夜上海论坛-上海419论坛-上海龙凤419

The No. 3 seed Creighton Bluejays and the No. 14 seed Akron Zips battle in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The Zips have won three straight en route to a 62-61 win over Kent State to secure the MAC Championship. Meanwhile, Creighton was upset in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. On March 14, Providence beat the Bluejays 78-73.

Tipoff from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh is set for 1:30 p.m. ET. The Bluejays are 12-point favorites in the latest Akron vs. Creighton odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 142.5. Before making any Creighton vs. Akron picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Creighton vs. Akron. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Akron vs. Creighton:

Creighton vs. Akron spread: Bluejays -12
Creighton vs. Akron over/under: 142.5 points
Creighton vs. Akron money line: Bluejays -794, Zips +535
AKR: Akron has hit the team total Under in 12 of its last 19 games
CREI: Creighton has hit the team total Over in 19 of its last 35 games
Creighton vs. Akron picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Creighton can cover
Senior guard Baylor Scheierman is a smooth scorer who owns a reliable perimeter shot and has the range for step-back jumpers. The Nebraska native averages a team-high 18.4 points with nine rebounds and four assists per game. On March 2, Scheierman tallied 26 points and 16 rebounds.

Senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner is a lengthy and effective player in the paint. Kalkbrenner has a soft touch around the rim and in the mid-range area. He logged 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, while knocking down 65% of his shots from the field. In the loss to Providence, Kalkbrenner stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. See which team to pick at SportsLine.

Why Akron can cover
Senior forward Enrique Freeman is an explosive playmaker in the frontcourt. Freeman soars high for easy dunks and piles up rebounds. The Ohio native leads the team in points (18.6), rebounds (12.9) and blocks (1.8) per game. On March 15 against Ohio, Freeman finished with 24 points, 21 boards and seven blocks.

Senior guard Ali Ali is an additional scoring threat. Ali owns the speed and finesse to get around the basket consistently. He is putting up 15.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. Ali racked up 18 points, five rebounds and five assists in his last outing. He’s scored at least 17 points in three of the last six games. See which team to pick at SportsLine.

How to make Akron vs. Creighton picks
The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 138 points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 70% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

Teams with vastly different postseason histories clash when the 15th-seeded Long Beach State Beach take on the second-seeded Arizona Wildcats in a 2024 NCAA Tournament West Region first-round matchup on Thursday. Long Beach State (21-14), who won the Big West Conference Tournament championship, will be making its 10th appearance in the event, but first since 2012. The Wildcats (25-8), who won the Pac-12 regular-season title, are making their 38th NCAA Tournament appearance and ninth since 2013. The Wildcats are 58-36 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, while Long Beach State is 7-10. Arizona leads the all-time series 8-0, and has won each game by 15 points or more.

Tip-off from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City is set for 2 p.m. ET. The Wildcats are 20-point favorites in the latest Long Beach State vs. Arizona odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 163.5. Before making any Arizona vs. Long Beach State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Long Beach State vs. Arizona and just locked in its picks and March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Arizona vs. Long Beach State:

Long Beach State vs. Arizona spread: Arizona -20
Long Beach State vs. Arizona over/under: 163.5 points
Long Beach State vs. Arizona money line: Long Beach State +1270, Arizona -2620
LBSU: The Beach have hit the money line in 18 of their last 30 games (+11.00 units)
ARIZ: The Wildcats have covered the spread in 21 of their last 33 games (+7.80 units)
Long Beach State vs. Arizona picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Arizona can cover
The Wildcats have four players averaging double-digit scoring, led by senior guard Caleb Love. In his first season at Arizona after spending three years at North Carolina, he has scored 10 or more points 30 times, and 20 or more 14 times, including a season-high 36 in an 87-78 win over Oregon on Jan. 27. In 33 games, all starts, he is averaging 18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 32 minutes.

Also helping power Arizona is senior center Oumar Ballo. In 33 games, all starts, he is averaging 13.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 25.9 minutes. He has 18 double-doubles on the year, including two in the Pac-12 Tournament. He scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 67-59 semifinal loss to Oregon on Friday. He had 10 points and 13 boards in a 70-49 win over USC in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. See which team to pick here.

Why Long Beach State can cover
The Beach have been on a roll this past week, sweeping through the Big West Tournament. Senior guard Marcus Tsohonis is a big reason why as he poured in 25 points, added four assists, three rebounds and two steals in the 74-70 win over UC Davis in Saturday’s title game. He had 15 points in the 83-79 win over UC Irvine in the semifinals and had 19 before fouling out in the 86-67 quarterfinal victory over UC Riverside. In 30 games, including 26 starts, he is averaging 17.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 29.1 minutes.

