XFL Opening Weekend 2020: Everything You Need to Know

XFL begins this weekend with first game between Seattle Dragons and D.C. Defenders
All eight teams in the league will be nationally televised on ESPN, ABC and FOX
Dallas Renegades are a +250 favorite in the odds to win the 2020 XFL championship

With the Super Bowl just being last weekend, there’s usually a lot of sadness drifting over the heads of NFL fans, for the simple fact there isn’t any more meaningful professional football for an entire eight months. However, 2020 has brought us something different: Football in the offseason, and the NFL-filler comes in the form of the XFL.

Opening day for the revived league is this weekend, and will feature eight teams total, and the main demographic for the league is the hardcore football crowd that would normally be down and out at this time of the year. Let’s go over the main essentials you need to know for the opening weekend of the 2020 season of the XFL, and after we get you prepped, be sure to place your bets for the beginning slate. The first official game of the campaign is on Saturday between the Seattle Dragons and D.C. Defenders at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 PM ET and will be nationally televised on ABC. Alright, let’s get it!

The Basics of the XFL

The XFL has decided to pit their eight franchises all across the country, spaced where all of the teams spread out across the country. Seven of the league’s teams are placed in cities where there are already NFL teams, and the eighth happens to be in St. Louis, the host of the current Los Angeles Rams of the NFL from 1995-2015. As far as where the teams will be playing, they’ll be action in a combination of different facilities in the NFL, NCAA, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer.

Every XFL team has a schedule that features 10 games, and the slate will be held every weekend on both Saturday and Sunday — the season lasts from February 8-April 12. The playoffs kick off on April 19 with the first round being the semifinals, carried on each the 19th and 20th, with four teams advancing to that stage. Afterwards, the XFL championship will be carried the next week on April 26, which also happens to be the day that follows the 2020 NFL Draft’s last day. As far as actually going to the game and paying tickets are concerned, the XFL has already stated that they would like to see a family of four take a trip to one of their contests for a total of $100.

Who Are the Eight XFL Teams, and Where Will They Play Exactly?

Dallas Renegades (Globe Life Park, former home of MLB’s Texas Rangers)
D.C. Defenders (Audi Field, home of MLS’ D.C. United)
Houston Roughnecks (TDECU Stadium, home of University of Houston Football)
Los Angeles Wildcats (Dignity Health Sports Park, home of MLS’ LA Galaxy)
New York Guardians (MetLife Stadium, home of NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets)
St. Louis BattleHawks (The Dome at America’s Center, former home of NFL’s St. Louis Rams)
Seattle Dragons (CenturyLink Field, home of NFL’s Seattle Seahawks)
Tampa Bay Vipers (Raymond James Stadium, home of NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Who Are Some of the Notable Names Involved in the XFL’s Reboot?

The NFL sells superstars, and the XFL knows that they won’t be able to compete if they choose the same formula, so instead, they’re selling a new way to play football — a new brand if you’d like to call it that. Instead of getting players such as a Johnny Manziel, who has history in each the NFL, CFL and AAF, or trying to bring in top-flight college players through drafting such as Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (since he wouldn’t be eligible for the NFL as of yet), the XFL decided to go in a different direction.

The XFL instead focused on their on-the-field product, and selected players who could 100% be committed to starting in December when minicamps kicked off so they could have plenty of time to practice before the regular season started. Their goal: To provide good football from Week 1 all the way to the end of the year, and possibly have a second campaign in 2021. According to the XFL, out of the 416 players involved on the eight teams’ rosters, 207 had been involved in the National Football League within the last six months — we can expect some quality football this go-around for the XFL.

Players

Landry Jones (QB, Dallas Renegades)
Cardale Jones (QB, D.C. Defenders)
Matt McGloin (QB, New York Guardians)
Josh Johnson (QB, Los Angeles Wildcats)
Lance Dunbar (RB, Dallas Renegades)
Jhurell Pressley (RB, D.C. Defenders)
Matt Jones (RB, St. Louis BattleHawks)
Christine Michael (RB, St. Louis BattleHawks)
Jeff Badet (WR, Dallas Renegades)
Sammie Coates (WR, Houston Roughnecks)
Keenan Reynolds (WR, Seattle Dragons)
Will Sutton (DT, Seattle Dragons)
Kony Ealy (DE, Houston Roughnecks)
Kenny Robinson (S, St. Louis BattleHawks)
Matt Elam (S, D.C. Defenders)
Marquette King (P, St. Louis BattleHawks)

Coaches

Bob Stoops (Head Coach, Dallas Renegades)
Pep Hamilton (Head Coach, D.C. Defenders)
June Jones (Head Coach, Houston Roughnecks)
Winston Moss (Head Coach, Los Angeles Wildcats)
Kevin Gilbride (Head Coach, New York Guardians)
Jim Zorn (Head Coach, Seattle Dragons)
Jonathan Hayes (Head Coach, St. Louis BattleHawks)
Marc Trestman (Head Coach, Tampa Bay Vipers)
Hal Mumme (Offensive Coordinator, Dallas Renegades)
Norm Chow (Offensive Coordinator, Los Angeles Wildcats)
Mike Riley (Offensive Coordinator, Seattle Dragons)
Ted Cottrell (Defensive Coordinator, Houston Roughnecks)
Pepper Johnson (Defensive Coordinator, Los Angeles Wildcats)
Jerry Glanville (Defensive Coordinator, Tampa Bay Vipers)

The XFL Is Betting Friendly

Over at Caesars Sportsbook, they were quite quick to release odds for Week 1 action, as well as posting futures that you can place a wager on. As it stands right now, the Dallas Renegades are a +250 favorite to win the 2020 XFL championship, this according to BetMGM, while the Tampa Bay Vipers are projected to have the most wins this season with seven. The Seattle Dragons have the worst odds to win the title at +1200, while also having the least projected wins at 3.5.

Betting gets more fun and convenient as well with both ESPN and ABC including betting odds in their broadcasts through their on-screen scoreboards. And not just that, but analysts and commentators will also be discussing betting during games as well.

It’s a free for all when it comes to XFL gambling!