XFL 2023 Championship: Renegades vs. Defenders Odds, TV Schedule, Live Stream

The next XFL champion will be crowned Saturday night.

The Arlington Renegades and D.C. Defenders are the only teams left in the hunt, though they took dramatically different paths to get here.

The Defenders were a dominant regular-season team, posting a 9-1 record while tallying a league-best 29.8 points per game. The Renegades, meanwhile, went just 4-6 during the season but flashed their championship potential while upsetting the top-seeded Houston Roughnecks in the South Division Championship.

Regardless of their routes to the title game, though, both are here now with championship bliss just one win away.

XFL Championship Schedule, Odds

Bob Levey/Getty Images

HOUSTON, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 26: De'Veon Smith #2 of Arlington Renegades rushes Houston Roughnecks at TDECU Stadium on February 26, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Who: Arlington Renegades vs. D.C. Defenders

When: Saturday, May 13 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas

TV: ABC

Stream: ESPN+

Latest Line: Defenders -7

Over/Under: 48

*Odds via FanDuel

The Tale of the Tape

John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 16: D.C. Defenders running back Abram Smith #4, left, runs agfainst Arlington's T.J. Barnes during the DC Defenders defeat of the Arlington Renegades 28-26 in XFL football on April 16, 2023 at Audi Field in Washington, DC. (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

There is no way to sugarcoat this; the matchup looks lopsided as heck on paper.

The Defenders have talent up and down their roster. A league-high seven of their players earned All-XFL honors: quarterback Jordan Ta'amu, running back Abram Smith, wide receiver Lucky Jackson, offensive guard Liam Fornadel, defensive lineman Davin Bellamy, defensive back Michael Joseph and punter Daniel Whelan. The Renegades, meanwhile, had only defensive tackle DaVonte Lambert on the list.

Having said that, though, this looked just as lopsided when these teams clashed a month ago in Week 9 of the regular season. And while the Defenders looked the part of Goliath while building up a 17-point edge through the first three quarters, the Renegades suddenly became David and scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth to force overtime.

D.C. still squeaked out a 28-26 triumph, but Arlington found some rhythm in that game. Luis Perez threw for 335 yards and a score. De'Veon Smith had two rushing touchdowns. Colin Schooler and Joe Powell both intercepted passes. T.J. Barnes forced a fumble.

The Renegades found ways to put up a fight, and those can serve as major confidence points heading into this championship collision. Whether that turns the tide of this game their direction, though, might be a different story.

Prediction

John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 30: Defenders head coach Reggie Barlow, center hold up the division trophy after the DC Defenders defeat the Seattle Sea Dragons 37-21 for the XFL North Division Championship on April 30, 2023 at Audi Field in Washington, DC. (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Oddsmakers had reasons to make the Defenders healthy favorites in this game. A bunch of them.

D.C.'s offense scored a regular-season-best 33 touchdowns (21 more than Arlington). The Defenders defense also recorded a league-high four touchdowns on interception returns (as many as the rest of the league combined). They even had the fewest punts in the league (29, 11 fewer than Arlington).

The Renegades are a run-first team that struggles to find efficiency on the ground (3.3 yards per carry, seven scores on the season). The Defenders are a run-first team that bulldozes its opponents (4.4 yards per carry, league-best 15 rushing scores).

This run-heavy approach could put the under in play, but it won't help Arlington close the gap if it falls behind quickly. Look for D.C. to flex its superiority on both sides of the ball and roll to a comfortable championship win.

Prediction: Defenders 28, Renegades 16

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