New York Guardians at St. Louis Battlehawks 2/23/20 - XFL Picks & Predictions
The New York Guardians hit the road for a clash with the St. Louis Battlehawks. The Guardians are (1-1), coming off a 27-0 loss to the DC Defenders. The Battlehawks are (1-1), after falling on the road to the Houston Roughnecks, 28-24.
The Guardians were out gained in their loss to the Defenders, 384 to 137. Quarterback Matt McGloin struggled in the game, completing just 42% of passes for 44 yards, while throwing 2 interceptions. Tim Cook rushed for 39 yards on 10 carries. The Guardians committed 3 turnovers in the game, while forcing just 1. New York allowed 276 passing yards in the game. The Guardians trailed 12-0 at the half.
Matt McGloin has passed for 226 yards on the season, while throwing 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. McGloin also has a rushing touchdown. The Guardians have scored 3 touchdowns, while allowing 3 touchdowns on defense. Wes Sutton leads the league in sacks with 2. Bryce Jones has 1 interception for the Guardians.
The Battlehawks fell behind early 21-6, but battled back to get as close as 21-18 in the 2nd half. St. Louis quarterback Jordan Ta'amu connected with running back Matt Jones for a 25 yard score. The Battlehawks battled all the way till the end, as Ta'amu found L'Damian Washington for a 36 yard touchdown with 1:50 remaining. Ta'amu competed 30 of 37 passes for 284 yards, while throwing 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The Battlehawks out gained the Roughnecks, 390 to 238.
Jordan Ta'amu has thrown for 493 yards this season, which is 2nd in the league. Ta'amu has also rushed for 109 yards. Running back Matt Jones leads the league in rushing yards, having totaled 129 in 2 games. Defensively, Will Hill has 10 tackles and 1 interception for St. Louis. Marquette King has been great, leading the league in punting average, registering 47.2 yards per punt.
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The Guardians have been anything but consistent this season. New York scored 23 points in week 1 and held the Vipers to 3 points. This past week, the Guardians were held without a point and were torched on defense. The Battlehawks have seen consistent play out of Jordan Ta'amu, who is 2nd in the league in passing. Ta'amu has shown the ability to get the job done through the air and on the ground. The Guardians struggled on offense last week and the same could be said for this matchup. St. Louis held Dallas to 9 points in week 1 and made Houston earn their red zone trips this past week. St. Louis returns home for their home opener and it is already rumored to be sold out. St. Louis loves its sports and the 27,500+ fans in attendance should make it difficult for the Guardians to get drives going consistently. Look for the noise level in the dome to cause issues for New York on offense. The Battlehawks are 2-0 ATS thus far. Final score prediction, St. Louis will win and cover ATS 27-15.
