The XFL is officially back for a second go-round. While we have yet to see a secondary professional football league truly catch on in the United States, there’s enough money invested in the XFL to where it’s not impossible to think it has a chance of bucking the trend.
Whether it does just that obviously remains to be seen, but there’s quite a bit of interest in the league. To this point, it’s fair to say that the XFL has drawn more interest than many of the other pro leagues that have come before it. The Alliance of American Football, which folded after about a month of actual play, is the freshest example of a professional football league that tried to gain a foothold before failing miserably.
Something that separates the XFL from just about every other American pro sports league is the fact that it embraces sports betting. Sports betting has exploded in popularity in the United States since the Supreme Court voted down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May of 2018. That ruling has led to several states voting to legalize and regulate sports betting.
How to read Super Bowl 55 Odds. The Kansas City Chiefs wil meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Feb. The Chiefs opened as -3.5 betting. The odds to win the XFL championship keep dropping for the St. Louis BattleHawks, who were as high as +600 going into Week 3 and now sit at +325 after Week 5. The BattleHawks are 3-2 SU through five games, although they got stifled by the DC Defenders this past weekend and were limited to only six points, their lowest output of the season.
Should You Bet on the XFL?
Betting on the XFL in the league’s early days is something of a risky proposition considering we don’t have a huge sample of data off of which to make our decisions. However, that doesn’t only apply to bettors. It applies to the oddsmakers as well.
Because we still don’t have a great idea of how the XFL’s eight teams will fare in the grand scheme of things, everybody is essentially working with a blank slate.
With limited information and track record, sportsbooks will take some time to catch up, meaning there promises to be a lot of movement in XFL odds, especially live odds for in-game betting. At Bookies.com, you can compare live odds from a host of sportsbooks in real time and pounce on the best value. Identifying the best betting lines for every XFL team is a pretty subjective notion. Depending on where you stand with a team in a specific week, you may disagree where the best site to bet on them actually is. Beyond that, you may just prefer a different wager altogether. I get that, and in some cases, I would even agree with it.
Those that set the XFL odds are tasked with trying to handicap the games using the data they do have at their disposal, but there’s still plenty of guesswork involved in setting XFL betting lines.
So, it stands to reason that there’s plenty of edge when it comes to betting on the XFL. There’s value to be had in game-to-game lines as well as futures odds. For example, the Tampa Bay Vipers were tied for the best odds of winning the XFL Championship before the season began.
The Vipers quickly went on to lose each of their first three games of the season, and they looked like arguably the XFL’s worst team in the process. Timing is everything when it comes to betting. Taking advantage of the early-season uncertainty is one of the many reasons to be betting on the XFL.
What Goes Into Setting XFL Betting Lines?
While it’s fun to think about the possibility of a bunch of grizzled bookkeepers gathering in a smoky back room of a Las Vegas casino in order to figure out how to set betting lines, that isn’t the way it’s done in reality. Not these days, at least.
Oddsmakers use algorithms as a means of generating betting lines for all sports, and the XFL is no exception. Those that set the lines rely on a very specific and scientific formula as a means of spitting out the odds you’ll see at land-based sportsbooks, XFL betting sites, and your mobile sports betting apps.
The goal for oddsmakers is to essentially balance their books. That means they have to set the lines as a way of trying to generate an equal number of bets on both sides for a given game. If the public is betting heavily on one side of a game, for example, oddsmakers will shift the line accordingly to even things out.
We saw this in Super Bowl 54, when the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers opened as a pick’em. A ton of betting action instantly came in on the Chiefs, so oddsmakers reacted by shifting the spread in favor of Kansas City. The process is no different from the process they use to set XFL betting lines.
The Basics of Spread Betting
The unpredictability of the XFL can lead to some obvious value in terms of betting on the moneyline, but the vast majority of bettors will opt for the point spread. In case you’re unfamiliar, oddsmakers set a point spread for every game as a way of trying to tempt people into betting both sides of a game.
