We saw the Alliance of American Football come crashing down two weeks before the end of its inaugural regular season could finish. The next alternative to the National Football League, the second edition of Vince McMahon’s XFL, is set to open this week. There are eight franchises, made up primarily of players who did not make it into the NFL and coaches who are either past their prime in college or the pros or are still looking for that next break.
The XFL has some interesting rule changes designed to make the game more interesting than the NFL. The clock runs continuously until the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, so the pace will be faster. Kickoffs will be different to cut down on dangerous collisions and to make long returns more of a possibility. A team can also throw two forward passes on the same play, as long as the first one remains behind the line of scrimmage, opening the door to more trick plays. Are you considering including the XFL in your spring sports betting? If so, check out the early 2020 XFL Championship odds for this year’s league winner as well as our thoughts about some of the clubs.
2020 XFL Championship Odds & Predictions
Odds to Win the 2020 XFL Championship
- Los Angeles Wildcats, New York Guardians +300
- Dallas Renegades +350
- Tampa Bay Vipers +450
- St. Louis Battlehawks, Seattle Dragons, Houston Roughnecks, D.C. Defenders +900
Kevin Gilbride will coach the New York Guardians, and his quarterback will either be Matt McGloin, who masqueraded as a quarterback in the NFL for a short time, or Marquise Williams from North Carolina. Brothers Cyrus and Arie Kouandijo, a pair of offensive linemen who played at Alabama, are on the squad, and Nick DeLuca has four national championship rings from his time at North Dakota State. Wideout Nelson Spruce, who played at Colorado, had two straight 1,000-yard seasons catching the ball.
Winston Moss is the head coach of the Los Angeles Wildcats, who give the metropolitan area a third professional football team. His quarterback will be Luis Perez, who played at Texas A&M-Commerce — where Dallas Cowboys all-time great Harvey Martin went to college. Wide receiver K.D. Cannon, from Baylor, and Elijah Hood, who played at North Carolina, will key the offense. Baylor has a significant presence on this team, as Ahmad Dixon and Shawn Oakman are also likely to start. Tailback Larry Rose III piled up the numbers at New Mexico State, rumbling for 4,558 yards and 37 scores.
Bob Stoops, who won national fame coaching the Oklahoma Sooners, will lead the Dallas Renegades. He brings Hal Mumme as his offensive coordinator, the creator of the “Air Raid” offense that has transformed college football. Quarterback Landry Jones played under Stoops and will now call the signals in Dallas. Other Soonerso n the team include Dmitri Flowers, Frank Alexander and Jeff Badet. Cameron Artis-Payne is the featured back; at Auburn in 2014 he ran for over 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was on the Carolina Panthers for four seasons but only saw limited action carrying the ball.
The D.C. Defenders will have Pep Hamilton leading the way, and his quarterback is Cardale Jones, who took Ohio State to the very first College Football Playoff championship. Tailback Donnel Pumphrey ran for 6,405 yards in his career at San Diego State and was named an All-American. Scooby Wright won the Lombardi Award as the top linebacker in the nation at Arizona in 2014, and he’s on the roster, along with Matt Elam and Max McCaffery.
Another wager you might take is whether the XFL will make it all the way through its first season. The AAF folded due to a lack of financing, which is the key ingredient in any enterprise. There is also the question of whether people really want more football coming just a week after the Super Bowl. In any case, football is about to start once again; don’t miss your chance to add to your winnings with smart picks.
