What do we do when we run out of football games to watch? We make more of them!
While that’s not what the XFL is only about, spring football fans are just happy to see more of their favorite sport just as the Super Bowl ends – with sites like Bovada already taking bets on it.
The XFL: What is it?
The XFL is an upstart professional Spring football league. The 2023 season began the week after the NFL Super Bowl.
The original XFL was started by Vince Mcmahon in 2001 and lasted one season. In 2020 the League attempted a comeback. Due to the pandemic, that comeback season was canceled, and as a result, the league eventually filed for bankruptcy. It was later purchased by a group that included Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson.
After two years of delays, the league finally kicked off its second season on Feb 18, 2023.
The League consists of 8 teams, split into North and South Divisions. The teams play a 10-game schedule, followed by a 4-team playoff. The winners of the playoff round games will meet in the XFL Championship on May 13, 2023.
What’s Unique About the XFL?
By and large, the XFL rules are the same as most American Football leagues. There are minor differences in clock stoppages, and the league uses the college rule of one foot in bounds for receptions. During regular downs, the game will look much the same.
However, two parts of the XFL game will considerably depart from the norm.
Kickoffs will look the most unfamiliar to football fans. In the XFL, the kicking team lines up at the opposing 35, and the receiving team is five yards away at the 30. Initially, the only players who can move are the kicker and the returner.
Once the kickoff is caught, the kicking team can advance to attempt to tackle the ball carrier. This rule was changed to provide a safer kickoff option while keeping the kickoff return an important part of the game.
The point-after-touchdown kick has been eliminated from the XFL. Instead, the scoring team will have the option of running a play from the 2,5, or 10-yard line to get 1,2, or 3 points. This has already resulted in some weird final scores of games.
The new rules encourage more action and don’t interfere with the basic gameplay we’re all familiar with. If these new approaches prove popular, don’t be surprised to see the NFL “independently” develop the same idea in a season or two.
XFL Teams Breakdown
There are eight teams in the XFL, divided into two divisions. Five teams from the 2020 season remain the same, while three are playing in new cities.
The New York Guardians and Tampa Bay Vipers moved to Orlando and Las Vegas. The 2020 Los Angeles Wildcats were folded and replaced by a new franchise, The San Antonio Brahmas.
Unlike most professional sports leagues, during the season, all XFL teams reside and practice in the same location ( Arlington, Texas) during the week.
In what will surely make for some interesting flights, opposing teams will fly to and from game locations together each week.
There are a few notable alumni of the XFL, such as Washington Commanders QB Taylor Heinike and Josh Johnson, who took snaps in the playoffs for the 49ers and is on pace to play for every professional football team ever by 2024.
Many current XFL players have spent time on NFL rosters, and several recognizable names like Josh Gordon, AJ McCarron, and Martavious Bryant are scattered throughout the league.
These players are surely looking at the XFL as an opportunity to showcase their talents for another shot at playing football in the fall.
While some players may not be household names, the level of play should rival that of power conference college football. If you need the comfort of familiarity to enjoy your football the Head coaches and some of the stadiums of the XFL should trigger football memories in most fans.
Let’s look at all of the teams for the 2023 XFL season.
XFL North
DC Defenders
Head Coach: Reggie Barlow
Stadium: Audi Field
Reggie Barlow is a former kick returner for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s been coaching at several HBCU schools over the last several years. QB Jordan Ta’amu was the starting QB for the St.Louis Battlehawks during the 2020 season. Regardless of how this team performs on the field, the fans should be excited to see a home team that Daniel Snider doesn’t own.
After two weeks, the Defenders sit atop the XFL North Division with a 2-0 record.
>>Place your bets on the DC Defenders at BetOnline
Seattle Sea Dragons
Head Coach: Jim Haslett
Stadium: Lumen Field
Jim Haslett is a veteran player and coach in the NFL. He was head coach of the New Orleans Saints for their first playoff win in 2000. He’s coached defense for years in the NFL, so the Sea Dragons should be strong on that side of the ball.
Seattle is the only XFL team to play in a current NFL stadium. Does that mean we will see NFL-caliber play? If you saw Rusell Wilson’s last year in Seattle, you know it’s not guaranteed.
The Sea Dragons have dropped their first two games this season despite leading both games in the fourth quarter.
>> Head to Bovada and place your bet on the Sea Dragons if you’re rooting for the team.
