Seattle Sea Dragons at D.C. Defenders XFL semifinal odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Sunday’s Seattle Sea Dragons at D.C. Defenders semifinal odds and lines, with expert XFL picks, predictions and best bets.

The 2nd of the XFL’s 2 semifinal games has the Seattle Sea Dragons (7-3) on the road against D.C. Defenders (9-1) to determine who moves on to the championship game. Sunday’s kickoff  at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. is at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Sea Dragons vs. Defenders odds, and make our expert XFL picks, predictions and bets.

The Sea Dragons, after losing their 1st 2 games of the season, closed the season winning 7 of their last 8. They defeated the Vegas Vipers 28-9 in the regular-season finale, covering the 10-point spread as home favorites.

The Defenders ended the season with a 3-game winning streak following the 6-game winning streak they had to start the season. They closed the regular season with a 29-28 road win over the San Antonio Brahmas, failing to cover the 3-point spread as favorites.

The winner will play for the title against the Arlington Renegades, a 26-11 winner over the Houston Roughnecks on Saturday.

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Sea Dragons at Defenders odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:39 a.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): Sea Dragons +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Defenders -175 (bet $175 to win $100)
  • Against the spread (ATS): Sea Dragons +3 (-110) | Defenders -3 (-110)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 48.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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Sea Dragons at Defenders key injuries

Sea Dragons

  • WR Blake Jackson (shoulder) questionable
  • OL Josh Seltzner (illness) doubtful
  • CB Linden Stephens (ankle) doubtful
  • WR Damion Willis (shoulder) doubtful

Defenders

  • All expected to play

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Sea Dragons at Defenders picks and predictions

Prediction

Sea Dragons 32, Defenders 30

Moneyline

Two of the Sea Dragons’ 3 losses all season were to the Defenders, but they lost by a combined 5 points in the 2 games. Their only road loss was to D.C. in Week 1.

The Defenders have been playing on a tightrope in their games. They closed the season with 3 straight wins by no more than 2 points. They have allowed an average of 28.0 points per game in their last 5.

Seattle has averaged 28.4 points per game over the last 5 games,

BET SEA DRAGONS (+145).

Against the spread

D.C. has not won a game by more than 2 points since Week 6 while the only time Seattle lost by more than 3 was Week 1.

Expecting an outright Seattle win, I’m taking the +145 moneyline, but if you prefer the spread to give yourself some points to play with, the spread isn’t a bad play.

BET SEA DRAGONS +3 (-110).

Over/Under

The last meeting between the 2 teams had 67 combined points. The Defenders’ last 5 games and 7 of their last 8 had more than 48 points. The other had exactly 48.

BET OVER 48.5 (-110).

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Seattle Sea Dragons at D.C. Defenders odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Sunday’s Seattle Sea Dragons at D.C. Defenders Week 1 odds and lines, with expert XFL picks, predictions and best bets.

Week 1 of the 2023 XFL season wraps up Sunday night with the Seattle Sea Dragons visiting the D.C. Defenders. Kickoff at Audi Field in Washington is 8 p.m. ET  (ESPN). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Sea Dragons vs. Defenders odds, and make our expert XFL picks, predictions and bets.

Seattle is led by coach Jim Haslett, who has a wealth of NFL experience as a leader and coaching defenses. Offensive coordinator June Jones will craft his high-powered offense for the XFL. QB Ben DiNucci has 3 games of NFL experience with the Dallas Cowboys and QB Steven Montez played collegiately at Colorado.

The Defenders’ coach is Reggie Barlow, former Alabama State and Virginia State head coach and they former NFL coach Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator. Their QB is former Ole Miss star Jordan Ta’amu, who had 5 TDs in 5 XFL games for St. Louis in 2020.

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Sea Dragons at Defenders odds

Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:49 a.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): Sea Dragons -140 (bet $140 to win $100) | Defenders +115 (bet $100 to win $115)
  • Against the spread (ATS): Sea Dragons -2.5 (-105) | Defenders +2.5 (-115)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 37.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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Sea Dragons at Defenders picks and predictions

Prediction

Defenders 17, Sea Dragons 13

Money line

The Sea Dragons have a more experienced coach and a very good offensive scheme, but the Defenders have a solid defensive coordinator and a quarterback who thrived in the XFL in 2020. They also have the league’s No. 1 pick in RB Abram Smith and are playing at home.

It is interesting that despite all that, the Defenders are underdogs. Without any previous games to watch or trends to follow, I love this underdog bet.

BET DEFENDERS (+115).

Against the spread

With such a small spread, if you like the Defenders to cover (meaning they would lose by no more than 1), you might as well go for the positive odds on the moneyline.

D.C. has the better QB, a top RB and a defensive scheme that promises physicality. I like D.C. to win, but PASS on the spread and go for the positive odds on the moneyline.

Over/Under

It is the 1st week of a rebooted league and teams have not been together long. Defenses should be ahead of offenses and the Defenders have the better defensive leader. Expect low-scoring games across the board in Week 1 as teams define their identities.

BET UNDER 37.5 (-110).

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access more content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

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