XFL Championship betting odds and lines: Best US XFL sportsbooks
IT'S been a rocky few years for the XFL, but the second coming is here. The start-up minor league is trying to shake up football, with the regular season kicking off immediately after the Super Bowl and running until May. The eight teams that make up the leagues play a ten game season, with four qualifying for the post-season before a championship game.
Sportsbooks across the US are accepting bets on the XFL now. On this page, we’ve got all the info you need to know to get involved, from the different ways to bet, rule changes, tips and more.
Can you bet on the XFL?
Yes, in the states where it's legal to make sports bets both offline and online, you can find retail and online sportsbooks that offer XFL Championship betting odds.
Best XFL betting sites
It’s a bit of a brave new world for XFL betting, but plenty of the top sportsbooks in the US have taken the sport to heart in its breakout year. Our favorite sites for betting on the XFL are below:
- DraftKings (Available in: AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, and WY)
- BetMGM (Available in: AZ, CO, FL, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, MI, MS, NV, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, PR, TN, VA, WA, WV, and WY)
- BetRivers (Available in: AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV, and WY)
- Unibet (Available in: AZ, IN, IA, NJ, PA, and VA)
Where can I legally bet on XFL?
Legal sports betting is really having a moment in the US. Prior to 2018, the activity was banned in every state (except Nevada) due to a piece of legislation called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. In a landmark decision, PASPA was removed by the Supreme Court in May 2018, leaving each state free to decide their own sports betting laws.
A steady stream of states has duly introduced bills to legalize sports betting within their borders, and you can now bet from the majority of states in the US. Online betting and mobile betting are widely available too.
Below, you can see a list of states that allow some form of sports betting. This includes betting on XFL, although whether the market is available is down to the individual sportsbooks.
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington DC
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Does Draftkings have XFL betting?
Yes, as one of the premier online sportsbooks in the US, DraftKings quickly seized on the opportunity the minor league competition presents. DraftKings now offers spread, winning, and over/under odds for betting on the XFL championship.
What are the most popular XFL bet types?
XFL betting has taken its cues from the NFL, which is the most popular sport to bet on in the United States. Notwithstanding some rule differences (which we’ll cover on this page), the two sports are very similar.
In this section, you can read about some of the most popular ways to bet on XFL.
Point Spreads
Betting against the spread in XFL is exactly the same as in any other sport - you are betting on the margin of victory rather than simply which side will win a bet. The sportsbook sets a line to theoretically level the playing field, with the favorites given a handicap and the underdogs given a head start.
Moneyline
Betting on the moneyline is a simple forecast of which side will win the game. It’s the easiest way to bet on XFL, and your winnings are determined by the odds the bookmaker gives to each side. Here’s the line again:
Over/Under
Also known as a Totals bet, this is a bet on the total number of points scored in a game. The winner and loser are irrelevant to the bet. The sportsbook sets a line and you bet on whether you think the overall points scored will be over or under that total.
Prop Bets
Props are bets on things that happen during a game. They are normally split up into two categories, player props and team props, which cover the collective team’s performance and individual player’s performance respectively.
Categories like rushing yards, throwing yards, tackles, fouls, and touchdowns are all popular prop categories.
Props are hugely popular in the NFL, but the same depth in the market hasn’t really become available in XFL yet. Still, we imagine this is a direction sportsbooks will go with XFL in the future.
Parlays
A parlay is a combination of two or more bets together on a single betslip. In order to win, all of the individual selections must be correct. The payout odds are normally calculated by multiplying the odds of different selections together (depending on whether the outcomes are interdependent or not), which means the potential is there for some pretty attractive payouts if you parlay a couple of XFL games together.
Futures
Futures bets involve betting on events where the outcome is some time in the future, rather than simply betting on the next game or round of games. The most common type of future involves betting on the winner of a competition, like picking the winner of the XFL Championship at the start of the season.
XFL rules explained
The stated goals of XFL are to make the game of football faster, more exciting and to bring the fans closer to the game. To achieve this, they have introduced a number of rule changes.
As with any sport, the complete rule book is pretty extensive, but if you want the crib notes, below you can read some of the main rule differences that make XFL unique, compared with traditional NFL football:
Tiered Extra Points System
In the XFL, you can’t kick for extra points following a touchdown. Instead, the team can choose to run/pass for one point (from the 2 yard line), two points (from the 5 yard line) or 3 points (from the 10 yard line). To make it even more interesting, if the Defense intercepts and scores a touchdown of their own, they receive the same number of points as the attacking team were going for.
Game Time
There is a 35 second shot clock in play which keeps running after incomplete passes or out of bounds (prior to the two-minute warning only), theoretically speeding the game up considerably. Each team receives three timeouts per half and there is a ten minute halftime break.
Overtime
The NFL model of overtime - much changed itself - has been further updated for XFL. Each team gets three possessions from the opponent’s 5-yard line, with two points per score available. The winner is the team with the most points after three turns each.
