The 2023 version of the rebooted XFL has reached the end of its regular season, and if you’re wondering how the playoffs work and what the standings look like, you’re in luck. Each XFL team played 10 regular-season games, and the top two from each division move on to the playoffs, featuring the North Division and South Division title games on April 29 and 30. The XFL championship game will be held on May 13.
Be sure to check back each week to see the updated standings below, and don’t miss all of CBS Sports’ XFL coverage.
The XFL accomplished what its new ownership set out to do: Finish a successful season. That didn’t happen in 2020, when the XFL was canceled after Week 5 due to COVID-19, and it didn’t return until this year. The 2023 XFL campaign will conclude this Saturday, as the Arlington Renegades take on the D.C. Defenders in the XFL Championship Game.
Not many saw the Renegades making the championship. They entered the playoffs with a 4-6 record, but rallied to win in the playoff semifinals with a 26-11 upset victory over Wade Phillips and the Houston Roughnecks, who finished first in the South Division in the regular season. Renegades quarterback Luis Perez was impressive, as he completed 19 of 27 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns — two of which went to JaVonta Payton, who caught five passes for 121 yards.
The Defenders have been one of the most dominant teams in the league since Week 1, as XFL Coach of the Year Reggie Barlow led D.C. to a 9-1 record and North Division title. While quarterback Jordan Ta’amu was the XFL’s Offensive Player of the Year, the Defenders are known for their ground game and stingy Gregg Williams-led defense.
Below, we will break down how to watch the XFL Championship Game, and give our against-the-spread pick.
All odds are via Caesars Sportsbook
Arlington Renegades vs. D.C. Defenders (-6.5) Date: Saturday, May 13 | Time: 8 p.m. ET Location: Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas) TV: ABC Odds: Defenders -6.5 | O/U 48 (-110)
These two teams faced off less than a month ago, with the Defenders escaping with a 28-26 victory (check out both teams’ week-by-week results here). It was a thrilling contest which required overtime, as the Renegades scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Perez passed for 335 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while De’Veon Smith rushed for 43 yards and two touchdowns. Arlington dropping 434 yards of total offense on the Defenders in D.C. was surprising. For the Defenders, the XFL’s leading rusher in Abram Smith was held to just 27 rushing yards on 10 carries, while Ta’amu threw for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
If the Defenders can’t run the ball on Arlington, that’s a bit worrisome. D.C. had the No. 1 rushing attack in the XFL with 1,408 total rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in the regular season. No other team even reached 970 rushing yards.
Six points is a relatively large number for a championship game, and you have to wonder if Saturday’s hypothetical game script could be similar to what happened the last time these two teams faced off: The Defenders acquire an early lead, but allow Perez and the Renegades to get back in the game late. Granted, I’m not sure D.C. will allow 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter again.
It’s impressive what the Renegades have been able to pull off with their new quarterback (Perez began the season on the Vegas Vipers, but was traded to Arlington). They have earned the right to play in this game. But the Defenders have been one of the favorites to win the championship since the beginning. I would throw the Defenders moneyline into a parlay with your favorite picks from the NBA or NHL playoffs, but in speaking on the spread, I can’t bring myself to take the points with the Renegades. I’m going to lay the points with the favorites, and create a beer snake of my own this weekend.
Nearly three years after Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson purchased the XFL, the league will hold its first championship game this Saturday. Kickoff for the 2023 XFL Championship Game is at 8 p.m. ET from the Alamodome in San Antonio, with the Arlington Renegades (4-6) taking on the DC Defenders (9-1). Arlington won the South Division Final after finishing runner-up in the division in the regular season. The Defenders swept both the North Division regular season and postseason game.
The XFL Championship Game 2023 is a rematch of a Week 9 meeting in which the Defenders won 28-26 in Washington, D.C. Caesars Sportsbook has DC as the 7-point favorite, while the over/under is 48. Before locking in Renegades vs. Defenders picks, you need to see the XFL predictions from SportsLine’s Emory Hunt.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007. He is a former running back for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and knows the game from a player’s perspective. Hunt’s dedication to analysis of all levels of college and professional football helped him start the USFL season 24-18 last year, and now he’s 25-17 on his XFL spread picks this season.
Now, Hunt has broken down the XFL Championship Game 2023 and locked in his best bet for Saturday’s showdown. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks.
