The XFL season is less than a week away and while you may be preoccupied by the Super Bowl, XFL bettors are armed and ready. After speculation and delay, the two sites who have a border-line monopoly on DFS and gambling in some areas, have live lines and futures on the XFL season.
Currently, DraftKings Sportbook has a future prop for the XFL Champion, with the Dallas Renegades regarded as the favorite (+300) and the Seattle Dragons as the long-shot at +1100. As of now, DraftKings is also offering game lines for the first week of the season for all four matchups. However, there is no money line, over/under or prop bets available at this time. FanDuel is only offering the same futures bet for the champion and has yet to make individual game lines.
The XFL is no longer attempting to compete with the NFL which may create a more engaged betting community and more options from the sportsbooks should follow suit. The league starts on February 8th, a week after the Super Bowl and is now far more accessible to watch on TV after making deals with ABC, FOX, FS1, and ESPN. The typical ‘degenerate’ gambler may bet on a game he can’t watch outside of website updates but the casual fan will be more inclined if he can turn on the game at 4 PM on a Saturday.
A slew of new rules and tweaks for the league may be unfamiliar to a common football fan and will certainly play a part in betting the XFL. The XFL will not allow extra-point kicks. Instead, the scoring team will choose from three options: a two-yard play worth one point (similar to the NFL’s two-point conversion); two points for a successful play from the 5-yard line; and three points for a score from the 10-yard line.
The game will also be faster with a 25-second play clock, kick-off rules and the likelihood of more 4th-down attempts with unproven punters on the rosters.
The XFL has been welcoming of fantasy sports and gambling but is prioritizing the protection of the leagues integrity. Earlier this month, the XFL announced a deal with Genius Sports to monitor their Betting Integrity Program which includes workshops for the players, training, league monitoring and data collection.
Here is a look at the lines for Week 1 of the XFL season:
Follow me on twitter at @AlexMcKinnonXFL for gambling and DFS coverage this season!
Unleash the Action: Sign up for XFL Insider and Fuel Your Passion for Football!