St.Louis BattleHawks
Head Coach: Anthony Becht
Stadium: Dome at America Center
Becht played tight end and spent most of his NFL career with the New York Jets. Since retiring, he’s been an analyst, a coach, and a host of “the football fan shop” on the Home Shopping network. If he appears on the sideline in a gaudy sweat suit and a lot of jewelry, you will know he’s only coaching to push the product.
St. Louis probably has the league’s most accomplished Quarterback in former Crimson Tide 2-time National Champion AJ McCarron. They also play in a stadium home to the Greatest Show on Turf, the 1999 NFL Champion St. Louis Rams. While none of this guarantees success for the BattleHawks, at least it will bring up some nice memories of winning.
The BattleHawks have played a couple of close games so far this year, winning both by a combined 5 points. In both wins, AJ McCarron led the team on 4th quarter comebacks.
>> Put your bet on the BattleHawks at MyBookie.
Vegas Vipers
Head Coach: Rod Woodson
Stadium: T-Mobile Arena
After relocating from Tampa Bay, the Vipers’ inaugural season in Sin City will be led by Hall of Famer Rod Woodson. In his playing days, Woodson was known for his on-field IQ, the Vipers are hoping he can pass it along to his team. We assume the secondary will benefit most from his wisdom.
The Vipers play in T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip. Going to a game might be worth it simply to watch the other people in the crowd.
…Unless there is rain like there was in the Vipers’ week two loss to the DC Defenders. The conditions led to a sloppy game that included four fumbles and a slip on a field goal attempt. The loss dropped the Vipers to 0-2 on the season.
>> Get the best odds for the Vipers at Everygame.
XFL South
Arlington Renegades
Head Coach: Bob Stoops
Stadium: Choctaw Stadium
You have to think Bob Stoops really loves football. He’s made a fortune in his career and could be coaching in College or the NFL if he wanted to. Instead, he’s coaching in the XFL, which comes with a fraction of the stress those other jobs consider a requirement. He’s got nothing to prove, but the competitor in him can’t completely disengage.
Will Stoops still tackle game planning and practice like he did in Oklahoma? Or is this just more of a “hobby” for him? The answer to that question will determine the direction of the Renegades Season.
One thing in their favor, Choctaw Stadium is just a short drive from the League headquarters. They won’t have to travel for home games, a luxury none of the other teams will enjoy.
The Renegades split their first two games, winning their opener at home before dropping last week’s game against the Roughnecks.
>> Ready to put your money on the Renegades? Head to BetUS right now.
Houston Roughnecks
Head Coach: Wade Phillips
Stadium: TDECU Stadium
Wade Phillips returns to Houston, where his father Bum (look it up, kids) led the Houston Oilers of the late 70’s to two AFC championship games.
Phillips has been a head coach for three NFL teams and an interim coach for three other NFL teams. If there were a hall of fame for interim coaches, Phillips would be a first-ballot inductee, even if he was a compiler.
Phillips has been a top-notch defensive mind throughout his career, and we would suspect this team will look to be led by that side of the ball.
After two weeks, the Roughnecks look to be the class of the XFL, going 2-0 with a +30 point differential. You don’t interim coach 3 NFL teams without learning a little something.
>> Bet on the Roughnecks at Sportsbetting.ag.
Orlando Guardians
Head Coach: Terrell Buckley
Stadium: Camping World Stadium
The franchise formerly known as the “New York Guardians” takes up residence in Camping World Stadium with NFL vet Terrell Buckley at the helm. Head Coach Terrell Buckley was a defensive back on the New England Patriots’ first Championship team in 2001, when Tom Brady was 23 and looked five years older than he does now.
You have to think that by moving from New York to Orlando, the Guardians hope to capitalize on the “snowbird” crowd who make the same move every winter. And since none of the players live in the cities where they play, this move doesn’t bother them.
The team has yet to win this season, and comments by Head Coach Terrell Buckley after the week two loss to the Brahmas didn’t paint a pretty picture. When asked if there was anything positive to be taken from the loss, Buckley replied, “nothing”. I’m sure that things are gonna go great.
>> Bet on the Guardians at BUSR.
San Antonio Brahmas
Head Coach: Hines Ward
Stadium: AlamoDome
San Antonio replaced the now defunct Los Angeles XFL. Technically, this is the only team in their “first” season of XFL play.