XFL Championship Game 2023 picks Hunt has analyzed Defenders vs. Renegades and is leaning towards the Under (48) for total points scored. The Renegades scored 23 fewer points than any other XFL team this season, and Hunt labeled them “one of the more frustrating offenses all season.” They’ll now have to match up with a DC defense that racked up the second-most sacks (25) this year and added three more in the XFL semifinals.
On the other side of the ball, Arlington has already displayed that it can take away what DC does best on offense, and that’s run the ball. The Defenders averaged 150.9 rushing yards per game versus every team besides Arlington, but they could only muster 50 yards on the ground when these teams met in Week 9.
Arlington brings the league’s second-best run defense into this game, only topped by DC having the No. 1 run defense. It could be a struggle to move the ball on the ground, which is both of these squads’ preferred method of attack. With points hard to come by, Hunt comfortably backs the Under (48). See more XFL picks at SportsLine.
How to make 2023 XFL Championship Game predictions Hunt has also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on one side of the spread. He’s sharing it only at SportsLine.
The XFL is back. Three years after the 2020 version was forced to shut down after five games due to COVID-19, the league has returned with a 10-week regular season and two weeks of playoffs in 2023.
It all started on Saturday, Feb. 18, and you can check out the entire 2023 schedule below, including playoffs, with two semifinals to be held on April 29 and 30 and the championship game on May 13.
We’ll keep you updated with results from each game as the season rolls along. You can check out all of our XFL coverage here, including everything to know about the rebooted league — which originated in 2001 — along with the XFL names to know, power rankings, picks, standings and more.
The Brooklyn Nets are in discussions to sell a minority stake in the team to Julia Koch, according to Bloomberg and Sportico.
Koch was married to the late billionaire David Koch. She and her three children — David Jr., Mary Julia and John — are looking to invest in the team, and neither Koch Industries nor any other members of the Koch family are involved, per Sportico.
In the deal, which has yet to be completed, Koch would reportedly acquire approximately 10% of BSE Global, the Nets’ parent company, which also owns Barclays Center, the WNBA’s New York Liberty and the Nets’ practice facility.
Koch has a net worth of $69.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The valuation of the franchise will take into account the NBA’s upcoming broadcast rights deal, per Sportico. It could be as much as $4.8 billion, the New York Post reported, citing industry sources.
Joe Tsai, the co-founder of Alibaba, bought 49% of the Nets from Mikhail Prokhorov in 2018 and the remaining 51% in 2019. That deal valued the team at $2.35 billion, not including Barclays Center. Tsai spent about $3.5 billion to acquire both.
The NBA has suspended Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart three games for punching Phoenix Suns center Drew Eubanks on Feb. 14, the league announced Thursday.
The full press release:
The NBA announced today that Detroit Pistons forward-center Isaiah Stewart has been suspended three games without pay for initiating a physical altercation with Phoenix Suns forward-center Drew Eubanks on Feb. 14 before a game between the Pistons and Suns at Footprint Center in Phoenix. Stewart punched and pushed Eubanks during the altercation.
Stewart will begin serving his suspension with the next NBA regular-season game that he is eligible and physically able to play, which is expected to be tonight’s game between the Pistons and Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Stewart has not played since Jan. 28 due to an ankle injury, but, prior to the suspension, but James Edwards III of The Athletic reported Tuesday that he could have potentially been available to play on Thursday.
Stewart was arrested on Feb. 14 and released after being issued a citation for misdemeanor assault. The assault charge filed against him was dismissed on Thursday (Feb. 22), per ESPN.
Here’s what the Phoenix Police Departmennt had to say about an investigation into the incident:
Detectives are investigating an assault that happened late this afternoon between two professional basketball players while in the parking tunnel of the arena in downtown Phoenix.
Around 4:45 p.m. Phoenix police officers were working in a security capacity during a Suns home game at Footprint Arena when they were called to a fight between two players inside the arena’s parking lot. When the officers arrived, they were directed by security to the players involved. The players were identified as 27-year-old Drew Eubanks and 22-year-old Isaiah Stewart.
Officers spoke to both players involved and a number of people who witnesses the incident. They learned there was an argument between both players as they arrived at the arena. Witnesses said the argument escalated when they saw Stewart punch Eubanks, causing a minor injury. Both men were separated by security which ended the fight.