Junior guard Jadon Jones enters the NCAA Tournament as Long Beach State’s second-leading scorer at 12.2 points per game. In 33 games, including 28 starts, Jones also averages 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.7 assists and one block in 30.2 minutes. He is connecting on 42.3% of his field goals, including 37.9% from 3-point range and 84.9% at the foul line. See which team to pick here.

How to make Arizona vs. Long Beach State picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the point total, projecting 157 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.

A first-round matchup in the 2024 NCAA Tournament has the No. 9 seed Michigan State Spartans and the No. 8 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs squaring off on Thursday. The Bulldogs have made the tournament 12 times in school history. On the other side, Michigan State has made the tournament 26 years in a row.

Tipoff from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte is set for 12:15 p.m. ET. The Spartans are 1-point favorites in the latest Michigan State vs. Mississippi State odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 130.5. Before making any Mississippi State vs. Michigan State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Michigan State vs. Mississippi State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Mississippi State vs. Michigan State:

Michigan State vs. Mississippi State spread: Spartans -1
Michigan State vs. Mississippi State over/under: 130.5 points
Michigan State vs. Mississippi State money line: Spartans -121, Bulldogs +100
MSU: Michigan State has hit the team total Under in 21 of their last 35 games
MSST: Mississippi State has hit the 1H game total Under in 18 of their last 30 games
Michigan State vs. Mississippi State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Michigan State can cover
Senior forward Malik Hall is an all-around player for the Spartans. Hall scores by attacking the basket while putting a lot of energy into defense and rebounding. The Illinois native averages 12.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. In his last matchup, Hall racked up 12 points, seven rebounds, and two steals.

Senior A.J. Hoggard is an aggressive and energetic guard in the backcourt. Hoggard excels at driving to the basket and plays feisty defense. The Pennsylvania native averages 11 points, three rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. On Mar. 14 against Minnesota, Hoggard finished with 17 points and six assists. See which team to pick at SportsLine.

Why Mississippi State can cover
Freshman guard Josh Hubbard is a creative shot creator with a nice shooting touch on multiple spots on the court. The Mississippi native is putting up a team-best 17.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He’s scored 20-plus points in seven of his last eight games. In the second round of the SEC Tournament, Hubbard totaled 24 points and two assists.

Senior forward Tolu Smith provides the Bulldogs with a force in the frontcourt. Smith scores from the low post with ease and uses his size to create space for rebounds. The Mississippi native logs 15.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and shoots 56% from the field. In his last outing, Smith had 10 points and 10 rebounds. See which team to pick at SportsLine.

How to make Mississippi State vs. Michigan State picks
The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 138 points. It also says one side of the spread nearly 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

The D.C. Defenders attempt to remain undefeated when they host the Houston Roughnecks on Monday in a showdown between division leaders as Week 6 of the 2023 XFL season comes to a close. D.C. (5-0), which owns a 1 ½-game lead over both Seattle and St. Louis in the North, is coming off a 28-20 road victory against the Battlehawks. The Roughnecks (4-1), who were 5-0 in 2020 before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, dropped a 21-14 decision at Seattle last week for their first loss of the year.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Audi Field. D.C. is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest Defenders vs. Roughnecks odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 42. Before locking in any Roughnecks vs. Defenders picks of XFL predictions of your own, you need to see what NFL expert R.J. White has to say.

White, a Fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports, consistently crushes against-the-spread picks and went 535-450-30 on his ATS picks from 2017-22, returning more than $3,500 to $100 players. He also closed with an incredible 107-80-6 run on his last 193 ATS and total NFL picks during the 2022 NFL season, returning more than $1,800 for $100 bettors.

White has crushed not only the NFL but also the XFL during its abbreviated 2020 season, going 16-4 on XFL ATS picks before the league suspended operations. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, he has locked in on Defenders vs. Roughnecks and released a confident against-the-spread pick that is available only at SportsLine. Here are the XFL lines and trends for Roughnecks vs. Defenders:

Defenders vs. Roughnecks spread: D.C. -2.5
Defenders vs. Roughnecks over/under: 42 points
Defenders vs. Roughnecks money line: D.C. -150, Houston +126
DC: The Defenders are averaging a league-best 174 rushing yards
HOU: The Roughnecks were kept off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter last week
Defenders vs. Roughnecks picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Defenders can cover
D.C. does the majority of its offensive damage on the ground as it leads the XFL in rushing with 870 yards. The Defenders also are first in the league in touchdown runs with 11 — nearly twice as many as Houston and Orlando, who are tied for second with six apiece. Backup quarterback D’Eriq King has rushed for a league-high five TDs, including a decisive 10-yarder in the fourth quarter at St. Louis last week.

