Caleb Wilfinger
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Are you starved for more football?
Super Bowl 57 is now in the rearview mirror, which means we are now 7 months away from the opening week of the 2023 NFL season. But you won’t have to wait all that long for weekly live football to return.
The XFL is returning for its first season in 3 years this Saturday and the campaign runs through mid-April, followed by the playoffs that will conclude with the title game on Saturday, May 13.
Unlike the USFL last season, teams will have the opportunity to host games, creating a natural home-field advantage that should be factored into betting lines. Some notable rules differences from traditional NFL football include a 35-second play clock that still runs after incomplete passes and out-of-bounds plays, and the option to try an onside kick after scoring to maintain possession of the ball. In the 4th quarter, teams can also attempt a 4th and 15 conversion from their own 25-yard line to maintain possession after scoring.
All of this is designed to make XFL games as exciting as possible for football fans. With that brief rundown out of the way, let’s take a look at the title odds for this XFL season.
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2023 XFL winner odds
Odds available at Bet365 Sportsbook at time of publishing.
- Arlington Renegades (+450)
- San Antonio Brahmas (+500)
- St. Louis BattleHawks (+500)
- Seattle Sea Dragons (+550)
- Las Vegas Vipers (+650)
- Houston Roughnecks (+700)
- DC Defenders (+700)
- Orlando Guardians (+800)
As this is a fairly new league with a lot of unknowns, each team has relatively similar odds to lift the trophy at the end of the campaign. No team’s odds are shorter than +450 (bet $100 to win $450), while the longest odds on the board sit at +800.
Due to the novelty of the league, these betting odds are largely based on educated guesses. As the season is yet to get underway, it’s fair to suggest that oddsmakers don’t know much more about these teams than we do.
With that in mind, which team’s championship odds are worth backing before this weekend’s games?
XFL 2023 teams
Arlington Renegades
Arlington does have the advantage of being the host city for the XFL, as all of the XFL teams train and practice in Arlington before traveling to their respective games. Former MAC quarterbacks Drew Plitt and Kyle Sloter are the listed QBs on the Renegades roster.
San Antonio Brahmas
San Antonio should be able to run the ball well behind Kalen Ballage, who was a former star at Arizona State before he ultimately fell out of the NFL after stints with the Dolphins and Chargers.
St. Louis BattleHawks
The most notable name on the BattleHawks roster is A.J. McCarron, who is most famous for winning consecutive national titles with Alabama in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
Seattle Sea Dragons
The most notable name on the Seattle Sea Dragons’ roster comes in the form of Josh Gordon, as the former All-Pro returns to the gridiron after a tumultuous career in the NFL. However, when Gordon is at his best, he’s undoubtedly an elite receiving threat.
Las Vegas Vipers
Las Vegas has a couple of former Clemson products in the starting lineup in the form of Martavis Bryant and Vic Beasley. Bryant in particular is a capable deep threat, as he racked up 17 touchdowns with 2 teams from 2014 to 2018.
Houston Roughnecks
College football junkies might remember wide receiver Sammie Coates playing a big role in Auburn’s 2013 run to an SEC championship. He’ll be the top wideout on the Houston Roughnecks this spring.
DC Defenders
After a couple of brief stints in the NFL, former Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey has returned to the XFL and will be the QB for the DC Defenders this season.
Orlando Guardians
The Guardians check-in at last in the XFL title odds, but they will have former first-round pick Paxton Lynch as their starting quarterback. Lynch spent two seasons with the Denver Broncos and started four games in his brief NFL career.
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XFL 2023 best bet: Seattle Sea Dragons (+550)
More often than not, the success of a football team at any level is dependent on the strength of its quarterback.
And while Ben DiNucci might not have been able to cut it in the NFL, he did show flashes of competence at the highest level football has to offer for the Dallas Cowboys during the 2020-21 season. Now playing against XFL defenses, DiNucci should see consistent success, especially with former longtime NFL coach and coordinator Jim Haslett on the sidelines.
Not only will he have Josh Gordon to throw to, but former Liberty receiver Kevin Shaa is in the receiving corps as well. Shaa was electric in college, tallying 6 touchdowns and nearly 20 yards per reception in 2021. This offense has plenty of talent and DiNucci and company should be able to take advantage of these XFL defenses that will likely be adapting on the fly. Going off the preseason odds, Seattle’s toughest games of the season will come at home, so that adds another edge. If Seattle gets off to a hot start, don’t be surprised if the Sea Dragons are the title favorites by midseason.
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Pickswise is the home of free NFL Picks and NFL Odds. Be sure to check out all of our post-Super Bowl offseason coverage as we gear up for the 2023 campaign.
