Monthly Archive 24 January 2024

Two of the best teams in the NBA meet at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday. The Philadelphia 76ers welcome the Denver Nuggets to town, with Philadelphia playing on the second end of a back-to-back. The 76ers are 15-6 at home and 25-13 overall, while the Nuggets are 28-13 overall and 11-9 away from Denver. De’Anthony Melton (back) is listed as out for Philadelphia.

For this game, SportsLine consensus lists the 76ers as 1.5-point favorites, and tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 233.5 in the latest Nuggets vs. 76ers odds. Before making any 76ers vs. Nuggets picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 42-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Sixers vs. Nuggets and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Nuggets vs. Sixers:

Nuggets vs. 76ers spread: 76ers -1.5
Nuggets vs. 76ers over/under: 233.5 points
Nuggets vs. 76ers money line: 76ers -125, Nuggets +105
DEN: The Nuggets are 7-13 against the spread in road games
PHI: The 76ers are 2-4 against the spread with no rest
Nuggets vs. 76ers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Nuggets can cover
Denver’s offense attracts earned attention, but the team’s defense is also stout. The Nuggets are allowing only 1.13 points per possession this season, ranking in the top 10 of the NBA in defensive efficiency. Opponents are shooting only 46.5% from the field and 52.3% from 2-point range against Denver, and the Nuggets are giving up only 12.5 second-chance points per game. Denver is also in the top 10 in assists allowed (25.6 per game), and the defensive performance further fuels an elite offense.

The Nuggets are near the top of the league in offensive efficiency, scoring 118.6 points per 100 possessions, and Denver is in the top five of the NBA in field goal percentage (49.8%) and 2-point percentage (56.4%). The Nuggets are also shooting 37.8% from 3-point range, and Denver is elite in generating assists (29.7 per game) and avoiding turnovers (12.7 per game). From there, Denver is in the top tier of the league in producing points in the paint (54.9 per game), and the Nuggets secure 30% of available offensive rebounds. See which team to pick here.

Why the 76ers can cover
While the 76ers have a rest disadvantage on paper, Philadelphia does have the edge in playing at home at Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers are 15-6 at home this season, out-scoring opponents by 10.1 points per 100 possessions. Philadelphia is elite on both ends of the court, forming a strong overall baseline. On offense, the 76ers are putting up more than 1.19 points per possession and leading the NBA in both free throw creation (27.1 attempts per game) and free throw accuracy (84.0%). Philadelphia is also in the top eight of the NBA in fast break points, offensive rebound rate and second-chance points, with the 76ers committing a turnover on only 12.5% of offensive possessions.

Denver struggles to force turnovers on defense, creating only 12.6 per game, and Philadelphia does not have that issue with its own defense. The 76ers lead the NBA with 9.1 steals per game while posting a top-five mark in creating 14.9 turnovers per contest. Philadelphia also leads the NBA in 3-point defense, holding opponents to only 33.7% shooting from beyond the arc. See which team to pick here.

How to make 76ers vs. Nuggets picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 228 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the model’s picks at SportsLine.

It’s time to start taking the Minnesota Timberwolves seriously. The Western Conference’s top team entered Tuesday with a 28-11 record. Only the Boston Celtics, who are largely considered the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference, have won more games so far this season. However, sportsbooks are consistently projecting the Timberwolves to be the fourth- or fifth-most likely team to win the Western Conference. Minnesota has made tremendous progress since falling short of the playoffs last season, but it has the goods to reach the final stage in 2023-24.

The most significant change from last year’s Timberwolves and this year’s is defense. Minnesota swung for the fences in 2022 by acquiring Rudy Gobert via trade. The former Utah Jazz big man was expected to anchor his new squad’s interior with his rim protection, but Minnesota finished with a middling defense that was largely underwhelming. That problem is long gone.

The Timberwolves are currently allowing a league-low 107.3 points per game and all but one of their starters has a defensive rating lower than 109. Of all the league’s five-man lineups with more than 300 minutes played this year, only the Celtics’ starting five can top the 106.8 defensive rating that Minnesota’s starters have posted.

Another thing that’s made a huge difference for Minnesota is rebounding. Gobert played for strong rebounding teams in Utah, but last year’s Timberwolves gave up the ninth-most rebounds per game to opposing teams. Only the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks have given up fewer rebounds than this year’s Timberwolves, though. Karl Anthony-Towns’ availability has had a lot do to with that drastic change.