Detectives responded to investigate the incident and collect evidence. Stewart was arrested for assault and issued a citation and released. The investigation remains active.
Assuming that Stewart’s suspension begins Thursday, he will also miss the Pistons’ games against the Orlando Magic on Saturday and the New York Knicks next Monday. The soonest he could return to the court is next Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls. The Suns and Pistons do not play again this season.
The NBA returns to competitive action on Thursday after a week off from regular-season contests. Depending on who you ask, the NBA All-Star Game may or may not count as competitive action, so all players should have received significant rest since last taking the floor for their teams last week. The rested NBA DFS player pool, combined with a 12-game slate, means there are many avenues daily Fantasy basketball players can take when forming their NBA DFS strategy and NBA DFS lineups on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings.
Should you form your NBA DFS lineup with elite superstars such as Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum with some significantly cheaper pieces for NBA DFS picks? Or, could a strong NBA DFS strategy feature taking many similarly priced players for a balanced lineup? The return from the All-Star break doesn’t come at the exact midway point of the NBA season, but it often creates an increased sense or urgency for the postseason push, so how should that affect your NBA DFS strategy? Before making your NBA DFS picks, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine’s Mike McClure.
McClure is a DFS professional with more than $2 million in career winnings. He’s also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking factors like matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account.
This allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
On the Thursday before the NBA All-Star break, McClure highlighted Jazz guard Keyonte George as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: George had 33 points, two rebounds, six assists and three steals, returning 54 points on DraftKings and 51.4 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Thursday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Thursday, February 22 For Thursday, one of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks is Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who is listed at $11,600 on DraftKings and $12,100 on FanDuel. Jokic is having another MVP-caliber season, posting 26.1 points with 12 rebounds and 8.9 assists per contest. The 6-foot-11 center is fourth in the NBA in rebounds and assists this season, and a rested Jokic will likely be a dangerous Jokic on Thursday night.
Jokic is averaging the second-most rebounds over his eight-year career while averaging at least 26 points for the third time in the last four seasons. The six-time All-Star is about as safe of a play as there is on a nightly basis for NBA DFS lineups due to his ability to contribute in every aspect of the game offensively. The Nuggets play the Wizards, who are allowing the most points in the NBA (123.9 ppg). The two-time NBA MVP had 42 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in his first meeting of the year against Washington and is averaging 38.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists over his last three games against the Wizards.
Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes again rostering Jazz guard George ($4,700 on DraftKings and $5,800 on FanDuel). Even after scoring 33 points with six assists on Thursday in his final game before the NBA All-Star break, George’s price remains relatively unchanged on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings. The No. 16 overall pick in the NBA Draft has taken on a much larger role in recent contests, scoring at least 10 points in nine of his last 10 games while averaging six assists over his last four contests.
The 20-year-old is averaging 11.7 points and 4.3 assists per game and has played at least 29 minutes in each of his last four games. The Jazz play the Hornets, who turned a 10-game losing streak into a three-game winning streak before the All-Star break. But still, the Hornets are allowing the seventh-most ppg (119.4), and George had 10 points in only 13 minutes in their first meeting this season. With George receiving a much larger workload now than he did in the first meeting, McClure expects the rookie to continue to outperform his price tag for NBA DFS lineups on Thursday. See McClure’s other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, February 22 McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Thursday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
We’ve got another exciting Western Conference matchup on the NBA schedule as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers are set to tip at 10 p.m. ET on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. Los Angeles is 21-22 overall and 15-8 at home, while Portland is 12-29 overall and 5-17 on the road. The Lakers won the two previous matchups between these teams this season.
For Sunday, Los Angeles is favored by 10.5 points in the latest Lakers vs. Trail Blazers odds, and the over/under is 228 points. Before entering any Lakers vs. Trail Blazers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
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.
The model has set its sights on Portland vs. Los Angeles. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
Lakers vs. Trail Blazers spread: Lakers -10.5 Lakers vs. Trail Blazers over/under: 228 points Lakers vs. Trail Blazers money line: Lakers: -542, Trail Blazers: +400 Lakers vs. Trail Blazers picks: See picks here What you need to know about the Lakers The point spread may have favored the Lakers last Friday, but the final result did not. They received a tough blow as they fell 130-112 to the Brooklyn Nets despite entering the game favored by 7 points. Anthony Davis put forth a good effort for the losing side as he dropped a double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds. LeBron James also had a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
However, both players are listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup, with Davis currently day-to-day because of an Achilles injury while James is day-to-day with an ankle issue. However, Portland has injury issues of its own to deal with, as Shaedon Sharpe (adductor) has been ruled out and Anfernee Simons (illness) and Scoot Henderson (nasal contusion) are questionable.
