The Houston Roughnecks have clinched the playoffs and can assure they are the top team out of the XFL south with a win over the Vegas Vipers. We continue our XFL odds series with a Vipers-Roughnecks prediction, pick, and how-to watch.
The Vipers enter the game off a four-point loss to the Battlehawks which saw the first XFL overtime game of the year. The Battlehawks converted both of their try attempts from the five, while the Vipers failed to do so. Houston then competed in the second overtime game, and after failing on their first two try attempts, they converted the third from the five-yard line and stopped Jack Coan to give them a two-point win.
Here are the Vipers-Roughnecks XFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Vipers-Roughnecks Odds
Las Vegas Vipers: +7 (-110)
Houston Roughnecks: -7 (-110)
Over: 43.5 (-110)
Under: 43.5 (-110)
How To Watch Vipers vs. Roughnecks
TV: ABC
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 12:30 PM ET/ 9:30 AM PT
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Vipers Could Cover The Spread
After the dispatching of Luis Perez, the Vipers had to make a change at quarterback. They decided to keep with Jalan McClendon and it paid off. He threw for 159 yards on 13/23 passing with a touchdown. He also ran for 62 yards to lead the team. Turnovers had been a concern for this Viper squad, with both Perez and Hundley struggling. MaClendon's first game against the Bahamas, and threw for 264 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. In the first outing against the Battlehawks, Vipers quarterbacks threw two interceptions, this time, there were none.
On the defensive end, the Vipers have only three interceptions going into the game in the entire season. They added two to that total with Marwin Evans and Maurice Smith both getting picks. C.J. Avery recovered a fumble, and the Vipers got to the quarterback five times. For the second week in a row, the pass defense showed up big. They limited Nick Tiano to 194 yards passing, with a touchdown and two interceptions. They did give up one big play, as Sterling Hofrichter came in and threw one pass for 64 yards to Gary Jennings that scored.
On the run side, the Vipers did not contain Tiano fully. He was still able to run for 51 yards, but they stopped Brian Hill, limiting him to just 35 yards on ten carries. For the Vipers, it was a few missed opportunities and big plays that cost them the game. This is a team that is consistently improving and moving in the right direction. If they can make the small changes and limit the big play, they will hang around in this one.
Why The Roughnecks Could Cover The Spread
Before last week Houston had lost three games in a row, and much of that has been their defense. A defense that only gave up 13.75 points per game in the first four games of the year has been giving up over 27 points per game in the next three. The defense finally showed back up, allowing just 15 points to the Brahmas. They held Jack Coan to 190 yards passing and picked him off twice. Jacques Patrick did give them trouble though, as he ran for 96 yards on just 16 attempts, and scored a touchdown. Overall, the defense was much closer to their start-of-the-season form.
The big question on the offense was going to be the quarterback. Brandon Silvers was benched in the loss to the Defenders, and Cole McDonald came in. McDonald went 15/32 for 106 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Silvers was good to start the year. In the first four games of the year, he was averaging 240.5 yards per game, had ten touchdowns, and just three interceptions. It seemed like the right choice at the time to go back to Silvers, but that almost cost them. Silvers went 17/36 for 146 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. If Silvers is the starter again, he should be on a short leash in this one.
The Roughnecks also need to get more out of the running game. They ran the ball 13 times last week for just 25 yards. Their longest rush of the game was just seven yards. If they cannot run the ball well, it will allow the Viper's defense to sit back and feast on Silvers. the Roughnecks may have to consider packages with Cole McDonald to stimulate the run game and help their passing game out.
Final Vipers-Roughnecks Prediction & Pick
While the Roughnecks did look good to get back to winning, there are still some major questions. First, is if they can stop turning the ball over. The Vipers in recent weeks have been good at creating turnovers and if Silvers cannot protect the ball, there are going to be major issues there. The Roughnecks are also having trouble controlling a game, with poor ground performances becoming more consistent. The Vipers will get a few turnovers, and while they may not win, they will get the cover.
Final Vipers-Roughnecks Prediction & Pick: Vipers +7 (-110)
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