Vegas Vipers at Houston Roughnecks 4/15/23 - XFL Picks & Predictions
Last Updated: 04/11/2023 at 9:34 PM ET
The week nine XFL schedule will kickoff on Saturday afternoon, with a battle between the Vegas Vipers and the Houston Roughnecks. The Vipers (2-6) have led at halftime in five of their first seven games, but have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league for head coach Rod Woodson. On Saturday, Vegas led by three points at halftime and took host St. Louis to overtime before falling by a 21-17 final score.
Vegas jumped out to an early 8-0 lead on a five yard touchdown run from John Lovett and a two-point conversion pass. Jalan McClendon threw a touchdown to Geronimo Allision and rushed for a team-high 62 yards. The Vipers rushed for 208 yards on 40 attempts.
The Houston Roughnecks have already clinched a playoff berth and hold a one-game lead over Arlington for first place in the South Division. On Sunday, Houston needed overtime to escape San Antonio with a 17-15 road victory. The Roughnecks (5-3) scored the winning two-point conversion on a pass from Cole McDonald to Deontay Burnett.
Houston QB Brandon Silvers returned from injury to complete 17-for-36 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns. RB Max Borghi was stifled on the ground, but did catch three passes for 49 yards. Deontay Burnett and Garrett Owens contributed receiving touchdowns for the Roughnecks.
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Vegas has really moved the ball well the last two weeks since inserting Jalan McClendon at quarterback. Houston has struggled offensively over the last month and managed just 162 yards of total offense last week. The Vipers have been eliminated from postseason contention and are playing free. Take Vegas to win on the road. Final Score Prediction, Vegas Vipers win 23-21.