What you need to know about the Trail Blazers The Trail Blazers have not had quite the year their fans were hoping for to this point, but back-to-back wins may be a sign of good things to come. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Indiana 118-115 on Friday.
The Trail Blazers can attribute much of their success to Jerami Grant, who scored 37 points, and Malcolm Brogdon, who scored 30 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. They’ll have to continue to carry a heavy scoring load with Sharpe out and Simons/Henderson ailing.
How to make Lakers vs. Trail Blazers picks The model has simulated Lakers vs. Trail Blazers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits nearly 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
The Washington Wizards will face off against the Denver Nuggets at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday at Capital One Arena. Washington is 7-34 overall and 3-15 at home, while Denver is 29-14 overall and 12-10 on the road. Washington limps into Sunday’s showdown having lost nine of its last 10 games.
The Nuggets are favored by 13.5 points in the latest Wizards vs. Nuggets odds, and the over/under is 238.5 points. Before entering any Nuggets vs. Wizards picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
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.
The model has set its sights on Denver vs. Washington. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
Wizards vs. Nuggets spread: Wizards +13.5 Wizards vs. Nuggets over/under: 238.5 points Wizards vs. Nuggets money line: Wizards: +629, Nuggets: -967 Wizards vs. Nuggets picks: See picks here What you need to know about the Wizards The Wizards’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their third straight loss. They took a 131-127 hit to the loss column at the hands of San Antonio. The Wizards didn’t live up to their potential and found themselves falling short of the advantage oddsmakers thought they had coming into the game.
Even though they lost, the Wizards were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That’s the most offensive rebounds they’ve managed all season.
What you need to know about the Nuggets The Celtics typically have all the answers at home, but on Friday the Nuggets proved too difficult a challenge. They skirted past the Celtics 102-100. The victory came about thanks to a strong surge starting at the 3:30 mark of the second quarter when the Nuggets were facing a 58-46 deficit.
The Nuggets can attribute much of their success to Jamal Murray, who scored 35 points along with eight rebounds and five assists, and Nikola Jokic, who almost dropped a triple-double with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. For the season, Jokic is averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game.
How to make Wizards vs. Nuggets picks The model has simulated Wizards vs. Nuggets 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
We’ve got another exciting Southeast Division matchup on the NBA schedule as the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat are set to tip at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday at the Kia Center. Orlando is 22-20 overall and 13-6 at home, while Miami is 24-18 overall and 12-10 on the road. The Heat have dominated this series in recent years, winning eight of the last 10 meetings against the Magic.
The Heat are favored by 1 point in the latest Magic vs. Heat odds, and the over/under is 215 points. Before entering any Heat vs. Magic picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
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.
The model has set its sights on Miami vs. Orlando. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
Magic vs. Heat spread: Magic +1 Magic vs. Heat over/under: 215 points Magic vs. Heat money line: Magic: -105, Heat: -115 Magic vs. Heat picks: See picks here What you need to know about the Magic Orlando lost to Philadelphia at home by a decisive 124-109 margin on Friday. The Magic have not had much luck with the 76ers recently, as the team’s come up short the last two times they’ve met. The Magic’s loss came about despite a quality game from Wendell Carter Jr., who dropped a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Carter Jr. continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last four games he’s played.
The Magic limp into Sunday’s showdown having lost five of their last six games. However, Orlando is 7-3 against the spread in its last 10 games against an opponent from the Eastern Conference.
What you need to know about the Heat Meanwhile, the point spread may have favored the Heat on Friday, but the final result did not. They lost 109-108 to Atlanta on a last-minute jump shot From Dejounte Murray. The Heat have now suffered a loss in back-to-back games.
Jimmy Butler put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored 25 points along with six assists and five rebounds. For the season, Butler is averaging 21.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He’s knocking down 48.2% of his field goals and 37.7% of his 3-point attempts.
How to make Magic vs. Heat picks The model has simulated Magic vs. Heat 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