Abram Smith is right behind King with four scoring runs as he doubled his season total with a pair against the Battlehawks. The 24-year-old finished with 218 yards in the contest after running for a 62-yard TD in the second quarter and a 70-yarder in the third. Smith is first in the XFL with 432 rushing yards while signal-caller Jordan Ta’amu, who led the USFL in passing yards (2,014) and TD tosses (14) in 2022, ranks fifth with 208 along with a pair of touchdown runs.

Why the Roughnecks can cover
Houston was first in the XFL after five weeks with 18 offensive touchdowns, including 12 through the air. Quarterback Brandon Silvers entered Week 6 tied for second with 11 scoring tosses and ranked third with 1,189 passing yards. The Roughnecks are last in the league in rushing (408 yards) but were tied for second with six TD runs through five games.

On the other side of the ball, Houston has allowed a league-low 76 points (only 24 in the second half) and ranked first after five weeks with 19 sacks and eight interceptions. Despite missing one game, linebacker Trent Harris tops the XFL with six sacks while defensive lineman Tim Ward is right behind him with five. Cornerback Ajene Harris is tied with D.C.’s Joseph for league lead with four interceptions while former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Sean Davis has made three.

How to make Defenders vs. Roughnecks picks
White has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he’s leaning Under the total, he has discovered a crucial X-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. He’s sharing it only at SportsLine.

The second half of the XFL’s regular season featured the biggest game so far, a Monday night matchup in March between the two division leaders. In the end, the D.C. Defenders showed why they’re the league’s only unbeaten team, putting up 37 points against a Houston Roughnecks group that had allowed the fewest points in the league going in.

It was the XFL’s first Monday night game and 12,492 fans showing up at D.C.’s Audi Field to watch the Defenders go to 6-0. The Roughnecks, arguably the second-best team through the first half of the season, fell to 4-2 but stayed a game up in the South Division.

Below, we’ll break down Roughnecks-Defenders and all the games from Week 6, including Saturday’s matchups that saw the Seattle Sea Dragons and St. Louis BattleHawks each improve to 4-2 behind two of the league’s better quarterbacks, as the BattleHawks’ A.J. McCarron and Sea Dragons’ Ben DiNucci threw five touchdown passes between them. On Sunday, Hines Ward’s San Antonio Brahmas got their second win thanks to a strong defense.

Here’s a look at all the Week 6 scores (you can also check out the schedule and league standings).

Saturday
Seattle Sea Dragons 26, Orlando Guardians 19
St. Louis BattleHawks 29, Vegas Vipers 6

Sunday
San Antonio Brahmas 15, Arlington Renegades 9

Monday
D.C. Defenders 37, Houston Roughnecks 26

Monday night’s game
In primetime, D.C. shows why it’s the team to beat
If there was any doubt who the XFL’s best team is before Monday night’s showdown, the D.C. Defenders made it perfectly clear with a 37-26 victory over the other division leader in the Houston Roughnecks. D.C. quarterback Jordan Ta’amu threw for 245 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Abram Smith continued his tear out of the backfield, rushing for 95 yards with a score. Defenders receiver Lucky Jackson also had a big night, with five catches for 136 yards and a TD.

The game actually began as a defensive struggle until late in the first half when, with the Defenders up 9-8, Roughnecks quarterback Brandon Silvers was picked off by D.C.’s Santos Ramirez, who ran it back for a pick-six.

.@sramirez_9 PICK. SIX. 🔥@XFLDefenders lead 17-8 at the half! pic.twitter.com/eKU4uXszl7

— XFL (@XFL2023) March 28, 2023
The Defenders took a 17-8 lead into halftime, and the Roughnecks could never make much of a run in the second half, as 12 Houston penalties in the game proved costly. Silvers (10 for 17, 111 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) and Cole McDonald (8 for 11, 194 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) split time at quarterback for Houston, with McDonald adding a rushing TD. McDonald led the Roughnecks in rushing with 37 yards, but Max Borghi did have two rushing TDs and 25 yards on the ground.

The question now becomes, can anyone beat D.C. this season? They’ll face the 0-6 Orlando Guardians next week, but the following weekend they get a Seattle team on a roll (more on that below). It doesn’t get easier for the Roughnecks next week, as they’ll take on the 4-2 BattleHawks.

