Thursday Night Football is back! Well, sort of. The XFL will play a few games on Thursdays and Mondays this season, and the action will get underway this week. Bettors looking for a St. Louis BattleHawks-Seattle Sea Dragons prediction should hit this XFL bet for Week 2 — the underdog has tons of value for Thursday night.
Best St. Louis BattleHawks-Seattle Sea Dragons XFL Bets | Week 2
St. Louis BattleHawks (+3) vs. Seattle Sea Dragons | Feb. 23, 9:00 p.m. ET
The St. Louis BattleHawks started their season with a fourth-quarter comeback against the San Antonio Brahmas. After struggling early, quarterback A.J. McCarron came to play late. He completed 69.2% of his passes for 7.3 yards per attempt (Y/A), including a highlight-reel catch by Marcell Ateman and an absolute dart to Hakeem Butler for a touchdown. The BattleHawks averaged 6.3 yards per play, good for second in the XFL.
Although the BattleHawks got out to a slow start on Sunday, they have a roster that can contend for the XFL Championship. McCarron recorded an impressive passing efficiency score (156) despite heavy pressure. This should come as no surprise to college football fans, as McCarron’s 2012 campaign for the Alabama Crimson Tide ranks 14th all-time in the metric (175.3). Receivers Ateman and Butler both stand 6-foot-5, and XFL defenders will struggle against their bulky frames and massive catch radii.
Further, St. Louis’ defense fared well. They enter Week 2 ranked second in yards allowed per play (4.5) and third in yards allowed per pass attempt (5.8). While they trail their Week 2 opponent, the Seattle Sea Dragons, in both metrics (3.3, 4.4), Seattle’s defense couldn’t bail out its impotent offense. The Sea Dragons lost to the D.C. Defenders despite surrendering only 177 yards — cashing one of my XFL bets in the process.
Seattle’s offensive struggles fall on the shoulders of quarterback Ben DiNucci. DiNucci, a one-time starter for the Dallas Cowboys, completed a respectable 64.8% of his passes but for only 5.22 Y/A. He also threw one touchdown to two interceptions and earned the second-worst passing efficiency score of the XFL’s starters (107.4). That number isn’t far off from what he recorded at Pitt before transferring to then-FCS James Madison (113.6). DiNucci’s lone Week 1 touchdown came on a low-percentage, desperation shovel pass to Josh Gordon.
With Seattle opening as a field-goal favorite, XFL bettors should rush to back the St. Louis BattleHawks on the moneyline. They are available at odds as long as +140 (41.7%) at FanDuel Sportsbook. St. Louis’ defense should cause more headaches for DiNucci, allowing for McCarron and the BattleHawks offense to score a second-straight win.
Best XFL Bet BattleHawks-Sea Dragons: BattleHawks Moneyline (+140 for 0.5 Unit) at FanDuel
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