KAT’s rebounding average dropped below 10.0 for the second time in his career in 2022-23, when Gobert came along and pushed him to power forward. Towns snared 8.1 boards per contest and appeared in just 29 games due to injury. A healthy offseason and a strong start to 2023-24 have given him time to adjust, though, allowing the Timberwolves to dominate with length on the glass and prevent second-chance opportunities. It’s clear that pairing the two in one frontcourt was a great idea, and the results show it. The Timberwolves went just 21-23 in games Gobert played in without KAT last season. They’ve gone 41-23 with both bigs playing since Gobert’s move to Minnesota.

The Timberwolves’ young core lacks legitimate playoff experience, but the numbers favor them making a strong run right now. The last four Western Conference champions have had top-10 scoring defenses and were top-10 in terms of limiting opposing teams’ rebounding production. If you’re looking for a dark horse to bet on, it’ll be hard to find a more enticing option than the Timberwolves’ Western Conference title odds at +700.

The NBA announced that Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown was given a $50,000 fine following his actions during and after the team’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. Brown was irate for what he felt was inconsistent officiating during his team’s loss, and during the postgame press conference went on a five-minute rant, complete with props to show why he was so frustrated and what led to his ejection.

The league said Brown was given a fine for “aggressively pursuing a game official during live play, and for publicly criticizing the officiating.”

With just under 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, and with the Kings down 105-95, Brown can be seen yelling at a referee as the Bucks were in transition. He stepped onto the court and accidentally bumped into Bucks forward Pat Connaughton, and then got face-to-face with the official. He was quickly ejected and had to be held back by Malik Monk.

Mike Brown had to be held back by Malik Monk after he was ejected from tonight’s game 😬 pic.twitter.com/t36hpcy05g

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 15, 2024
After the game while talking to the media, Brown brought in a laptop to show why he was upset.

“I just wanna show you guys why I got kicked out of the game,” Brown said as he prepared to show reporters clips of the game.

Brown proceeded to show a series clips of what he felt were bad foul calls on the part of the officials.

Mike busted out the film to break down why he got ejected tonight 😂 pic.twitter.com/7sO8yJ3g9y

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 15, 2024
“The referees are human, and they’re going to make mistakes, but you just hope that A) there’s some sort of consistency and B) there’s some sort of communication between the refs,” Brown said. “And the refs tonight, they were great, they communicated with me all night. But in terms of consistency, you guys saw it right here. Dame coming off the pick-and-roll and Foxy getting hooked and almost falling coming off the pick-and-roll.

“And, on top of that, if you get communication and you get some form of consistency in the game, OK, then you can live with some things. But the consistency that I [saw] tonight — wasn’t in my opinion — there. And then, I don’t understand the rule, if the rule is you’ve got to go vertical both hands up, how can you take away two free throws with a guy with his forearm down here? If they’re going to change the rule on me and say, ‘OK the forearm can be down here, and another one can be up there,’ then all right I know that going forward. But that’s not what the rule is, because we get called on [Sabonis] all the time and they tell us he’s got to have both hands up if you want to go vertical. That’s why I got kicked out.”

It’s a hefty fine for Brown, but I’m sure it was well worth it as he was able to get his point across to show what he felt has been some inconsistency in officiating. He’s the latest head coach to be given a fine for criticizing officials, with Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic getting hit with a $25,000 fine for a postgame rant that called the officiating in a loss against the Lakers a “shame for the league.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder (27-12) and the Los Angeles Clippers (25-14) square off in a conference duel on Tuesday night. These are two of the top 10 scoring offenses in the NBA. The Thunder are currently sitting in the third spot (122.1 points per game), while Los Angeles is in ninth place (117.4 PPG). This is the second matchup of the season between these clubs, with OKC both winning and covering the first time around. Ivica Zubac (calf) is out for the Clippers.

Tipoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Clippers are 6-point favorites in the latest Thunder vs. Clippers odds via SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points is 237.5. Before making any Clippers vs. Thunder picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 42-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Thunder vs. Clippers and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Clippers vs. Thunder:

Thunder vs. Clippers spread: Clippers -6
Thunder vs. Clippers over/under: 237.5 points
Thunder vs. Clippers money line: Clippers -244, Thunder +198
OKC: 26-12 ATS this season
LAC: 20-19 ATS this season
Thunder vs. Clippers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Thunder can cover
Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having an MVP-caliber campaign. Gilgeous-Alexander uses his length to glide to the rim and shoot right over the outstretched arms of defenders. The Kentucky product also owns an excellent mid-range jumper with the court vision to find open teammates. He’s third in the NBA in scoring (31.3) with 5.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists. On Jan. 13 versus the Magic, Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 37 points, six boards and seven assists.

Forward Chet Holmgren (7-foot-1) has the length to be an effective shot-blocker and owns a soft touch around the rim. Holmgren is putting up 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. On Jan. 10 against the Heat, he racked up 23 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. See which team to pick here.

Why the Clippers can cover
Forward Kawhi Leonard is having a superb campaign for Los Angeles. Leonard is almost automatic from mid-range and does a great job drawing contact at the rim. The five-time All-Star averages a team-high 24 points with 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. In his last outing, Leonard supplied 26 points, nine boards and four assists.

Forward Paul George generates offense from all three levels. George’s offensive arsenal is so smooth due to his jumper and relentlessness in attacking the paint. The eight-time All-Star averages 23.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists. On Jan. 12 against the Grizzlies, George notched 37 points, three boards and went 7-of-10 from downtown. See which team to pick here.

How to make Clippers vs. Thunder picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 233 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can only see the model’s picks at SportsLine.

Los Angeles Clippers’ starting center Ivica Zubac is dealing with a right calf strain and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Such an absence is highly unusual for Zubac, who had missed only 12 games since joining the Clippers in 2019 prior to Tuesday’s news.

Zubac’s absence will be significant for a Clippers team that has been playing very well of late. After losing their first five games with James Harden, the Clippers have gone 22-6 since. The developing chemistry between Harden and Zubac in pick-and-roll has been a big reason for that success. Zubac is averaging a career-high 12.4 points and 1.4 blocks per game this season. As a team, the Clippers have been 8.6 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor than without him this season. He is their defensive anchor and an increasingly important part of their offense, so he will be missed while he is out.

Fortunately, the Clippers are getting former backup center Mason Plumlee back from the injury he suffered earlier this season. They have also gotten good production out of Daniel Theis, whom they signed after he was bought out by the Indiana Pacers earlier in the season. The two of them should be able to keep the Clippers afloat while Zubac recovers, and if necessary, Los Angeles has enough forward depth to potentially play small-ball for stretches. P.J. Tucker has largely been out of the rotation lately, but Zubac’s absence could earn him a few small-ball center minutes.

Injuries were expected to be a problem for the Clippers this season as they have for the past several, but Zubac was the last player they expected to lose. Fortunately, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who have both dealt with myriad injuries since joining the Clippers, have largely been able to remain on the court. As long as they have their stars, the Clippers can survive a stretch without their starting center.

We’ve made it. The final week of the USFL regular season. Thank you to all who have followed my picks this year — it’s been an interesting experience — and now we march into what is probably the most interesting week from a gambling perspective.

Week 10 of the USFL regular season will likely play out much like Week 18 of the NFL regular season. Playoff teams could rest their starters, so we have no idea what to expect in a few of these matchups. Lower your unit, your half-unit, whatever it may be. This isn’t the week to pay the mortgage. We can save some more fun plays for next week.

For USFL championship odds, click here. Let’s jump into the picks.

USFL ATS record: 20-16
USFL straight up record: 25-11

All odds are via Caesars Sportsbook

Philadelphia Stars at New Jersey Generals (-2.5)
Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (USA Network)
ATS records: Stars (5-4), Generals (5-4)

This is pretty wild. The Stars and Generals will play each other this week, and then next week in the playoffs as well. The way I view it, head coaches Bart Andrus and Mike Riley won’t want to give much away in terms of game-planning. Both teams should probably start their reserves and prepare for next week. There is something to be said about establishing some momentum for yourself entering the postseason, but that takes a back seat in my mind if I have to play the team I’ll face in a do-or-die situation the very next week.

The Stars are on a four-game winning streak, and the Generals haven’t lost since way back in Week 1. There isn’t much of a point in betting this matchup, but I’ll take the favorite.