Sunday’s game
Brahmas snap three-game losing streak
Despite failing to score 20 points for a fifth time in six games, Hines Ward’s Brahmas posted a 15-9 win over Arlington on the strength of their defense. San Antonio linebacker Jordan Williams’ 15-yard fumble return for a touchdown served as the only score of the first half as the Brahmas took a 9-0 lead at intermission.

Delontae Scott with the forced fumble and Jordan Williams with the scoop and score!

10-0 2 minutes left in the first half #XFL2023 | #HornsForward pic.twitter.com/tvlgPjfKJb

— San Antonio Brahmas (@XFLBrahmas) March 26, 2023
Bob Stoops’ team rallied to tie the score (on the strength of their own interception) before the Brahmas responded with a pair of field goals in the fourth quarter. San Antonio’s defense then sealed the win when defensive back Tenny Adewusi picked off Drew Plitt on the game’s final play.

With the win, San Antonio — which lost a 12-10 decision to Arlington last week — is now within a game of Arlington in the XFL South division standings. The top two teams in each division will face off in the playoffs on the weekend of April 29-30, with the winners colliding in the XFL championship on May 13.

Saturday’s games
Sea Dragons roll off fourth straight victory
After losing their first two games by a combined six points, the Seattle Sea Dragons have won four in a row. Fresh off an upset of the previously unbeaten Houston a week ago, the Sea Dragons bounced back from a halftime deficit on Saturday to beat the Orlando Guardians, 26-19.

Seattle entered the game with the XFL’s top passing attack, and quarterback Ben DINucci threw two more TD passes in Week 6. That was despite Josh Gordon not having a catch. The former NFL receiving leader got off to a fast start in the XFL, but Gordon now has only two catches for 15 yards in the past two games combined. Blake Jackson led Seattle in receiving with six catches for 79 yards, including this 20-yard touchdown in the second half.

Don’t Panic… #JustChill #XFL2023 | #BreatheFire pic.twitter.com/neTMQ1qwWA

— Seattle Sea Dragons (@XFLSeaDragons) March 25, 2023
DiNucci went 18 for 35 for 177 yards, and he was also Seattle’s rushing leader (43 yards). The Sea Dragons’ running backs managed just 35 yards combined.

Orlando remains the XFL’s only winless team despite a strong first half on Saturday. The Guardians went with Quinten Dormady at quarterback after using multiple QBs in previous games this season, including Paxton Lynch, who didn’t play in this one. Dormady went 22 of 44 for 243 yards without a touchdown or interception.

The Sea Dragons will try to make it five wins in a row on Friday night when they visit the Renegades in Arllington.

McCarron nearly flawless for BattleHawks
A.J. McCarron threw three touchdown passes — two of them to Darrius Shepherd — as St. Louis cruised past the Vipers, 29-6, on Saturday night.

The BattleHawks improved to 4-2, with both of those losses coming against the D.C. Defenders, the XFL’s only unbeaten team. McCarron went 23 of 29 for 236 yards and no interceptions along with the three TDs.

The St. Louis defense picked off Vipers quarterback Luis Perez twice. Perez (99 yards passing) and Brett Hundley (120 yards, 1 TD) split QB duties for Vegas, which fell to 1-5.

On Saturday, the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks embraced April Fool’s Day by jokingly announcing a relocation to Los Angeles. A day later, the team made legitimate headlines, with veteran kicker Donny Hageman drilling a 59-yard field goal against the Roughnecks. Not only was the successful kick the longest of the 2023 season, but the longest in XFL history.

Hageman, 30, was drafted by the Battlehawks after a three-year hiatus from professional football. Undrafted out of San Diego State in 2016, the special teamer had only made two 50-yard field goals in his career prior to Sunday’s game against Houston, including both college and stints in the Arena Football League and now-defunct Alliance of American Football.

59 FOR DONNY HAGEMAN‼️ THE LONGEST IN THE XFL THIS SEASON‼️ pic.twitter.com/2pQlMEWYeF

— St. Louis Battlehawks (@XFLBattlehawks) April 2, 2023
His record kick helped St. Louis take a 17-9 halftime lead over the Roughnecks on Sunday.

Hageman originally began his college career at Mt. San Antonio College, a public community school, before transferring to San Diego State. He made his pro debut with the AFL’s Los Angeles Kiss in 2016, but did not attempt a field goal that season. After three years out of pro football, he resurfaced with the AAF’s San Diego Fleet and tied for the league lead with 14 field goal conversions on the 2019 season. His best numbers came during his first year at San Diego State, where he went 20 of 25 on FG tries, and also made all 37 extra points.

