If you’re looking for Week 9 XFL St. Louis Battlehawks vs. Seattle Sea Dragons odds, picks, and predictions for this entertaining Sunday matchup, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve analyzed each team’s highest-probability game scripts to assess the most likely outcomes, including which players are in line to thrive more than anticipated or fall short of expectations.
Battlehawks vs. Sea Dragons Week 9 Odds and Betting Lines
The following odds and betting lines for the Battlehawks vs. Sea Dragons are as of Thursday, April 13, and come from DraftKings Sportsbook. Clearly, they’re subject to change. That said, barring an unforeseen injury to a significant starter, we should assume that these lines will remain largely intact.
- Point Spread: Battlehawks (-1.5)
- Moneyline: Battlehawks (-120), Sea Dragons (+100)
- Over/Under: 46 (-110)
Battlehawks vs. Sea Dragons Picks and Predictions
Full disclosure, as always. Week 8 was a mixed bag, as I went 1-3 in picks against the spread, 2-2 on moneylines, and 4-0 on over/unders. That late and unexpected scratch of St. Louis QB AJ McCarron didn’t help, as backup Nick Tiano floundered vs. one of the league’s worst defenses. The XFL is a bit shallow when it comes to talent, and taking the same team -7 points with a backup QB is never a savvy move.
That said, we take the good luck with the bad. And the good news is that over/unders are making a lot more sense these days. Here’s hoping I snap back into shape on point spreads.
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Two weeks of the XFL regular season remain. This past weekend, two teams became the first to clinch playoff spots, while a second team joined the Vegas Vipers as officially eliminated. That leaves four teams battling it out for two spots.
Two of those teams are the Battlehawks and Sea Dragons. Interestingly, both were my preseason favorites to win the XFL title. But only one will reach the playoffs.
Let’s cut to the chase. If St. Louis wins, they’re in. And as long as AJ McCarron starts, I believe they’ll do just that. The standout QB was a late scratch last weekend, leading backup Nick Tiano to draw his first start.
It didn’t go well. Sure, St. Louis prevailed. But Tiano mustered a dreadful passing line (194-1-2), culminating in a 57.7 QB rating.
My hunch is that the Battlehawks played it safe with McCarron with an eye toward Week 9. Their running game and defense could handle Vegas. But they’d need a healthy McCarron for their biggest contest of the regular season this weekend. And paired with Hakeem Butler and Darrius Shepherd, McCarron could hit 300+ yards.
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No doubt, Seattle’s in trouble. In some ways, it’s not fair that the North Division features (arguably) the three best teams in the XFL. But that’s the way it goes, and Seattle’s 0-2 start has come back to haunt them.
If they beat St. Louis, and if both teams fare the same way in Week 10, then the XFL will need to go to No. 4 or No. 5 on their tiebreaker sheet: points rankings and then point differential.
As a result, if Seattle somehow is blowing out St. Louis in the fourth quarter, don’t be surprised if the Sea Dragons try to keep running up the score. Because if these teams finish with the same record, an extra head-to-head touchdown might mean the difference between a playoff berth and going home.
In addition to the Battlehawks’ McCarron, keep a close eye on Seattle’s backfield. The Phillip Lindsay experiment went awry, which in hindsight, isn’t that surprising. He’s the Sea Dragons’ fourth starting RB this year, as their top two remain on the shelf. Their best hope of keeping pace is to get Morgan Ellison back on the field. Barring that, I don’t see how Seattle keeps this game within 10 points.
- Recommended Point-Spread Bet: Battlehawks (-1.5)
- Recommended Moneyline Bet: Battlehawks (-120)
- Over/Under: Under 46 (-110)