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The St. Louis Battlehawks (3-1) take on the DC Defenders (2-2) Sunday at Audi Field at noon ET (ABC/ESPN+). Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Battlehawks vs. Defenders odds and make our expert UFL football picks and predictions.
This is a rivalry game as the Battlehawks lost both games to the Defenders in the XFL last season. St. Louis packed the Battle Dome and dismantled the Memphis Showboats 32-17 in Week 4. Their offense is proving to be lethal after putting up 31 and 32 points over the past 2 weeks. QB A.J. McCarron was 35-for-45 for 222 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT. RB Jacob Saylors also posted 100 yards on the ground.
The Defenders fell 20-18 on the road against the Birmingham Stallions in Week 4. QB Jordan Ta’amu was 12-for-22 for 160 yards and 2 TDs, but the ground game was pretty lackluster. The Defenders ran 26 times for 91 yards and didn’t reach the end zone. The Stallions dominated the ball with 35 minutes of possession and just 25 minutes for DC.
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Battlehawks at Defenders odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:01 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Battlehawks -180 (bet $180 to win $100) | Defenders +155 (bet $100 to win $155)
- Against the spread (ATS): Battlehawks -3 (-120) | Defenders +3 (+100)
- Over/Under (O/U): 46.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Battlehawks at Defenders key injuries
Battlehawks
- RB Mataeo Durant (toe) out
- CB Tim Harris (ankle) out
- LB Callahan O’Reilly (toe) out
- WR Darrius Shepherd (hamstring) out
- LB Pita Taumoepenu (ankle) probable
Defenders
- LB Francis Bernard (hamstring) out
- WR Brandon Smith (groin) out
Battlehawks at Defenders picks and predictions
Prediction
Battlehawks 27, Defenders 21
Moneyline
The Battlehawks will be without Sheppard, who leads the league with 724 all-purpose yards. They still have a lot of firepower with WR Hakeem Butler, WR Jahcour Pearson, McCarron and Saylors. The Defenders aren’t as potent on offense and will struggle to keep up.
That said, you can’t drop -180 on the Battlehawks on the road.
PASS.
Against the spread
The Battlehawks have covered in each of their 3 wins and have topped 30 points in 2 straight. Meanwhile, the Defenders have been inconsistent with 12, 23, 29 and 18 points in their 4 games.
Take the BATTLEHAWKS -3 (-120).
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Over/Under
The Battlehawks have been crushing some Overs thanks to their dynamite offense. This one will be close, and St. Louis will probably need all 27 to cash the Over here. I think it squeaks by, though.
LEAN OVER 46.5 (-110).
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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