Houston Roughnecks vs New York Guardians; Odds, Picks, and Predictions
- The unbeaten Roughnecks are 6.5-point road favorites in New York against the Guardians on Saturday, Mar. 14th, at 2:00 PM ET
- The Guardians are 2-0 at home. Which of these teams will be maintaining their perfect records?
- All the odds, picks and predictions are analyzed below
The Houston Roughnecks and New York Guardians are currently the hottest teams in the XFL.
The 5-0 Roughnecks are the league’s last unbeaten team. The Guardians have won two in a row. On top of that, New York is a perfect 2-0 at MetLife Stadium, where the Guardians will play host to the Roughnecks this Saturday (March 14th) at 2:00 PM ET.
Which of these teams will stay hot? Oddsmakers are leaning heavily toward the Roughnecks, establishing the road team as a 6.5-point favorite.
Houston Roughnecks vs New York Guardians Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | -6.5 (-110) | -280 | O 46.5 (-110) |
| New York | +6.5 (-110) | +225 | U 46.5 (-110) |
Odds taken Mar. 12th.
The line on this game opened at Roughnecks -6.5 and hasn’t moved a lick. Note that there is significant potential for the game to be postponed due to coronavirus, but at the time of publication, the league was still planning to proceed.
Guardians Thrive On Home Cooking
The East Division are truly the homers of the XFL. The four teams are a combined 8-1 at home. But together, they’re a dismal 2-9 on the road.
New York is also 2-0 against the spread on home turf at MetLife Stadium. However, those two wins have come against two of the weaker teams in the XFL.
No one better than these two on either side of the ball during Week 5⃣#OnDuty | #ForTheLoveOfFootball pic.twitter.com/oyZagP207L
— New York Guardians (@XFLGuardians) March 11, 2020
The Guardians were 23-3 winners in Week 1 against the 1-4 Tampa Bay Vipers. They edged the 2-3 Los Angeles Wildcats 17-14 in Week 4.
Interestingly, New York won both games outright as home underdogs.
Irresistible Force vs Immovable Object
Houston’s offense grades out as #1 in the XFL team stats. The Roughnecks lead the league in overall scoring (158 points) and points per game (31.6). Houston is also tops in the XFL in passing yardage (259.8 yards pg).
Individually, quarterback PJ Walker is the XFL’s best in passing yardage (1,338) and touchdown passes (15). Wide receiver Cam Phillips is out front in receptions (31), receiving yards (455) and receiving touchdowns (nine).
New York’s defense is allowing the second-fewest points (85) and points per game (17) in the league. In two home victories, the Guardians checked the opposition on 8.9 points per game.
They’re are also second overall with 13 QB sacks.
Perez Stepping Up For Guardians
Quarterback play has proven to be an issue for the Guardians since the opening of the XFL season. Luis Perez appears to have at least stoppped the bleeding.
Opening the season at #3 on New York’s depth chart, Perez has started the last two games and won both. He passed for 229 yards last week as New York won 30-12 at Dallas.
Perez graded out as the XFL’s top QB during Week 5. His passer rating was 89.7. In the win at Dallas, Perez connected with Colby Pearson for an 80-yard TD. That’s the second-longest play in the XFL this season.
He’ll be facing his biggest challenge of the season this week. According to Pro Football Focus, last week the Roughnecks defense registered a QB hurry on 29% of dropbacks. That was the second-best mark in the XFL.
Roughnecks Will Rough Up Guardians
All season long, the Guardians have proven to be a bend but don’t break defense. New York’s been allowing 329.2 yards per game. That rates sixth in the eight-team XFL.
Houston’s high-tempo offense is devouring defenses. The Roughnecks have scored at least 30 points in three of five games, and never fewer than 27 points in a game. New York has allowed nine TDs and scored just eight. That formula won’t work against the league’s most potent attack.
Roughnecks vs Guardians Stats
| 5-0 | Straight Up | 3-2 |
| 3-2 | Against the Spread | 3-2 |
| 4-1 | Over/Under | 1-4 |
| 343.4 (3) | Total Offense | 258.6 (7) |
| 83.6 (7) | Rushing Offense | 98.6 (5) |
| 259.8 (1) | Passing Offense | 160.0 (6) |
| 307.2 (3) | Total Defense | 329.2 (6) |
| 107.4 (3) | Rushing Defense | 102.0 (2) |
| 200.2 (4) | Passing Defense | 230.6 (7) |
| -3 (T6) | Turnover Ratio | +1 (T3) |
| 31.6 (1) | Points Per Game | 15.8 (8) |
| 22.2 (5) | Points Per Game Allowed | 17.0 (2) |
On top of that, what’s being overlooked is that the Roughnecks are quite solid when they don’t have the football. They’re the league’s #3 defense, allowing 307.2 yards per game. Houston leads the XFL in QB sacks (15) and takeaways (12). Roughnecks cornerback Deatrick Nichols (three) and safety Cody Brown (two) are 1-2 in the XFL in interceptions.
Last week, Houston turned the ball over four times and still beat the Seattle Dragons 32-23. The Roughnecks won’t play that poorly two weeks in a row.
Pick: Houston Roughnecks -6.5 (-110)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
