Week 7 is here and the playoff race is heating up. Both North and South Division playoff spots are well within reach for multiple teams. Here is a preview and the picks for this weekend.

Seattle Sea Dragons (4-2) vs. Arlington Renegades (3-3)

Date/Time: Friday, March 31 7pm ET

TV: FX

The first matchup of the weekend is one of the most critical ones. Arlington is trying to hold on to second place in the South and Seattle is trying to get into second place in the North. One of the intriguing pieces to this game is the newly acquired Luis Perez for Arlington. Currently, the Renegades are last in the league in points per game (13). Seattle has been one of the league’s stingiest defenses lately, giving up only 13 points per game over the last three. Seattle has also found a way to succeed despite multiple turnovers per game. The Sea Dragons are the most dangerous team in the XFL right now and have too much to play for to take Arlington lightly.

The Pick: Seattle 20, Arlington 15

San Antonio Brahmas (2-4) vs. Vegas Vipers (1-5)

Date/Time: Saturday, April 1, 3pm ET

TV: ESPN 2/ESPN+

Surprisingly, Vegas is not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention just yet. Will that be enough to spark the Vipers this weekend? Vegas takes on a Brahmas team that is currently reinventing itself, with new quarterback Kurt Benkert getting more and more reps in practice. Vegas has also activated quarterback Jalan McLendon this week. This game will come down to defense, and the Brahmas are the superior defensive unit.

The Pick: San Antonio 21, Vegas 18

DC Defenders (6-0) vs. Orlando Guardians (0-6)

Date/Time: Saturday, April 1, 6pm ET

TV: ESPN?ESPN+

The term “trap game” comes to mind when previewing this matchup. DC is undefeated, having just beaten the XFL South-leading Roughnecks on Monday night. DC has to play Seattle next weekend, with major playoff seeding implications on the line. Additionally, the Guardians are winless and can’t seem to get anything going. So, why is this matchup so scary? Orlando has nothing to lose and everything to gain by toppling the mighty Defenders, so expect a close matchup in this one-at least initially. The only way DC loses this game is if the Defenders lose composure and begin to play an unrecognizable brand of football. DC leads the league in points per game (28.5) and Orlando gives up the most points per game (29.7). Offensively, Orlando has given up the most sacks in the league (23) and DC ranks second in sacks this season with 19. DC wins this one, and may just set the new season high for points scored.

The Pick: Defenders 45, Orlando 20

St. Louis Battlehawks (4-2) vs. Houston Roughnecks (4-2)

Date/Time: Sunday, April 2, 2pm ET

TV: ESPN/ESPN+

The last matchup of the weekend is a potential XFL Championship Game preview, as both the Roughnecks and Battlehawks expect to make the playoffs. Houston has lost two games in a row after a 4-0 start and now only leads the South by one game over Arlington. St. Louis has only lost to DC and currently holds the tiebreaker over Seattle, although the two teams will meet again later in the season. Houston is 3-0 at home this season, but the loss of wide receiver Jontre Kirklin has hurt the Roughnecks. Kirklin is tied for first place in touchdown receptions on the team with 4. For St. Louis, the return to form last weekend against Vegas was a welcome sign for fans. Quarterback AJ McCarron continues to impress, as does the Battlehawk defense. But Houston is hungry this weekend, and the quarterback change mid-game last week gave the Roughnecks a spark. Houston wins this one at home.

The Pick: Houston 26, Battlehawks 20

David Taylor can be found on twitter @DavidTaylorXFL