If team names determined the XFL championship, the Brahmas would win in a blowout. As far as we know, that’s not part of the XFL playoff structure yet, so head Coach Hines Ward will have to pass along the toughness that marked his 14-year NFL career. Before taking the helm in San Antonio Ward had been coaching wide receivers at numerous stops.
The Brahmas play in the AlamoDome, formerly home to the San Antonio Spurs. The Stadium was built in 1993 as part of an effort to recruit a professional football team. After thirty years and numerous failed attempts, they can finally say “worth it”!
The Brahmas are 1-1 after two games but could be surging after a dominant victory over the Orlando Guardians this past week.
>> Bet on the Brahmas at XBet.
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Best Odds for the XFL
The XFL season is underway, but there’s still plenty of season left. Here is the XFL week 3 Betting guide (odds Courtesy of Bovada)
- St. Louis Battlehawks (+130) vs DC Defenders (-150)
- Orlando Guardians (+300) vs Arlington Renegades (-400)
- San Antonio Brahmas (+175) vs Houston Roughnecks (-210)
>> See the best odds for upcoming games
Sports Bonuses You Can Use to Bet on the XFL
100% up to $500 Sports First Deposit Bonus at MyStake
MyStake should be your go-to place for the best XFL odds, but that’s not the only reason why. This online sportsbook offers an incredible sports welcome bonus that you can use to bet on your favorite XFL team.
When you sign up for a new account at MyStake, you can grab a 100% match deposit bonus of up to $500. You must deposit at least $20 to be eligible for this bonus. And you only need to deal with a 10x wagering requirement.
>> Place your XFL bets at MyStake and grab up to $500 in sports welcome bonuses.
50% Deposit Bonus of Up to $1,000 at BetOnline
The XFL returns after a two-year hiatus with eight teams battling over a ten-week schedule.
Offering a faster pace and some familiar names on the field and the sidelines.
BetOnline wants to drum up as much interest in these wagers as possible, which is why they’re currently running a special where you can get a 50% deposit match up to $1,000 using code BOL1000.
All you have to do is enter the code during sign-up and deposit at least $55. Then, you’ll need to satisfy a 10x wagering requirement, but you’ll have 30 days to do it.
We doubt you needed another excuse to bet on the XFLs, but BetOnline provided one anyway.
>> Head to BetOnline and redeem up to $1,000 to bet on the XFL.
75% up to $750 Crypto Sports Welcome Bonus at Bovada
If you’re a crypto fan looking to bet on the XFL, Bovada is the place to go. It’s a crypto-friendly sports betting site that offers up to $750 of sports bonuses which you can use for XFL betting.
When you make the qualifying deposit using Bitcoin, you can claim the bonus and start betting on the XFL team you’re rooting for. The site also offers other bet types for your beloved game. You can make O/U, prop bets, and more.
>> Find the best XFL odds at Bovada and claim a 75% match deposit bonus.
Why Bet on the XFL Online?
The months between the Super Bowl and MLB opening day lack the usual number of options we get used to in the fall. Now that the XFL is back, the list of choices grew slightly. And everyone knows that football is the most popular sport to wager on.
Here are a couple more reasons why betting on the XFL online represents unique value:
- New League: The oddsmakers are learning about the XFL at the same time you are, they usually have much more data to base their predictions on. It might take them a few weeks or more to figure it out.
- Experience Gap: XFL coaches fall into two categories: Very raw or Very experienced. Will that result in an advantage for one group over the other? Conventional thinking might lean in favor of experience. But with a new league full of hungry young players, connecting with them might be just as valuable, which could favor the newbies.
See similar betting guides:
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Guide to XFL Betting
What Is the XFL?
The XFL is a spring football league. It’s a fast-paced professional football league with slightly different rules than the NFL.
When Are the XFL Games?
Most XFL games are played on Saturdays or Sundays. There is a week five game on Thursday, March 16, a week six game on Monday, March 27, and a week seven game on Friday, March 31.
The playoff semi-finals are on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30 and the Championship game will be played at the AlamoDome on Saturday, May 13 at 5 pm Eastern.
Who Won the XFL Last Season?
The XFL hasn’t played since the 2020 season. That season was canceled after just a few weeks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s champion will be the first official XFL Title Holder.
More sports betting resources:
Final Verdict About the XFL & Betting on It
In a practically brand-new league with only a few games under its belt, making a title prediction is more of a guess.
Despite that, even this early, it seems clear that Houston is well-coached and should compete for every game. Orlando, on the other hand? Well, at least they play pretty close to Disney World.
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