Kickoff
Teams begin the game five yards apart: the kicking team at the opponent’s 35-yard line and the return team at their own 30 yard line.
Double Forward Pass Rule
Teams can play two forward passes in the same play, as long as the first forward pass occurs behind the line of scrimmage.
Replays
XFL features centralized replays with every play subject to review. Each head coach may challenge one decision per game. Officials may change decisions relating to player safety at any point during the game, or for any issue in the last five minutes of regulation plus overtime.
How do I withdraw winnings from my XFL sportsbook?
Withdrawing your winnings is pretty simple, although with most books there is a wait time involved before the money becomes available. All sportsbooks offer different ways to both deposit and withdraw money, although there are typically more of the former.
Depending on whether the technology allows it, many books require their players to withdraw their winnings via the same method they used to deposit in the first place. So, if for example, you transferred some money into your sports betting account via PayPal, your winnings would normally be sent back via the same channel.
Some deposit methods - like most bank cards or PayNearMe - are unavailable for withdrawal, and in this case, you’ll be able to choose an alternative method.
To make a withdrawal, you just need to head to your sportsbook’s cashier and choose the cashout option. You can type in the amount you want to withdraw, select the method and confirm the request.
It’s a simple process and the sportsbook takes you through it step by step.
How many teams play in the XFL?
There are currently 8 teams playing in the XFL, split up into two divisions.
North Division:
- DC Defenders
- SeattleSea Dragons
- St. Louis BattleHawks
- Vegas Vipers
South Division:
- Arlington Renegades
- Houston Roughnecks
- Orlando Guardians
- San Antonio Brahmas
Tuning in from Arizona? Find the best betting promos in your state!
What is the difference between the NFL and XFL?
The rule differences in XFL are specifically designed to address what its organizers see as limitations within the NFL. XFL themselves promise a “fan-first” experience that delivers “faster pace of play and more action”.
The shot clock
Five seconds shorter than NFL and more or less constantly running, up until the final two minutes of each half - is a perfect example of a rule change that creates more action and less downtime. Likewise the additional forward pass option: it opens the door to new creative offensive patterns.
The tiered point system
The potential for it to backfire via a defensive TD - is a major innovation which has the potential for bigger in-game swings and more open games.
All that said, XFL is still ultimately football. The rosters are made up of ex-NFL players or players aspiring to make it to the NFL. It’s an exciting twist with a lot of scope to continue to innovate the sport, and a great addition to the world of professional football.
Can I bet on XFL on mobile?
Yes. All of the sportsbooks that support XFL betting that we’ve mentioned on this page have mobile apps you can download. You have exactly the same betting options on your mobile as you would on the desktop site.
Betting on your mobile is fast becoming the dominant way that Americans bet on all kinds of sports. The convenience can’t really be beaten, especially if you’re betting live on games as they happen.
Does FanDuel have XFL betting?
FanDuel does offer XFL Championship betting, in the form of moneyline, spread, and over/under odds.
What channel is the XFL championship game on?
The XFL Championship Game will air on both ABC and ESPN.
Top 5 XFL Championship betting tips
XFL is a brand new sport, which is a sports bettors dream.
Everyone is still in the process of getting to know the teams and understanding how the rule changes affect the sport. That goes for the public, the media, and most importantly, the sportsbooks.
Put simply, the less information a sportsbook has about a certain sport, the more chance there is for us to find an edge over them.
Check out our top tips to get the most out of XFL betting below:
- Bet early. The 2023 season is a work in progress for sportsbooks, and it’s safe to assume their early lines have the potential to be off. Check the lines as soon as they are released and get in on the action before they get adjusted.
- Get into the stats. The NFL has decades of incredibly detailed stats about just about every aspect of the game, and sportsbooks have some of the smartest people in the world interpreting them. The XFL on the other hand has one season’s worth of stats (in its current guise), and attracts significantly less betting action. This means there is way more scope for individuals to uncover trends and patterns in the available stats before sportsbooks.
- Get ready for props. Props are huge in the NFL, but in XFL not so much. Yet. We fully expect prop betting to come into the world of XFL in a big way, and when it does it’s going to make a lot of people a lot of money. Like we’ve already said, it takes a while for a sportsbook to get up to speed with a brand new market and honing in on a particular type of prop and becoming an expert could be very lucrative.
- Bet smart. Although XFL betting feels new and exciting, you still need to follow your sports betting fundamentals: play smart and safe, set aside a budget to bet with and use good bankroll management, and don’t go chasing losses.
- Practice line shopping. Like we said, the betting lines for XFL games are going to be more erratic than more established leagues like the NFL or NBA. A great way to exploit this is by checking around the different sportsbooks for the best odds before you decide to place a bet.
Responsible gambling
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
- National Council on Problem Gambling – https://www.ncpgambling.org/
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 1-800-522-4700 or go to ncpgambling.org/chat
