Nobody has been able to best the Houston Roughnecks this year. The XFL’s last undefeated team came to the table prepared and we’ve seen the result. June Jones is a coach with a ton of experience, in both college football and the professional ranks. He has not encountered a defense that has been able to stop his offensive scheme. The Run ‘N Shoot has been around for years, and he’s a master of it.
His club faces another master this week, and maybe two. Bob Stoops, a head coach for the first time in pro ball, created an empire at Oklahoma. His offensive coordinator, Hal Mumme, practically invented the “Air Raid.” Together they are building the Dallas Renegades, with Landry Jones at quarterback. Jones, of course, worked under Stoops as the signal-caller with the Sooners.
Houston and Dallas engage in a battle of the Lone Star State. It begins at 4 PM ET at Globe Life Park in Arlington, TX. That is the home of the Renegades, not to mention MLB’s Texas Rangers.
Fox Sports 1 provides the live telecast, and BetAnySports customers can not only get reduced juice for better odds, they can watch the game and place wagers on it in real-time with Sports Betting Ultra.
And now, the numbers…….
….which show that the Roughnecks are road favorites:
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roughnecks | -3 (EV) | 51½ (-110) | -148 |  |
| Renegades | +3 (-120) | 51½ (-110) | +128 | |
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Walker and Phillips – MVP Candidates
Currently the Roughnecks have the best point differential in the league at plus-31. And it starts with offense.
PJ Walker has been sensational for the Roughnecks. He has more passing yards than any other quarterback in the league (748). And he has a sterling 10-1 ratio of TD’s to INT’s. He’s been ideal for June Jones’ system. And he’s even the second-leading rusher on the team. Walker has made a major connection with Cam Phillips, who is another guy who may have earned an NFL shot. Phillips has 20 catches for 324 yards. And his seven touchdowns are tops in the XFL.
If there’s any weakness to point to, it’s the lack of a highly-threatening second receiver in the Houston offense. That, and perhaps the lack of production from the backfield. But Jones’ Run ‘N Shoot offense does not depend on running the football. In fact, the Roughnecks have passed the ball 68% of the time.
Stopping folks the main problem in Houston
What could keep the Roughnecks from being the XFL champions? Maybe it will be the defense, which is rather permissive. Houston gave up 27 points last week to a Tampa Bay team that had not yet scored an offensive touchdown. They have allowed nine touchdowns over the first three games, most in the XFL going into Week 4. As a result, the ‘Necks have gone “over” the total in each of their first three games.
One of the reasons Houston is undefeated is that they create big plays for themselves. The Roughnecks have five interceptions and lead the league with ten sacks.
Renegades – Could They Grind It Out?
The Renegades have thrown the ball even more frequently than Houston has – 70%, in fact. Yet they have shown the ability to make their rushing plays count. Dallas has averaged 5.5 yards a carry. And they have a capable duo to tun the ball, between Lance Dunbar and Cameron Artis-Payne. The latter has had 179 yards over the last two games. And all of this can make the Renegades a more dangerous team on offense. That’s because it opens things up for Landry Jones (71.6% completions).
In conclusion…..
Dallas has yet to allow 20 points to any opponent. However, they haven’t met up with a more capable passing attack than what Houston has. At the same time, we don’t have a lot of faith in the Roughnecks’ defense. Lots of footballs will be in the air. And unlike the trend which has seen less and less scoring, we can see this game break the 50-pointy barrier. So we’ll move with the OVER.
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