On the scale of upsets, it doesn’t get much more surprising than a league’s only winless team beating its only unbeaten team, but that’s exactly what happened in a wild Week 7 in the XFL when the Orlando Guardians stunned the D.C. Defenders. All Orlando quarterback Quinten Dormady did to help his team get its first win was SCORE SIX TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS.

And that wasn’t the only shocker. On Sunday, the St. Louis Battlehawks upset the Houston Roughnecks — the third straight loss for Houston after a 4-0 start. On Friday night, the Seattle Sea Dragons continued to surge, winning their fifth straight game behind a touchdown from former NFL receiving leader Josh Gordon.

We’ve got takeaways from the entire Week 7 below. First, here’s a look at the scores.

Friday
Seattle Sea Dragons 24, Arlington Renegades 15

Saturday
Vegas Vipers 26, San Antonio Brahmas 12
Orlando Guardians 37, D.C. Defenders 36

Sunday
St. Louis Battlehawks 24, Houston Roughnecks 15

Sunday’s game
McCarron stays hot as Battlehawks top sinking Roughnecks
A.J. McCarron threw three touchdown passes without an interception for the second straight week as the St. Louis Battlehawks won fairly convincingly in a clash of teams that entered 4-2. Darrius Shepherd caught 7 passes for 70 yards and a TD for St. Louis.

The Houston Roughnecks played without starting quarterback Brandon Silvers, who was inactive due to injury. Cole McDonald struggled in Silvers’ place, going just 15 of 32 for 106 yards with a TD and an interception.

The Battlehawks made just one field goal in the game, but it was a doozy. Donny Hageman set the mark for the longest field goal in XFL history at 59 yards.

FROM 59 YARDS OUT! 🤯

Donald Hageman knocks down the kick to extend the Battlehawks lead!

At the half:@XFLBattlehawks 17@XFLRoughnecks 9! pic.twitter.com/ilyDMdQ3A6

— XFL (@XFL2023) April 2, 2023
At 5-2, the Battlehawks now sit just a game behind the D.C. Defenders. The problem for St. Louis: Both losses came against D.C. The Battlehawks’ win Sunday underlined the disparity between the two divisions. North teams are now a combined 18-10 on the season, with South teams 10-18.

Saturday’s games
Guardians pull off XFL’s biggest stunner behind Dormady’s 6 TDs
It happened on April Fool’s Day, but it wasn’t a joke. The clash between the best and worst teams in the league saw the 0-6 squad win outright as 9.5-point underdogs, as the D.C. Defenders’ six-game winning streak to start the season came to a shocking end.

The Guardians couldn’t celebrate their 37-36 win until D.C. missed a 63-yard field goal attempt on the final play. Orlando pulled out the victory thanks to quarterback Quinten Dormady, who accounted for all six touchdowns: three rushing and three passing. Dormady went 27-of-34 for 328 yards with the three TD tosses, including this one to Deddrick Thomas.

WHAT. A. GRAB. pic.twitter.com/CyAcaDYrWW

— Orlando Guardians (@XFLGuardians) April 2, 2023
XFL rushing leader Abram Smith led the Defenders with 127 yards on the ground, while Chris Blair had 139 receiving yards. D.C.’s loss makes the Seattle Sea Dragons owners of the league’s longest win streak at five games — and it sets up a very interesting Week 8 showdown, when the Defenders travel to Seattle.

Vipers knock off offensively challenged Brahmas
Jalen McClendon threw for 264 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Vegas Vipers to their second win of the season.

The Brahmas have allowed the fewest points in the league, but their offense continued to let them down as the unit found the end zone just once. San Antonio’s other touchdown came via Fred Brown’s 96-yard kick return — the XFL’s first kick-return TD of the season.

San Antonio Brahmas Fred Brown with a 96-yard kickoff return. #XFL #XFL2023 pic.twitter.com/zH1kdtiznx

— XFL News and Discussion @ XFLBoard.com (@xflboard) April 1, 2023
Brown had both Brahmas scores, also catching a six-yard TD pass from Kurt Benkert.

Friday’s game
Sea Dragons roll off fifth straight victory
The Seattle Sea Dragons are on fire. After losing their first two games by a combined six points, the Sea Dragons have won five straight and now sit just a game out of first place in the North.

Ben DiNucci, who played two seasons with the Cowboys and still lives in the Dallas area, had a big night against the Renegades in Arlington, throwing for 266 yards and a touchdown. The score was this connection with Josh Gordon, the former NFL star who had been quiet the last few weeks, but apparently has woken up.

Incredible catches are becoming a staple at @choctawstadium! This time it’s Ben DiNucci who finds Josh Gordon for the ridiculous touchdown.

