The Orlando Guardians are riding high heading into a Week 8 showdown against the Arlington Renegades. Head coach Terrell Buckley and his squad celebrated their first win of the season last week, defeating the previously undefeated D.C. Defenders, 37-36.
This week, the Guardians host the Arlington Renegades, a team they lost to back in Week 3. The two teams had a low-scoring affair the first go around, with the game ending 10-9. This time, however, both teams look significantly different and things could end up in Orlando’s favor when the final whistle is blown.
Orlando Guardians (1-6) vs Arlington Renegades (3-4)
Time: Saturday, April 8th, 4:00 PM EST
Location: Camping World Stadium – Orlando, Florida
Television Broadcast: ESPN
Weather Forecast: 89F with mostly cloudy skies expected, winds up to 6 mph
Betting Odds (per DraftKings Sportsbook):
Moneyline: ORL -130/ARL +110
Spread: ORL -2/ARL +2
Over/Under (points): 42.5
Guardians Week 8 Injury Report
The Guardians withstood last week’s crazy game without losing any key guys, and appear to be receiving reinforcements on their O-line. David Moore and Fred Lauina are expected to be active this week after being forced to miss the last game. Moore has started most of the season at right guard and should slot right back into the starting lineup this week.
Guardians-Renegades Prediction
Orlando enters Saturday’s matchup as the favorite for the first time all season. While the Guardian’s offense had been playing much better than at the start of the season, no one could have predicted last week’s outcome before it happened. Yet one week later the Guardians look to make it two straight wins with a great chance of doing so in their last home game of the season.
Quinten Dormady has catalyzed Orlando’s success these past few weeks. The 27-year-old quarterback got his first win as a professional and did it in spectacular fashion. Dormady finished last week with six total touchdowns and 328 yards through the air. He and tight end Cody Latimer have already built a strong chemistry and are making a strong case for one of the best tandems in the league.
The Guardians’ defense still leaves much to desire but did come up big when it needed to last week. This week they will face a familiar face under center, Luis Perez, who was traded over from the Vegas Vipers. Perez finished Week 5’s mat hup between Orlando and Vegas 20/28 for 269 yards and three touchdowns. The Guardians’ secondary has looked much improved since that point but should keep their previous encounter in mind when approaching this game.
Overall, these two teams appear to be trending in opposite directions. The Renegades are hoping to put an end to a two-game losing streak, while Orlando continues to play well and now has a win against the league’s best team to show for it. If the Guardians continue to fire on all cylinders they should have no problem coming away with a win in the final home game of the season.
Prediction: Orlando Guardians 32, Arlington Renegades 29
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