The pick: Generals -2.5
Projected score: Generals 20-17

Birmingham Stallions (-3.5) at Tampa Bay Bandits
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET (Fox)
ATS records: Stallions (6-3), Bandits (3-6)

The Stallions began the season 6-0 ATS, but are 0-3 ATS over the last three weeks. The main headline, of course, is Birmingham losing its first game of the season last week to the Houston Gamblers, but I don’t know how much stock we want to put into that outcome. Vegas still views the Stallions as the favorite to win the USFL Championship.

The Stallions would like to create some momentum for themselves after a bad couple weeks, but I’m sure Skip Holtz wants to keep his team healthy as well. I’m going to bet on the underdog Bandits and hope that the Stallions either mail this one in, or just fail to cover the spread.

The pick: Bandits +3.5
Projected score: Stallions 21-18

Michigan Panthers (-2.5) at Pittsburgh Maulers
Sunday, 12 p.m. ET (USA Network)
ATS records: Panthers (3-6), Maulers (4-5)

Here’s a game we can feel maybe a bit more comfortable betting on. While the Panthers and Maulers won’t be in the playoffs, I would guess they want to finish out the season in a strong fashion as opposed to just going through the motions. I could be wrong, we’ll see. These are the two worst teams in the league.

The Panthers haven’t won a game since May 1, and that actually came against the Maulers. While Michigan is on the longest active losing streak in the league, it has kept games relatively close when Josh Love has played. The Panthers lost by two points to the Generals last week, and lost to the New Orleans Breakers in overtime three weeks ago. Love did not play in the 46-24 loss to the Stars two weeks ago. The quarterback situation this week will be interesting to watch, as Eric Barriere and Love both took snaps last week.

The Maulers have held a soft spot in my heart. Vad Lee is my favorite quarterback on the team, and he fights to the end. So does this team as a whole, as we saw last week. I’ll take a flier on the Maulers.

The pick: Maulers +2.5
Projected score: Maulers 24-21

New Orleans Breakers (-3) at Houston Gamblers
Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
ATS records: Breakers (6-3), Gamblers (4-5)

I’m proud of my ATS win last week for New Orleans. That defense came out vs. Tampa Bay and dominated from the jump. Jerod Fernandez forced two fumbles in the first half, and New Orleans recorded three total sacks in the first two quarters. The Breakers also have the best passing offense in the league, as they average 204.1 passing yards per game, but are they going to be throwing the ball all over the field after clinching a playoff spot?

The Gamblers handed the Stallions their first loss of the season last week, which is something we should not completely overlook. The defense recorded a safety, an interception and two sacks. I’ll take an upset in this matchup with New Orleans looking toward the postseason.

As the new United States Football League (USFL) approaches its inaugural postseason, dozens of players across the startup’s eight teams have been honored as part of the All-USFL Team, announced Thursday. In the NFL, meanwhile, teams are gearing up for crunch time of the offseason, with 90-man rosters preparing for training camp and preseason competitions.

So which USFL all-stars have the best chance of making the leap to the NFL, even if just as offseason competition? Here are some names to keep an eye on this summer:

QB Kyle Sloter
Team: New Orleans Breakers | Age: 28 | College: Northern Colorado

You’ve probably heard his name before, because he’s already spent time with seven different NFL teams, mostly as a No. 3 or practice-squad veteran. But the ex-Vikings prospect could find himself back in a battle for an emergency role after leading the USFL in passing yards and ranking fifth in touchdowns. Most recently, he fought through an injury to help lead New Orleans to a playoff berth. At 28, he’s still plenty young enough to be somebody’s camp arm.

WR/KR Maurice Alexander
Team: Philadelphia Stars | Age: 25 | College: Florida International

A converted college quarterback who split time at receiver and returner before going undrafted in 2020, Alexander is small (5-11, 180) but speedy, leading the USFL in kick return yards (707) and averaging over 30 yards per runback. He’s also been dynamic on punt returns, averaging 12.6 yards per return. His athleticism could justify a look as a hybrid running back/receiver/return man.

DE Chris Odom
Team: Houston Gamblers | Age: 27 | College: Arkansas State

You can never have enough pass-rushers in the NFL, and Odom doesn’t just have his own NFL experience, floating between practice squads and active rosters with Washington and the Packers between 2017-2019, logging two sacks with the former. He’s also been dominant in a starring role in the USFL, leading the league with 11 sacks to go along with six forced fumbles.