The @XFLSeaDragons are rolling right now, with a 21-9 lead at halftime. #XFL | @XFL2023pic.twitter.com/DfF7pU10Vu

— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) April 1, 2023
Jordan Veasy led the Sea Dragons in receiving with 3 catches for 79 yards. Gordon had 3 grabs for 43 yards.

There wasn’t a single overtime game through the first seven weeks of the 2023 XFL season, but in Week 8 not only did we get the first look at the league’s unconventional new OT rules — a second look came a day later. Then in the Week 8 finale, about the only thing missing was OT as the D.C. Defenders cooled off the Seattle Sea Dragons in a wild shootout, 34-33.

The St. Louis Battlehawks got the OT ball rolling on Saturday, overcoming a double-digit deficit and an injured starting quarterback to beat the Vegas Vipers in the extra period. On Sunday, the Houston Roughnecks also won in OT, stopping their three-game skid after a 4-0 start. In the new overtime rules, the XFL gives each team three alternating attempts to convert two-point conversions from their opponent’s 5-yard line to decide a winner (more on that below).

On Sunday night the league’s two hottest teams played a thriller, as the Defenders bounced back from their only loss to stop Seattle’s win streak at four games.

We’ve got takeaways from every Week 8 game. First, here’s a look at the scores.

Saturday
St. Louis Battlehawks 21, Vegas Vipers 17 (OT)
Arlington Renegades 18, Orlando Guardians 16

Saturday
Houston Roughnecks 17, San Antonio Brahmas 15 (OT)
D.C. Defenders 34, Seattle Sea Dragons 33

Sunday’s games
D.C. goes to 7-1 in Game of the Year candidate at Seattle
It was a clash between two of the league’s hottest teams, and it lived up to the billing. D.C.’s Jordan Ta’amu (247 yards, 4 TDs) and Seattle’s Ben DiNucci (301 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) put on a quarterback clinic, combining for 548 yards and 7 touchdowns at rainy Lumen Field in Seattle.

The Defenders bounced back from the strangest result of the season — losing to previously winless Orlando — to hand the Sea Dragons their first loss in five games. Ta’amu battled through a shoulder injury to put up gaudy numbers. Former Denver Broncos running back Philip Lindsay scored a touchdown in his first game with Seattle, the Sea Dragons’ only first-half points as D.C. led 16-6 at the break.

The Defenders led by 10 with just over 5 minutes left in the game, but a DiNucci touchdown — followed by this wild three-point conversion — cut the D.C. lead to 28-27.

The @XFLSeaDragons just converted the coolest three point attempt of all-time 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Sj9TE4mifl

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 10, 2023
The Defenders answered with a 70-yard touchdown pass from Ta’amu to Chris Blair, but didn’t get the two-point conversion, and Seattle was down just seven. DiNucci promptly drove the Sea Dragons down the field and hit Jahcour Pearson for the score with :31 remaining. Seattle went for two and the win, but D.C.’s defense made the play of the game, sacking DiNucci to hold on.

D.C. has the XFL’s best record at 7-1, but half their games have been decided by four points or fewer. The Sea Dragons are currently out of the playoff picture, sitting a game behind the St. Louis Battlehawks for the second and final berth in the North Division.

Roughnecks clinch playoff berth with OT victory
The Roughnecks led 15-6 with 3 minutes left in the game when a Brandon Silvers interception opened the door for the Brahmas. San Antonio’s John Parker Romo hit a 49-yard field goal with :01 left to force the XFL’s second overtime in 24 hours.

The entire game was a defensive struggle and the overtime was no different. With each team getting three alternating attempts to convert two-point conversions from their opponent’s 5, neither could convert on their first two. With one attempt left, Houston finally broke through, as Cole McDonald hit Deontay Burnett for the game-winner, followed by a critical defensive stop.

Burnett also caught this TD in regulation from Silvers, who threw for 146 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs.

Brandon Silvers connects with Deontay Burnett pic.twitter.com/y9tiZ9wO0W

— Houston XFL Roughnecks (@xfl_houston) April 9, 2023
The Roughnecks clinched a playoff spot with the win, despite entering on a three-game losing streak. At 5-3, South Division-leading Houston is three games up on the third-place Brahmas (2-6) with two weeks remaining in the regular season.

Saturday’s games
Battlehawks win XFL’s first OT game as wild new rules debut
St. Louis was rolling entering Week 8 behind red-hot quarterback A.J. McCarron, but McCarron was forced to sit in Week 8 due to a shoulder injury. With backup Nick Tiano filling in, the Battlehawks won despite trailing 17-8 midway through the fourth quarter in the first game using the XFL’s new overtime rules.

