In what might be the XFL’s worst game of the weekend, the 0-1 San Antonio Brahmas will take on the 0-1 Orlando Guardians. The Guardians are openly planning to use a quarterback-by-committee approach. The Brahmas lost their leader in targets and a handful of offensive linemen to injury. Bettors looking for a San Antonio Brahmas-Orlando Guardians prediction should hit this XFL bet for Week 2 at FanDuel — too much value remains on the underdogs.
Best San Antonio Brahmas-Orlando Guardians XFL Bet & Predictions | Week 2
San Antonio Brahmas vs. Orlando Guardians (+3) | Feb. 26, 4:00 p.m. ET
The Orlando Guardians struggled mightily in Week 1. The Guardians rotated quarterback Paxton Lynch out for backup Quinten Dormady after getting into an early hole. Lynch ranked second-worst among starters in adjusted net yards per attempt, or ANY/A (3.37). Dormandy fared even worse (2.7). Although the Guardians lead the XFL in both yards per play (6.5) and total yards gained (356), most of those came in garbage time. They also lost 42 yards on seven sacks.
Fortunately, head coach Terrell Buckley seems responsive to the team’s woes. He told reporters that Orlando is still trying to identify their starting quarterback. Although they’ll start Lynch in Week 2, Deondre Francois has jumped Dormady on the depth chart. The former Florida State star is a dual-threat option who can move around in the pocket and pick up serious yardage with his legs — something the Guardians desperately need, given the poor play of their offensive line in Week 1.
Unlike the Guardians, the San Antonio Brahmas looked respectable in Week 1 — but a dive into the numbers and the injury report reveals some problems. The Brahmas held a lead over the St. Louis BattleHawks until A.J. McCarron led a fourth-quarter comeback against them. As a result, San Antonio’s defense enters Week 2 ranked seventh in yards allowed per play (6.3). The conservative offensive play-calling that they used to wind the clock against St. Louis means they enter Week 2 ranked seventh in yards per play (4.5) as well.
Things have only gotten worse for the Brahmas. Wide receiver Landen Akers, who led the team in receptions (7) and targets (7), landed on injured reserve. So did starting guard Willie Wright. Another guard, Norman Price, also suffered an injury last week and missed Thursday’s practice. Wright was the third offensive lineman drafted by the Brahmas and Price was the seventh. Quarterback Jack Coan already faced constant pressure and took two sacks for a loss of 16 yards, so having to play without those two may make his life worse.
Although Coan has shown more ability than either Lynch or Francois, as he ranked fourth among starters in ANY/A (4.37), his limited supporting cast and questionable coaching staff make him hard to support on Sunday. The Brahmas cut a middle linebacker they had named a team captain, Joel Dublanko, in the middle of the week. Dublanko didn’t record a tackle last week but the move calls San Antonio’s decision-making — either to cut him or to name him a captain in the first place — into question.
The sportsbooks have San Antonio as a 3.5-to-4-point favorite on the XFL betting markets. That feels fair given the way these teams performed in Week 1. However, the Orlando Guardians we see in Week 2 may not resemble the turnover-prone and inefficient group we saw in Week 1. Likewise, the Brahmas may not get out to an early lead with so many of their offensive personnel injured. A ton of question marks surround this game, so I’m playing Orlando on the moneyline at +150 (40%) at FanDuel Sportsbook for a quarter-unit. Readers yet to register at FanDuel can score no-sweat first bet worth up to $1,000!
Best XFL Bet Brahmas-Guardians: Guardians Moneyline (+150 for 0.25 Unit) at FanDuel
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