Renegades and BattleHawks Seen as Best of the Rest in XFL Futures – Are Either Worth Betting?
- The DC Defenders (+190) and Houston Roughnecks (+225) are the top two teams in the XFL Championship odds
- Dallas (+700) and St. Louis (+800) are considered the best of the rest. Are either of them a valuable bet?
- Read on for a deeper look at XFL futures in this inaugural season
As the inaugural XFL season takes shape, the cream is beginning to rise to the top. DC and Houston are the league’s top squads in the XFL Championship odds, with Dallas and St. Louis trailing close behind.
The XFL hierarchy is coming together, but in such a young league, nothing is guaranteed. There is still plenty of value to be found all over the new football league.
XFL Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| DC Defenders | +190 |
| Houston Roughnecks | +225 |
| Dallas Renegades | +700 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks | +800 |
| Tampa Bay Vipers | +1000 |
| New York Guardians | +1100 |
| Seattle Dragons | +1200 |
| Los Angeles Wildcats | +1400 |
Odds taken Feb 17
DC Dominance
The top two teams in the early-goings of this XFL season have undoubtedly been the DC Defenders and the Houston Roughnecks. They’re the only unbeaten teams remaining in the league, and that’s why they’re the leaders in the XFL Championship odds.
DC has had an especially dominant start. In two games, they’ve won by an average margin of 19.5 points. That’s a stretch that includes a 31-19 win over Seattle and a 27-0 victory against New York. Those are both teams closer to the bottom of the odds, but in a league with only eight squads, multiple dominant victories in a row is an impressive feat.
The Roughnecks, however, are right behind DC in the championship chase. They beat Los Angeles by 20 in Week 1, then won the early contender for game of the year in a 28-24 tilt against a strong St. Louis Battlehawks team.
In a small sample size, the Defenders have been the dominant squad, but it’s Houston that has the best win.
Early Odds Movement
Prior to Week 2, the XFL Championship odds were much more tightly packed. The order was similar, but DC led the pack at +300, followed by Houston (+350), Dallas (+500), St. Louis (+600), and Tampa Bay (+600). Now, after two weeks of action, there is a definitive top two (DC & HOU), followed by two solid teams that are a strong three and four in the league (DAL & STL).
While the Renegades (+700) may have shorter odds than the Battlehawks (+800), it is St. Louis that has looked like the stronger of the two teams. They defeated Dallas head-to-head in Week 1, and played the aforementioned tight affair in Week 2 against Houston. Dallas brought home a win over Los Angeles, but the Wildcats have been the league’s worst team early on.
Value Outside the Top Two?
Through two weeks, it’s obvious that DC and Houston have been the XFL’s top teams. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the sample size is just two games. Between now and the title game on April 26th, a whole lot can change. The top two squads don’t provide much value at +190 and +225 odds, but they are far from championship guarantees.
Seattle is one interesting team to take a look at. They have +1200 odds right now, and they’ve had an interesting couple of weeks. The Dragons suffered a 31-19 loss to DC in Week 1, but turned around and beat Tampa Bay by 12 points this weekend. The Guardians are similar, blowing out the Vipers in the opening week, and then suffering a shutout defeat in Week 2.
With such a small sample size, and little in the way of trends to rely on with this league, it’s difficult to nail down where the value truly lies. St. Louis, however, at +800, currently has the best combination of long odds and impressive early results to make them an exciting futures bet.
With four years as radio host with The Ticket Sports Network and various written contributions to publications such as Fansided, Southbound and Down, and Last Word on Sports, Jake Mitchell comes to SBD with NFL, NBA, NCAAM, NCAAF and MMA know-how you can count on.