St. Louis’ Donny Hageman kicked a field goal with 15 seconds left in regulation to force the XFL’s first OT game of the season. With each team getting three alternating attempts to convert two-point conversions from their opponent’s 5, the Battlehawks prevailed in the OT, 2-0. St. Louis’ Brian Hill rushed into the end zone on the team’s second attempt to secure the victory, and players celebrated by leaping into the stands, where there were a reported 35,000-plus fans in attendance.

THE SCENES!!!

BRIAN HILL INTO THE ENDZONE @XFLBattlehawks win it in OVERTIME!

PLAYERS ARE IN THE STANDS! pic.twitter.com/uo0rRNRrxH

— Daniel Esteve (@DanielJEsteve) April 8, 2023
Defense ruled the afternoon, as Tiano threw for 194 yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs. Vipers quarterback Jalan McClendon was held to 159 yards passing with 1 TD.

The good news for the Battlehawks is they improved to 6-2. The bad news: Three teams in the North Division entered Week 8 with two losses or fewer, and only two of them will make the playoffs.

Renegades force five turnovers, Perez starts after trade
The Arlington Renegades may not be the XFL’s best team but they’ve managed to win half their games so far, and on Saturday they got another victory by forcing five Guardians turnovers in Orlando.

The Renegades’ only offensive touchdown came via De’Veon Smith, who rushed for a score in the third quarter. Orlando managed just two offensive touchdowns, both coming via quarterback Quinten Dormady who had one rushing and one passing TD — a week after totaling six touchdowns.

Luis Perez, in his Renegades debut, went 16 of 25 for 190 yards. Perez was traded from the Vegas Vipers to the Renegades for linebacker Ryan Mueller at the end of March, a day after Arlington released quarterback Kyle Sloter.

Week 9 in the XFL set up some drama for the final regular-season weekend, as Week 10 will include multiple games with teams fighting for the final two playoff spots. The Seattle Sea Dragons kept their playoff hopes alive in Week 9 by defeating the St. Louis Battlehawks, while the Arlington Renegades came up just short in a game that would have clinched their spot in the playoffs.

Four teams remain in the playoff hunt (check out the standings here) as the XFL enters its final week of the regular-season. Two teams have clinched playoff spots, while two others have been eliminated.

Here’s a breakdown of who’s in, who is still alive and who will be spending the postseason on a golf course near you. First, a look at the Week 9 scores.

Saturday
Houston Roughnecks 28, Vegas Vipers 21
San Antonio Brahmas 25, Orlando Guardians 23
Sunday
D.C. Defenders 28, Arlington Renegades 26 (OT)
Seattle Sea Dragons 30, St. Louis Battlehawks 12

Who’s in
D.C. Defenders
Houston Roughnecks
The owners of the XFL’s best record, D.C. (8-1) will host the North Division Championship on Sunday, April 30. The Defenders won a nail-biter this past weekend after defeating the Renegades in overtime. In the win, the Defenders received a solid performance from quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, who threw two touchdowns while completing 70% of his passes.

.@XFLDefenders OC called a play on 2nd & Goal.

Jordan Ta’amu and Lucky Jackson did the rest 🙌@XFL2023 pic.twitter.com/3VK7Y2Tjcp

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 16, 2023
Wade Phillips’ Roughnecks will host the South Division Championship on Saturday, April 29. Houston improved to 6-3 this past weekend after recording a 28-21 win over visiting Vegas. The Roughnecks’ running game once again played an integral role in the win, as Max Borghi and Brycen Alleyne rushed for a combined 112 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

Brycen Alleyne LEAPS in for six! 😮@XFL2023 | @XFLRoughnecks pic.twitter.com/4LcQh5SNu4

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 15, 2023
Who’s still alive
St. Louis Battlehawks
Seattle Sea Dragons
Arlington Renegades
San Antonio Brahmas
St. Louis could have clinched the North Division’s second playoff spot with a win over the visiting Sea Dragons in Week 9. But the Battlehawks were unable to take care of business against surging Seattle, which has gone 6-1 after an 0-2 start.

Ahead 20-12 through three quarters, Seattle prevailed after out-scoring the host Battlehawks 10-0 in the game’s final stanza. Bryce Thompson’s interception of St. Louis quarterback A.J. McCarron set up former Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay’s 1-yard touchdown run that essentially clinched Seattle’s season-saving win.

Seattle received yet another winning performance from quarterback Ben DiNucci, who went 21 of 31 for 260 yards with two touchdowns and a pick.