Let’s say the Houston Roughnecks are listed at -5.5 against the Dallas Renegades. That means that oddsmakers believe the Roughnecks will win the game, but the point spread gives you a reason to want to bet on Dallas.
+5.5 (-120)
If the Renegades can either win the game outright or lose by fewer than 5.5 points, you win your bet on Dallas. Conversely, your spread bet on Houston will cash if the Roughnecks win the game by at least 6 points.
Both sides of the spread will typically have similar odds as well. Frankly, there would not be a ton of upside in betting on the Roughnecks to win the game in the above example if they’re listed as -300 favorites on the moneyline. However, betting on Houston to cover the spread at -110 is a lot more favorable from an upside perspective.
Betting on an underdog to cover a spread at -110 wouldn’t offer as much profit potential as taking a shot on the plus-money odds on the moneyline, but there is also less risk involved with betting on the spread.
Line Shopping
The XFL may not be quite as popular as more established American pro sports leagues like the NFL or Major League Baseball, but you can still find betting XFL odds at just about every big-name sports betting site on the internet.
One smart strategy that people don’t utilize enough is line shopping. Lots of bettors have one site they use to bet, and that’s it. While there is merit to being loyal to a sports betting site, that loyalty can also come back to bite you. Odds vary from site to site, especially when it comes to a new league like the XFL.
Shopping around at different sites in order to find the most favorable betting lines is a smart strategy. Oddsmakers at one site may not agree with oddsmakers from another site, for example. The odds generally won’t differ too much, but every little discrepancy helps. As a bettor, you should always be looking to get as much of an edge as you can find against the house.
There’s nothing preventing you from signing up to bet at multiple different sites, so doing just that is recommended. Not all XFL betting lines are created equal, so it’s crucial to take the time to shop around at a variety of sites if you want to make the most of your experience.
Frequently Asked Questions About Betting on the XFL
Should I Try XFL Parlays?
As mentioned, we are working with a very limited history when it comes to our broader knowledge of the XFL. Because the league is so new, bettors and handicappers alike still don’t have a firm grasp on how the games and entire season will play out.
Parlay betting is appealing from an upside perspective. With a parlay, you’re betting on multiple different results as opposed to just betting on one game. While the idea of nailing a multi-result parlay is admittedly alluring, playing it safe with your XFL bets this early on is the recommended approach.
Shopping individual XFL betting lines as opposed to trying to shoot for the moon with a parlay should prove beneficial for your season-long betting bankroll.
Is Betting on the XFL Online Lawful?
Xfl Betting Lines Free
If you’re lucky enough to live in a state that offers legal online sports betting, then betting on the XFL online is certainly within the bounds of the law. However, you can also place XFL bets even if you don’t live in a state with established legal sports betting.
There are no laws in place that restrict Americans from betting online at sites that operate at offshore locations. All of the top offshore sites available to Americans offer XFL betting lines, which means there’s nothing stopping you from participating even if your state hasn’t yet voted on legalizing sports wagering.
When Should I Place Bets on the XFL?
The vast majority of XFL games are scheduled to take place on Saturdays and Sundays every weekend between February and the end of April. That means most online betting sites will have fresh XFL betting odds posted shortly following the conclusion of Sunday’s action.
Getting your bets for the XFL in early carries some risk, especially considering injury situations for players can pop up over the course of a week. However, betting early is also potentially advantageous, as you can do so before oddsmakers are able to adjust their lines in response to injury news or public betting action.
There are merits to betting early, and there are merits to waiting until just before kickoff. It all depends on your risk tolerance. If you don’t want to make a mistake, then waiting until just before a game begins to place your bet is probably the smartest strategy.
Xfl Betting Lines Online
Conclusion
If you’re familiar with betting on the NFL or college football, then betting on the XFL shouldn’t feel much different. While there are certain differences, it’s still football at its core.
There is plenty of edge to be had when it comes to XFL betting, so get in on the action while you can!