LB DeMarquis Gates
Team: Birmingham Stallions | Age: 26 | College: Ole Miss

Just call him the king of developmental leagues. Since a short-lived stint with the Browns as an undrafted rookie, Gates has wreaked havoc in the AAF, XFL and now the USFL, leading the league in tackles for loss (10) while adding 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. He’s got the size (6-2, 230) and playmaking reputation to vie for a reserve LB job.

The rebooted USFL’s regular season has reached the end, and if you’re wondering what the standings look like and how the playoffs work, you’ve come to the right place. Each USFL team played 10 regular-season games — all of them in Birmingham, Alabama — with the top two from each division moving on to the playoffs. The North Division and South Division title games will be at 3 and 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 25 in Canton, Ohio. The USFL championship game will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 3 in Canton.

We’ve got the final regular season standings below, and don’t miss all of CBS Sports’ USFL coverage. We’ve got a detailed USFL viewer’s guide with the complete season schedule, as well as weekly power rankings, game predictions, rosters for every team and much more.The rebooted USFL’s regular season has reached the end, and if you’re wondering what the standings look like and how the playoffs work, you’ve come to the right place. Each USFL team played 10 regular-season games — all of them in Birmingham, Alabama — with the top two from each division moving on to the playoffs. The North Division and South Division title games will be at 3 and 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 25 in Canton, Ohio. The USFL championship game will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 3 in Canton.

We’ve got the final regular season standings below, and don’t miss all of CBS Sports’ USFL coverage. We’ve got a detailed USFL viewer’s guide with the complete season schedule, as well as weekly power rankings, game predictions, rosters for every team and much more.

The new XFL is off and running, and if you’re wondering how the playoffs work and what the standings look like, you’re in luck. Each XFL team will play 10 regular season games, and the top two from each division move on to the playoffs, featuring the East Division title game (3 p.m. ET on April 18) and West Division title game (3 p.m. ET on April 19) at the home field of the team with the better record. The XFL championship game will be held on April 26 at TDECU Stadium on the University of Houston campus.

Be sure to check back each week to see the updated standings below, and don’t miss all of CBS Sports’ XFL coverage. We’ve got a detailed XFL viewer’s guide, projected team win totals, weekly power rankings, game predictions, a breakdown of every player in the league and much more.

One of the great things about the XFL is that there are no secrets. The league makes it a point to show you everything that’s going on as it’s unfolding, warts and all.

And the biggest wart of the season thus far came in Saturday’s 32-23 win by Houston over Seattle. The mistakes were layered, but it started when Roughnecks quarterback P.J. Walker opted to take a knee on fourth-and-23 with about two or three seconds left in the game instead of hurling the ball deep and out of bounds to wind out the clock. The officials on the field didn’t identify that there was still time on the clock, declared the game over, and ran off the field. Afterward, officiating supervisor Wes Booker told ABC’s Steve Levy that there should have been time remaining for the Dragons to run one more play, but that the game was over anyway.

It was an egregious error and one of the most bizarre endings for a football game in a while. While the outcome may not have changed if Seattle had an opportunity for one more play and a three-point conversion, the Dragons nevertheless deserved the opportunity to send the game into overtime. With that in mind, the logistics of getting those plays off after the fact are difficult. To wrangle up all the players, coaches and various staff members and get them back out on the sidelines is a chore. Communication is key and obviously the league, still in its infancy, wasn’t prepared for a miscue like this.

The league did the right thing (the only thing) by issuing a statement later that evening, acknowledging the game should not have ended as it did and reassigning Booker to another position. You don’t like to see anyone be made an example of, but a precedence has to be set. Booker got the worst of it, but the officials on the field have to do a better job as well. Multiple Seattle players pleaded their case that time was still on the clock and they went unheard.

This was a learning experience for the XFL on how to handle mistakes in real time, and it won’t be the last. These are the growing pains of a new league whose purpose is to provide opportunities for all people — not just players. But the league did what it should have done by being transparent. The mistake has been made and there’s no going back, but you won’t lose anyone’s respect by owning up to it.

While the XFL’s officiating gaffe was the weekend’s biggest story, there were plenty of other takeaways from each of the four games. Here’s what else we learned from Week 5.

