XFL Odds: Dallas Renegades Favored to Win Big Over St. Louis BattleHawks in Week 1

Posted on: February 8, 2020, 01:30h. 

Last updated on: February 7, 2020, 12:07h.

Casino.org Staff Writer Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming.

The Dallas Renegades will open the first XFL season as title favorites, and are expected to show their strength in their Week 1 encounter with the St. Louis BattleHawks.

XFL Odds Week 1
The Dallas Renegades enter Week 1 of the XFL season as heavy favorites over the St. Louis BattleHawks. (Image: XFL.com)

The Renegades will play host to the BattleHawks as a 10-point favorite, according to odds posted by William Hill.

Stoops, Jones Highlight Recognizable Dallas Roster

That’s easily the widest spread of the four Week 1 XFL games. Oddsmakers like that the Renegades have a proven college coach in Bob Stoops, along with a bevy of NFL-level talent at key skill positions.

That includes likely starting quarterback Landry Jones, who starred for Oklahoma – where Stoops coached – before spending time in the NFL as a backup for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Renegades feature two talented running backs in Cameron Artis-Payne and Lance Dunbar.

Put all those big names together, mix in Air Raid creator Hal Mumme as offensive coordinator, and you have a team that could score a lot of points, especially in a league without elite defensive talent. William Hill rates Dallas as the +300 favorite to win the first XFL championship.

The BattleHawks have enough talent to contend as well, and are listed as +650 odds to win the XFL title. Head coach and general manager Jonathan Hayes has built a team around a big offensive line and NFL running backs Matt Jones and Christine Michael.

St. Louis faces questions about experience, however. Former Ole Miss star Jordan Ta’amu is the only starting quarterback in the XFL who hasn’t previously played for a professional team, making him a relative question mark, especially playing his first game on the road in front of what could be a substantial crowd in Dallas.

XFL Spreads Four Week 1 Games Over Two Days

The Dallas vs. St. Louis tilt will be the final game on Week 1 of the XFL season. The action begins when the Seattle Dragons visit the DC Defenders at 2 pm Eastern on Saturday, a game that will be broadcast on ABC. The Defenders are a 7.5-point favorite over the Dragons.

Seattle announced last week that Troy quarterback Brandon Silvers will start at quarterback in Week 1. Silvers played solidly for the Memphis Express in the Alliance of American Football, which folded before finishing its first season last year.

He’s probably been more effective throwing the ball,” Seattle coach Jim Zorn said of Silvers. “He doesn’t move as well as [backup quarterback B.J. Daniels]. But his concern is to do what he does well. B.J. is coming on, and we have high expectations for him, but we can only play one at a time.”

Meanwhile, the Defenders will start former Ohio State standout Cardale Jones, who bounced around the NFL for a while, but only got time in one game with the Buffalo Bills in 2016. DC coach Pep Hamilton will be making his debut as a head coach, but has long worked as an assistant at both the NFL and college levels.

Also on Saturday, the Houston Roughnecks are favored by 5.5 points over the Los Angeles Wildcats. On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Vipers will go on the road as a 2.5-point favorite over the New York Guardians.