Roughnecks vs Guardians Prediction Odds Spread Start Time: 2023 XFL Picks Week 1 betting by acknowledged experts

The Houston Roughnecks were the XFL’s league in 2020, winning all five of their games before the league was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Houston is looking to pick up right where it left off as it hosts the Orlando Guardians in the 2023 season opener for both teams on Saturday. The Roughnecks were offensive juggernauts in 2020 as they led the XFL by 158 points and a plus 47 point difference. The Guardians are beginning their first season in the Sunshine State after spending 2020 in New York where they recorded a 3-2 record.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET at TDECU Stadium. Houston is a 3.5-point favorite in Caesars Sportsbook’s latest Roughnecks vs. Guardians odds, while the over/under for the overall score is 35. Before you do any Guardians vs. Roughnecks tips or XFL predictions yourself, you need to see what pro football expert RJ White has to say.

White, a fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports, consistently smashes against the spread, going 535-450-30 on his ATS picks from 2017-22, raking in more than $3,500 to $100 players. He also finished the NFL season with an incredible 107-80-6 on his last 193 against the spread and overall NFL picks during the 2022 NFL season, raking in over $1,800 for $100 bettors.

White defeated not only the NFL but also the XFL in his abbreviated 2020 season, going 16-4 on XFL ATS picks before the league suspended operations. Whoever followed him is way up.

Now he’s taken on Roughnecks vs. Guardians and released a confident anti-the-spread pick only available at SportsLine. Here are the XFL lines and trends for Guardians vs. Roughnecks:

• Spread Roughnecks vs. Guardians: Houston -3.5
• Roughnecks vs. Guardians over/under: 35 points
• Money line Roughnecks vs. Guardians: Houston -178, Orlando +150
• HOU:S Sean Davis had five interceptions and 2.5 sacks in 70 NFL games from 2016-21
• ORL:DE Stansly Maponga played in the NFL, XFL and CFL before signing with the Guardians
• Roughnecks vs. Guardians tips: See tips at SportsLine

Why the roughnecks can cover

Head coach Wade Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart have busy schedules in Houston. On the second side is safety Sean Davis, who recorded five interceptions and 259 tackles in six four-team NFL seasons. Also in the defensive backline is cornerback William Likely, who set a string of records at the University of Maryland and was named to the 2022 All-USFL team after finishing third in the league with four interceptions for the Houston Gamblers.

The roughnecks should also have a strong defensive line with tackles CJ Brewer and Glen Logan terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. Brewer, 25, played for Coastal Carolina for five seasons and appeared in two games for the Buffalo Bills last season. Logan, 24, was a five-year letter winner at LSU and helped the Tigers to the national championship in 2019.

Why the Guardians can cover

Orlando is coached by former NFL cornerback Terrell Buckley, who was a member of the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl XXXVI championship team. Buckley has a solid staff under him, including defensive line coach Ty Warren (two-time Super Bowl defensive end champion) and offensive coordinator Robert Ford, who won three Super Bowls while serving as tight ends coach for the Dallas Cowboys. Former NFL signal caller Shane Matthews is also available as quarterbacks coach and is tasked with bringing out the best in a group that includes Paxton Lynch.

Lynch is expected to stand under center against the Roughnecks on Saturday. The 29-year-old was selected 26th overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2016 NFL Draft after skipping his senior year at the University of Memphis. Lynch appeared in five games — four starts — with the Broncos from 2016-17, threw for 792 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions, and had five TD passes and four interceptions for the USFL’s Michigan Panthers last year.

How to do Guardians vs. Roughnecks picks

White has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he’s leaning under the total, he’s discovered a crucial X-factor that makes one side of the spread a must. He only shares it at SportsLine.

Who will win Roughnecks vs Guardians? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you should jump on, all from the top pro football pundit who grossed more than $1,800 in the NFL last season, and find out.