There’s no defending Houston’s explosiveness
At least not for 60 minutes. Seattle’s run-heavy offense was a good matchup on paper for Houston’s passing attack. By controlling the clock with the run game, the Dragons could shorten the game and keep Walker and Co. off the field. It worked for three quarters; the Dragons had a 23-20 lead heading into the fourth quarter and the offense had a season-high 32 rushing attempts for 100 yards and three touchdowns. Using quarterback B.J. Daniels’ legs was a nice complement to Kenneth Farrow and Trey Williams.

But you have to pick and choose your spots to live on the edge when you’re playing the Roughnecks. Why? Houston scored 26 of its 32 points in two quarters. Obviously, having Walker, Cam Phillips, Sam Mobley and others helps, but the comeback was also a credit to coaching. June Jones has little, if any, regard for down and distance. At some point this is going to be to a fault, but for now it means Houston enjoying the fruits of being arguably the most aggressive team in the XFL. And, candidly, this is not a league for conservative play-calling. The best example of this was Seattle coach Jim Zorn opting to punt on fourth-and-1 near midfield in the second quarter. One play later, Walker connected with Mobley for 42 yards. Zorn would have been just as well served to go for it and fail to get it. Houston has been playing it close a lot and one of these weeks it’s going to bite them in the rear, but that won’t happen until their opponent matches that aggressiveness.

DC’s defense was the difference vs. St. Louis
The Defenders took down the BattleHawks 15-6 Sunday afternoon in a battle of field goals. The only thing more impressive than DC’s defensive effort was the beer snake fans put together in the stands. But that’s another story for another day. DC’s defense showed up in a big way against the second-highest scoring offense in the XFL by allowing zero touchdowns, less than three yards per play and nabbing four sacks on quarterback Jordan Ta’amu. St. Louis, playing behind the sticks practically all day, was 25% on third downs (4-of-16) and 0-for on two key fourth-down attempts. And when he wasn’t sacked, Ta’amu was almost constantly on the run. For a team that loves to run the ball, those types of negative plays are lethal. DC’s quarterback switch from Cardale Jones to Tyree Jackson did just enough offensively to come away with the win, but the defense, which had allowed 32 points per game in its previous two losses, was lights out. There’s something to be said for XFL teams playing at home vs. on the road. Other than Dallas, which has enjoyed all its success away from Globe Life Park, just about every XFL team has been much better at home. That was definitely the case for DC’s defense on Sunday. Still, when the Defenders needed a win, the defense played arguably its best game yet.

New York’s success rooted in its ground game
Yes, the Guardians are 2-0 since switching to Luis Perez at quarterback. And, to be sure, he’s been better for the offense. However, don’t overlook what the running game has done for this offense. New York had its best day on the ground this season with 144 yards on 32 attempts — a healthy 4.5 yards per carry with only three tackles for loss. Perez does a better job making good decisions with his passes. His lone interception against Dallas in a 30-12 win was more of a great individual play by Josh Hawkins. But with Darius Victor emerging as a nice bell-cow back, there’s more of a reliability to New York’s offense that wasn’t there in the first couple of weeks. This is true for a lot of teams and it’s a byproduct of not having a preseason. With its second win in a row, New York is now 3-2 and tied for first (!!!) in the East division.

Dallas’ struggles are more than the quarterback
You couldn’t pin the Renegades’ Week 1 loss on Philip Nelson, and Saturday’s loss to the Guardians was bigger than just him, too. Obviously, throwing two interceptions, including a pick-six, wasn’t ideal, but neither was playing from behind for the second half. In all, the Guardians only ran 62 plays to Dallas’ 67, but the Guardians had four successful scoring drives resulting in offensive points to the Renegades’ two — neither of which resulted in a touchdown. Landry Jones — who has seven interceptions, mind you — won’t be back for another week or two, but at the halfway point it’s fair to wonder if Dallas’ problems are more than whoever’s at quarterback. There’s no running game and the defense has progressively taken a step back each week. The six yards per play allowed Saturday was a season low.

Week 5 MVP: L.A. Wildcats QB Josh Johnson
When he wasn’t berating his offensive coordinator, Johnson was throwing dimes down the field to the tune of 288 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-34 win over Tampa Bay. Johnson overcame a slow start and helped his team come from behind thanks to some gorgeous downfield throws. The subplot with him and offensive coordinator Norm Chow will be something to watch moving forward, but he was money on the field Sunday evening.