Sunday night in St. Louis offers a high-stakes DC Defenders vs St. Louis Battlehawks matchup for the XFL Conference title. The Dome at America’s Center is already sold out, and recent form suggests the crowd will see an exciting game between two clubs that have gone in different directions over the last month of the regular season. St. Louis comes in riding a six-game win streak after defeating DC 13-8 in a weather-soaked regular-season finale, while the Defenders limped to a 6-4 record and must solve issues on both sides of the ball to advance to the UFL championship game.
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DC Defenders vs St. Louis Battlehawks Preview
Quarterback play has carried both franchises since their XFL days, and the trend has continued in the merged UFL. Jordan Ta’amu finished the regular season ranked second in the league with 2,153 passing yards and a league-best 17 touchdowns. The former Ole Miss standout stretches the field effectively, while the DC offensive line has allowed just seven sacks of Ta’amu, with pass protection likely to be critical in this contest as well.
On the other side, St. Louis has relied on a dual-threat quarterback in Max Duggan to operate an offense that leans heavily on its running game. Duggan ranked eighth in the league with 696 passing yards, but he added 299 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground to keep defenses guessing. Meanwhile, RB Jacob Saylors powered a bruising rushing unit. Saylors’ 499 rushing yards ranked second in the league in the regular season, and his ability to put the Battlehawks ahead of the sticks will be crucial to their success in this contest.
The Battlehawks defense complements the offense perfectly. Edge rusher Pita Taumoepenu finished the regular season with 7.5 sacks to lead the league, and coordinator Donnie Abraham’s defense ranked first in the UFL in scoring defense, allowing 16.3 points per game. The Defenders’ best hope is for Ta’amu to have a big game, but that will not be an easy task against this defense.
Betting Insights
Going into this matchup, St. Louis is favored by a field goal at home. The total for this matchup has been set at 46.5 points, the highest total on the board in this weekend’s UFL playoff action. Bettors should also consider the following:
- The futures board lists St. Louis at +200 to win the UFL title at Sportzino, making them the favorites to win the championship. DC has the longest odds to win the championship at +440.
- St. Louis is 5-0 ATS in its last five, while DC has covered just once in its last five outings.
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DC Defenders vs St. Louis Battlehawks Prediction
DC’s route to an upset is to force Max Duggan to be a pure passer, while finding Ta’amu downfield completions on offense. The numbers suggest that path is unlikely. St. Louis owns the league’s top defense, and its front seven should feast on a Defenders line that has not helped DC to generate enough points in recent weeks.
Expect Anthony Becht to lean on Saylors early, making things as easy as possible for Duggan, while the Battlehawks defense does most of the heavy lifting. My score projection in this game is for St. Louis to win 20-16, covering the spread while the game stays under the total.
Pick: Battlehawks -3 | Under 46.5