Jahcour Pearson to the house and Ben DiNucci silences the crowd 🤫@XFL2023 | @XFLSeaDragons pic.twitter.com/Kd8co7Ufyq

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 16, 2023
Conversely, Sunday was a tough day for McCarron, who threw two interceptions while completing just 56.2% of his passes. McCarron played through pain as he continues to deal with a shoulder injury that was sustained earlier this month.

The Battlehawks can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Vipers next Sunday and a Sea Dragons loss to the Orlando Guardians next Saturday. If both teams win — or both lose — the second playoff spot in the North will come down to a tiebreaker that won’t be determined until Week 10 has concluded.

The other playoff scenario is a lot less complicated. Arlington will face Houston in the South Division Championship if they can defeat the Roughnecks at home next Sunday. Hines Ward’s Brahmas need a win over the visiting Defenders and an Arlington loss to Houston in order to potentially quality for the postseason, pending the tiebreaker, as both teams would be 4-6.

San Antonio kept its playoff hopes alive following Saturday’s 25-23 win over Orlando. San Antonio’s win was spearheaded by quarterback Jack Coan’s 302 yards on 25 of 31 passing. Conversely, Arlington was unable to punch its playoff ticket after coming up short in overtime against D.C. While Arlington quarterback Luis Perez threw for 355 yards in regulation, he was unable to complete either of his passes in overtime.

Who’s out
Las Vegas Vipers
Orlando Guardians
The Vipers and Guardians have combined to win just three games through nine weeks. Orlando, after getting blown out in three of its first four games, has been much more competitive over the season’s past six weeks. It pulled off the upset of the season after handing D.C. its only loss back in Week 7. Led by Devin Darrington’s 133 yards, Orlando put up another gamely effort in Saturday’s two-point loss in San Antonio.

Like the Guardians, the Vipers were also more competitive during the second half of the season. Rod Woodson’s team picked up its second win over the season in convincing fashion over the Brahmas back in Week 7. Vegas followed up that performance with close losses against St. Louis and Houston.

A big reason for the Vipers’ recent success has been the play of quarterback Jalan McClendon, who in three games has completed 67% of his passes with five touchdowns and no picks.

Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul will be back soon. The 38-year-old future Hall of Famer, who broke his hand during a game against the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 5 and had surgery three days later, fully participated in Wednesday’s practice, according to coach Steve Kerr. Paul will miss Golden State’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, but won’t be out for much longer.

“He’s doing great,” Kerr told reporters. “Just played 5-on-5, took part in our whole practice. He’s getting close. He won’t play tomorrow, but he’s feeling really good. He played a lot over the All-Star break, he told me, so the next step is for the training staff to get a feel for where he is conditioning-wise and just make sure everything is set for him to be out there.”

Heading into Friday’s game against the Lakers, the Warriors are 27-26 and 10th in the Western Conference. They’ve won eight of their past 10 games, and during that span, they’ve scored 120.9 points per 100 possessions (which is one percentage point better than the Boston Celtics’ league-best mark this season) and allowed 111.2 per 100 (which is point better than the Oklahoma City Thunder’s fourth-ranked defense).

All of this is to say that Paul will return to a team that has changed in many meaningful ways during his absence. When he fractured his second metacarpal, Draymond Green was suspended, Andrew Wiggins was coming off the bench, Kevon Looney was (sometimes) starting, Gary Payton II was injured, and both Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody were frustrated with their respective roles. Now Golden State appears to have found something with a new starting lineup of Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Wiggins, Kuminga, and Green, which has outscored opponents by 27.1 points per 100 possessions in 106 minutes since Green’s return. Just before the break, Klay Thompson came off the bench for the first time since he was a rookie and played his best game of the season.

At practice on Thursday, Kerr showed the Warriors the standings. The point was to “make sure they know what’s at stake,” Kerr said.

“We’re in 10th, we’ve been on a good run, but we’ve gotta carry that forward,” Kerr said. “And there’s no reason why we can’t keep winning and do what we did a year ago, which was climb up the standings and put ourselves in a favorable position for the playoffs.”

Last season, Golden State was 29-30 and 10th in the West after losing its first game coming out of the All-Star break. Then it won 15 of its final 23 games and finished sixth, avoiding the play-in by the skin of its teeth.

When Paul returns, his presence could complicate how the Warriors close games, but he should also stabilize a second unit that now features two former All-Stars. He and Podziemski have worked well together, and having too many players who clearly deserve significant minutes is surely a welcome problem for Kerr, who has dealt with the opposite issue for most of the season.

After the Lakers game, Golden State will host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.