Big Names Not Joining XFL Causing Losing Bets Nationwide

• Big-name football players not playing in the XFL this season has led to major losses for sports bettors.
• Players like Colin Kaepernick and Johnny Manziel will not be hitting the field this season, though sportsbooks had odds that they would.
• Many players, including Antonio Brown feel the league won’t last long enough to consider.

STAMFORD, Conn. – The XFL season is in full swing as the first week showed there is a market for continued football well into the year.

Big-name NFL players choosing to not play in the league, however, has caused losses for XFL bettors, who bet on the chances of seeing certain high-profile players on XFL teams.

Early odds for players like Colin Kaepernick, Johnny Manziel, and Antonio Brown had a level of expectation for these players suiting up. While they were longshot odds, they would have provided a hefty payout. With none of them joining the Vince McMahan owned league, those became losing bets.

Player Not Joining The XFL

Prior to the start of the XFL season, these big-name players had long odds surrounding if they would be joining the league or not: Manziel, Kaepernick, Chad Johnson, Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon area among players who had odds listed.

Odds For Players Joining The XFL

• Johnny Manziel +1200
• Colin Kaepernick +2000
• Chad Johnson +500
• Antonio Brown +10000
• Josh Gordon +250

Manziel and Brown both expressed a lack of confidence in the league’s sustainability, believing the XFL wouldn’t last for anything more than a few weeks. Manziel already has a history of this, being a part of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) which shut down just a few weeks into the season due to bankruptcy.

When responding to fans via twitter regarding him joining an XFL team, Johnny Football had this to say.

ComebackSZN still alive if y’all ain’t know. Just not playing for another league that’s going to fold on you midway through the season

— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) February 8, 2020

AB had similar feelings, replying to a fan via his twitter believing the league wouldn’t’ last more than three weeks.

I’ll buy the XFL tell @VinceMcMahon his league will only last 3 weeks max https://t.co/Cy0UxpUzPt

— AB (@AB84) October 27, 2019

It doesn’t seem like Kaepernick will be hitting the field either, as the controversial QB’s price tag was deemed too high according to XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck. “I think his salary demands are way out of our ballpark”, said Luck, “He was never really a viable option.”

XFL Still Successful

Despite not having these major names playing on the field, the XFL’s opening week was a major success, raking in over 3.3 million views, with the DC Defenders game having around 17,00 fans in attendance.

The league as also surpassed expectations in the betting world, as sportsbooks saw more action in just one week of the XFL than the entire AAF.

The XFL is headed in the right direction, with or without these big-name players.

News tags: Antonio Brown | Colin Kaepernick | Johnny Manziel | NFL | Oliver Luck | Vince McMahon | XFL