After 40 regular-season games and two playoff semifinals, the 2023 XFL season boils down to this: One final battle to decide who will be crowned champion.
The DC Defenders and Arlington Renegades took very different paths to the XFL Championship Game (although we had them 1-2 in our preseason Power Rankings). The defenders were the team to beat from the start, losing just once all year. The Renegades’ path has been full of bumps, including a regular season in which they finished 4-6 but secured a lucky playoff spot on their weak division — before pulling off a playoff looker.
Now DC and Arlington meet for the second time tonight starting at 8pm ET. The good news for the Renegades is that the first game was indeed close – the Defenders prevailed 28-26 in Week 9 overtime. So what will happen when they fight for the title? The Defenders — led by quarterback Jordan Ta’amu and XFL lead rusher Abram Smith — are 6.5-point favorites according to Caesars Sportsbook, but as we saw just last month, the Arlington quarterback and Luis Perez and Co. scare.
Keep checking back for the latest results and highlights from the title game on our live blog below.
How to watch the XFL championship game
teams: DC Defenders vs. Arlington Renegades
Date: Saturday May 13 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas)
TV: ABC
opportunities: Defender -6.5 | O/U 48 (-110)