Are the Roughnecks the class of the XFL? They’ll look to improve to 2-0 as the Vipers look for their first win.
Game: Houston Roughnecks at Tampa Bay Vipers
Date: Saturday, February 22, 2020
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL
Spread: Roughnecks -6.5, TOTAL 47
TV Channel: ABC
Houston Roughnecks at Tampa Bay Vipers Preview
The Houston Roughnecks have had a flying start to their XFL campaign. They sit at 2-0 on the season, and sit atop the XFL West Division. In their last outing, things got a little dicey for Houston, but on the back of a timely 4th-quarter interception, they prevailed with a 28-24 victory.
The star of the show for the Roughnecks has been QB PJ Walker. Through 2 weeks, Walker is 3rd in the XFL in passing yards with 442 yards, tossing 7 TDs to only 1 Interception. Those are impressive numbers for the former Indianapolis Colt practice squad QB, and Temple Owl.
The Roughnecks also had a huge performance out of WR Cam Phillips, who finished with 7 catches, 54 yards, and 3 TDs in the victory. Look for these two to shoot for more big plays this week.
The Tampa Bay Vipers come into this game licking their wounds a bit. They are currently 0-2 on the season, and have only scored 1 Touchdown on the season. Saturday’s game will be their first home game of the season at Raymond James Stadium, and their hope is that the home crowd can give them a much needed boost.
Tampa is coming off a disappointing loss to the Seattle Dragons in which their offense got completely shut down. In the 17-9 loss, players after the game noted that their defense played admirably, but the offense couldn’t produce. Much of this is due to the fact that starting QB Aaron Murray, the former Georgia Bulldog, was inactive, and his replacements threw 3 interceptions.
Houston Roughnecks at Tampa Bay Vipers Stats
- The Tampa Bay Vipers average 6.0 PPG
- The Houston Roughnecks average 32.5 PPG (Most in XFL)
- The Tampa Bay Vipers turned the ball over 3 times in Week 2
Houston Roughnecks at Tampa Bay Vipers Betting Lines
- The Roughnecks are 6.5 point favorites
- The Roughnecks are -225 on the ML
- The Vipers are +180 on the ML
- The TOTAL for the game is 47
Houston Roughnecks at Tampa Bay Vipers Prediction
With the Roughnecks being favored on the road by 6.5 points, they are expected to thoroughly outplay the Vipers. I happen to agree with this assessment. There are already reports that Vipers coach Marc Trestman has lost the locker room. It’s only been 2 weeks, but often when there’s smoke, there’s fire. That isn’t good news coming out of the Vipers locker room.
The Roughnecks have proven to be the better team this season, and I expect them to continue their hot play. PJ Walker is playing like an MVP candidate, and with little resistance from the Vipers defense, Walker could be in for another big day. Look for the Roughnecks to score at least 24+ points, and with the way the Vipers offense has looked, there’s no shot they’ll be able to keep up. Give me the Roughnecks to easily cover 6.5.
