehawks at Houston Roughnecks sports betting odds and lines, with XFL Week 2 betting picks, tips and bets.
The St. Louis Battlehawks (1-0) play a second straight road game to open their inaugural XFL season, as they visit the Houston Roughnecks (1-0) at TDECU Stadium for a 5 p.m. ET kickoff to wrap up Week 2. Below, we breakdown the Battlehawks-Roughnecks Week 2 matchup, with XFL betting picks and tips.
Also See – XFL Futures Betting: 2020 Championship odds, picks and best bets
Get some action on this XFL matchup or other games by betting at BetMGM. New customer offer: RISK-FREE First Bet (up to $500!) paid in free bets; visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!
Battlehawks
Roughnecks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at Friday at 12:15 p.m. ET.
Roughnecks 28, Battlehawks 18
The Battlehawks (+240) are the biggest underdogs of Week 2 in the XFL as they stay on the road for a second straight game to open the season. There is no value in backing the Roughnecks (-304), even though they showed last week they’re now a team to beat en route to the April 26 championship game.
PASSÂ and look to the spread for better odds on either side.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the favored Roughnecks to win the Week 2 game returns a profit of just $3.29.
Back the ROUGHNECKS (-8.5, +110) to win by at least nine points at home for the second week in a row. Walker looked like the much better quarterback in Week 1 and the Battlehawks’ top two running backs are both battling injuries. Don’t expect this to be another 20-point blowout, but Houston will win by double digits.
UNDER 50.5 (-128) is the play. The Roughnecks put up more points than any other team in Week 1 (37) while the Battlehawks’ 15 points were the fewest of any winning team in the season-opener. This will fall well short of the projection.
Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Esten’s XFL betting record: 1-4
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
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The XFL got off to a nice start what looms in Week 2 of the league’s season.
The XFL made it through its first week and only one coach, DC Pepper Johnson of the LA Wildcats, won’t make it to the second game. The league kicked off to a promising start. Now, the challenge is to keep it up and keep the interest.
Winston Moss isn’t messing around. Something happened with Pepper Johnson and Moss, the Wildcats’ head coach, dismissed the multiple-time Super Bowl winner. Could it have been the 37 points allowed to the Houston Roughnecks? Team captain Anthony Johnson also declared his free agency. Not safe to have the last name of Johnson with the Wildcats. The second opponent is the Dallas Renegades, who are 0-1, too. Bob Stoops’ Renegades are looking for their first TD after notching three field goals against the St. Louis Battlehawks. Swapping Landry Jones for Philip Nelson should make a huge difference for the Dallas offense.
Analyzing the 2020 XFL Championship futures odds after the league’s first week of play.
The odds for the 2020 XFL Championship have been shaken up rather significantly following a successful opening weekend for the new league. Now that fans and bettors have a stronger understanding of the rules and game style – and of which teams have the best understanding of those rules – we reassess the 2020 XFL Championship odds, with futures picks and our best bets.
Odds via BetMGM, last updated February 11, at 2 p.m. ET.
| TEAM | PRESEASON ODDS | UPDATED ODDS |
| New York Guardians | +350 | +350 |
| DC Defenders | +750 | +350 |
| Houston Roughnecks | +750 | +500 |
| Dallas Renegades | +250 | +600 |
| Tampa Bay Vipers | +550 | +600 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks | +1000 | +700 |
| Los Angeles Wildcats | +450 | +1000 |
| Seattle Dragons | +1200 | +1600 |
The Guardians stay at +350 as the Renegades plummet down the board. New York pummeled Tampa Bay 23-3 at home in Week 1, as ex-NFL QB Matt McGloin completed 15 of 29 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. The defense recorded two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
The Defenders soared into a share of top spot with their 31-19 win over the lowly Dragons in Saturday afternoon’s league-opening game in DC. QBÂ Cardale Jones was the difference with 235 passing yards and two touchdowns, while adding another 28 yards on the ground.
The Roughnecks climbed into the third on the odds board with their 37-17 victory over the Wildcats Saturday. Little-known QB P.J. Walker racked up four touchdowns against just one interception while completing 23 of 39 pass attempts for 272 yards.
The Battlehawks opened the year with the second-worst odds in the XFL, but they were the only road team to win as they toppled the heavily-favored Renegades. Matt Jones led the backfield with 85 yards on 21 attempts, while Christine Michael managed to gain zero yards on seven carries.
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The Renegades should get somewhat of a pass for their season-opening loss, as starting QB Landry Jones was ruled out for Week 1. Backup Philip Nelson was efficient (33-for-42) in his place, but he finished with 209 yards and no touchdowns against one INT.
The Wildcats took the biggest fall down the board following their 20-point loss to the Roughnecks. They opened the season with the third-best odds, but are now considered longshots to climb out of a 0-1 hole. WR Nelson Spruce was a bright spot, as he caught 11 of 15 targets for 103 yards.
Want action on the XFL? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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This wasn’t P.J. Walker’s first rodeo.
This wasn’t P.J. Walker’s first rodeo.
He posted an impressive college career at Temple, and had a short stint in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, on and off the practice squad from 2017 to 2019 before taking the reins of the Houston Roughnecks’ offense in the second debut of the XFL.
He was one of the most recognized players in the league’s opening weekend, completing 23-of-39 passes for 272 yards with four touchdowns and one interception on Houston’s 37-17 home victory over the Los Angeles Wildcats.
At Temple, the 5-foot-11, 214-pounder finished his college career as the Owls’ all-time leader in pass attempts (1,410), completions (803), passing yards (10,273), TD passes (72), and total offense (11,100).
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He brings a lot to the table — especially in terms of mobility and arm strength — but there’s still likely a long road ahead and some fine-tuning to do before he prepares to take his career to the next level yet another time.
Roughnecks coach June Jones has experience in coaching against Walker, and is eager to see what the quarterback can accomplish at the helm as the season progresses.
“He did some really good things,” he said. “I was kind of anxious to see him because I had played against him in college. When the play breaks down, you want the quarterback to create things, and he did a lot of stuff… that kind of was his magic in college, too. We get him plugged in, and if he can continue to get better in his reads, I think he has a real chance to be a pretty good player.”
Walker was pleased with his performance, which was received with chants of “P.J., P.J., P.J.” by a crowd of over 17,000 as he walked off the field in TDECU Stadium on Saturday night.
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But like Jones, he knows the work is far from over after just the first game of the year.
“I missed a lot of reads to be honest… some reads I should never miss,” he said. “I’ve gotta go out there next week and not make the same mistakes… I’ve got to take what people give me and not try to force it downfield.”
Obviously it’s still early on, but in a league hungry for talented quarterbacks, a developed Walker could catch the eyes of the NFL teams like the Titans, who have experienced a lot of turnover at the position with a history of signing subpar backups who never seem to be able to answer the call like Zach Mettenberger and Blaine Gabbert — just to name a couple.
Walker and the Roughnecks will look to remain undefeated as they face the visiting St. Louis Battlehawks in Houston on Sunday at 5 p.m. CST.
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