With both teams coming off a loss, Week 3 is a big opportunity for these teams to create some distance in the XFL standings.
Game: New York Guardians at St. Louis Battlehawks
Date: Sunday February 23, 2020, 3:00 PM
Location: The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, MI
Spread: Battlehawks -9.5, TOTAL 40.5
TV Channel: ESPN
New York Guardians at St. Louis Battlehawks Preview
Both hailing in the XFL East Division, the Guardians and Battlehawks both come into this game at 1-1. All records aren’t the same however, as the Battlehawks have a +2 Touchdown margin, while the Guardians have no advantage either way.
Although the Battlehawks are coming off a tough 28-24 loss to the Roughnecks, they showed up in a big way. Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu put on a show, throwing for 284 yards and 3 TDs, while rushing another score in. However, Ta’amu had a costly 4th quarter interception that it could be argued cost the Battlehawks the game.
The Guardians are coming off a disheartening 27-0 loss to the DC Defenders in which they didn’t even put up a fight. The Guardians only put up 137 yards of offense, converted 9% of their 3rd downs, and had 3 turnovers. If there’s ever a recipe for getting shut out, that’s it.
New York came into this season feeling good about having Matt McGloin at Quarterback. McGloin, a former NFL QB and Penn State alum, showed promise in his short career, and in a league like this, the Guardians expected big things from the QB. That has not come to fruition. In their game against the Defenders, McGloin completed 8-19 passes for only 42 yards, and 2 interceptions. He was later benched.
The Guardians are looking at McGloin to respond if they hope to get over the .500 mark once more. The Battlehawks, even coming off a loss, feel as if they continued to build on their momentum from a week prior. The key for them will be to continue their hot play on the offensive end, as Ta’amu looks to continue to play like one of the top players in the XFL.
New York Guardians at St. Louis Battlehawks Stats
- The Guardians are averaging 11.5 PPG
- The Battlehawks are averaging 19.5 PPG
- After allowing 3 points in Week 1, the Guardians let up 27 in Week 2
New York Guardians at St. Louis Battlehawks Betting Lines
- The O/U for the game is set at 40.5
- The Battlehawks are 9.5 point favorites
- The Battlehawks are -410 on the ML, Guardians +310
New York Guardians at St. Louis Battlehawks Prediction
The Battlehawks are coming off of a loss, but are still favored by 10 points. That goes to show you how good they looked last week, and how pitiful the Guardians looked in their no-show against the Defenders.
This is the Battlehawks first home game at The Dome at America’s Center, and if early indications mean anything, the place is going to be near a sell-out capacity. If the home crowd has something to cheer about early on, this could be a long day for Matt McGloin and the rest of the Guardians.
I think the Battlehawks feed off the home crowd and cruise to a victory. The Guardians have proven that their Week 1 dominance was a fluke, and I believe that when it’s all said and done, the Battlehawks will be near the top of the league. Week 3 will go a long way to backing my assertion, as the Battlehawks will cover -9.5 with ease.
