The St. Louis BattleHawks (3-1) will visit the DC Defenders (2-2) in Week 5 in an attempt to distance themselves from the rest of the pack in the XFL East. St. Louis has only lost a close game to the Houston Roughnecks and have looked like one of the best teams in the field. DC was considered to be one of the frontrunners before it was blown out in Weeks 3 and 4. Can the Defenders gain ground in their division, or will the BattleHawks continue to pull away?
The game is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. ET and will take place at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. It will be broadcast on FS1 and streamed on the Fox Sports App.
St. Louis is led by Jordan Ta’amu, who has been one of the XFL’s most accurate and athletic passers this season. He enters Week 5 ranked second in passing yards (876), despite not having a definitive top-tier wideout like his competition. Slot receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El is his top target though, and the two have combined for 210 yards and two scores. The BattleHawks also have one of the league’s leading rushers in Matt Jones, who is listed as questionable because of a knee injury. Nevertheless, St. Louis should feel confident facing the XFL’s worst defense over the course of the last two weeks.
The Defenders fell apart in Weeks 3 and 4. Quarterback Cardale Jones threw five interceptions with zero scores during that stretch. His struggles have led to his team producing a measly nine points in its last two appearances. DC’s defense has also been horrendous, as it has forfeited 64 points to the opposition in the last two weeks. Jones has been benched in back-to-back fourth quarters, and his improvement will be critical to the Defenders’ success moving forward.
Despite how bad DC has been, St. Louis is only favored by 3.5 points at DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under for total points is set at 38.5.
St. Louis BattleHawks at DC Defenders
Game time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Channel: FS1
Live Stream: (Fox Sports App)
Date: Sunday, March 8th
Announcers: Tom Hart, Joey Galloway, Pat McAfee
Location: Audi Field, Washington D.C.
Odds: BattleHawks -3.5
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