Defenders vs Vipers Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for Week 2 XFL Game (Back a High Scoring Contest at Cashman Field)

Defenders vs Vipers Week 2 Game Info

• 2023 XFL Regular Season Game
• DC Defenders (1-0) vs. Vegas Vipers (0-1)
• Date: Saturday, February 25, 2023
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• Venue: Cashman Field -- Las Vegas, NV
• Coverage: ESPN Deportes/FX

Week 2 of the XFL season continues on Saturday night with a matchup between the DC Defenders and Vegas Vipers kicking off at 7 p.m. ET.

The Defenders beat the Seattle Sea Dragons by a score of 22-18 in Week 1 thanks to cornerback Michael Joseph's pair of interceptions. Meanwhile, the Vipers couldn't hold on to a second-half lead in a 22-20 loss to the Arlington Renegades after quarterback Luis Perez threw two interceptions.

Defenders vs Vipers Odds & Spread

• All XFL betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: DC: (+135) | VEGAS: (-160)
• Spread: DC: +2.5 (+100) | VEGAS: -2.5 (-120)
• Total: 36.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

Vegas enters this contest as a slight home favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 36.5 points, which ranks tied for the lowest of XFL's Week 2 projected totals.

Defenders vs Vipers Prediction & Pick

The crowd at Audi Field was crazy on Sunday and that intensity certainly helped the Defenders come back from an 18-8 deficit to win the game. DC's defense was unstoppable in the second half as it constantly harassed quarterback Ben DiNucci, which led to two interceptions and a lost fumble.

That defense has its hand full agains this weekend as the Vipers accounted for 261 total yards in Week 1. Perez threw 3 touchdowns and almost tied the game up on a two-point conversion attempt. The 28-year-old's inaccuracy ended up costing Vegas when the game was on the line, though.

This is a great opportunity to Perez to bounce back. The Defenders gave up 331 total yards to the Sea Dragons in Week 1 and their inability to get off the field was overlooked with a few takeaways. As long as Perez finds the open man and throws the ball away when necessary, he'll be the winning QB.

Final Score Prediction: Defenders: 19 | Vipers: 23

Defenders vs Vipers Best Bet

There's value in backing the Vipers as a home favorite in this game, but there's even more value in backing a high-scoring game to break out. Vegas showed off its offensive talent by averaging 4.4 yards per play in Week 1, while the Defenders managed to score 18 points despite tallying only 177 total yards. The rule changes in the XFL favor scoring and that'll be evident on Saturday night.

Bet: Over 36.5 Points (-110)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.