The first week of the inaugural season of the second edition of the XFL is upon us, which means that Saturday and Sunday will continue to feature football, even as the National Football League heads into the winter after Kansas City won their first title in 50 years on Sunday night. Now come the players and coaches looking for their next shot at the game’s biggest stage.
Such players as Landry Jones, who starred at Oklahoma and backed up Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh for a while, will be front and center with this new league; Jones is the starting quarterback for the Dallas Renegades, with Bob Stoops coaching him once again. It will certainly be interesting to see if a Dallas football team not owned by Jerry Jones can actually win a league title for once. We have a sports betting preview for each of the four matchups on tap for XFL Week 1.
2020 XFL Week 1 Odds & Preview
Saturday, February 8th
Seattle at D.C. Defenders (2:00pm ET, ABC)
- XFL Week 1 Odds: D.C. Defenders -6.5
Seattle has talent issues both in their wide receiving corps and on the defensive side of the ball. Brandon Silvers played well at quarterback in the AAF, and his backfield has a couple of stout choices when it comes to carrying the ball. However, without much on defense, it is hard to see Seattle doing a lot of damage.
D.C. just lost defensive coordinator Jeffrey Fitzgerald, so replacing a coach at that position will cause some issues in the early going. The offense should be able to move the ball, but when every week is a track meet, don’t expect a whole lot of reliability over the season. Given the talent gaps that Seattle has, though, the Defenders should open with a win.
XFL Betting Prediction: D.C. 31, Seattle 16
Los Angeles at Houston (5:00 pm ET, FOX)
- XFL Week 1 Odds: Houston -3.5
Houston has two solid quarterbacks in Phillip Walker and Connor Cook, and they have June Jones as the offensive coordinator. He put high-powered attacks together in both the college ranks, most recently at Hawai’i and SMU, and in the pros, with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The tailbacks, James Butler, DeAngelo Henderson and Andre Williams, are all talented and quick — and the defense is balanced as well.
Los Angeles has a ton of traveling to do, going across two and three time zones multiple times. Their secondary does not have much in the way of pedigree and, given the high-powered passing offenses that some teams will have, could suffer. This is a team that could grind out some early leads, only to see them vanish when the passing game fires up on the other sideline. I see that happening in Week 1.
XFL Betting Prediction: Houston 27, Los Angeles 20
Sunday, February 9th
Tampa Bay at New York (2:00 pm ET, FOX)
- XFL Week 1 Odds: Tampa Bay -1.5
New York has a solid coaching staff that has won in the NFL, led by Kevin Gilbride. The defensive line should be able to jam up the run, and their linebackers are speedy from side to side. Their secondary might be the best in the league. Their questions will come on offense, although their quarterback and tailbacks are talented.
Tampa Bay’s lines are sizable, strong and quick. However, at wide receiver and tailback, they have some holes, particularly after the loss of Antonio Callaway. You need playmakers to move the ball and score enough to pick up wins, but given the talent that New York has, this line is a bit of a surprise to me.
XFL Betting Prediction: New York 27, Tampa Bay 16
St. Louis at Dallas (5:00 pm ET, ESPN)
- XFL Week 1 Odds: Dallas -7
The Dallas Renegades have the roster that, at least on paper, looks to be the best in the league. Daryl Johnston, the fullback on those Troy Aikman-led Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl teams, has been in charge of player personnel, and with coach Bob Stoops and quarterback Landry Jones at the helm, Dallas has a solid offense. Their attack will be a version of the “Air Raid,” which turned college football into a track meet. They have the creator of the Air Raid, Hal Mumme, as offensive coordinator.
Jordan Ta’amu makes his pro football debut at quarterback, and the BattleHawks had to change their offensive coordinator just a couple of weeks ago. This season will depend on how well Ta’amu adjusts to the pro game. If he can put up some numbers, St. Louis could contend, but I wouldn’t expect much out of his very first week.
XFL Betting Prediction: Dallas 23, St. Louis 13
