A new pro football league launched across the US a week after the Super Bowl and several New Jersey online sportsbooks are now taking bets on its games.
The fledgling Alliance of American Football (AAF) kicked off its inaugural 12-week season (including playoffs) on Feb. 9, 2019.
The league features eight AAF owned teams:
- Atlanta Legends
- Birmingham Iron
- Memphis Express
- Orlando Apollos
- Arizona Hotshots
- Salt Lake Stallions
- San Antonio Commanders
- San Diego Fleet
Betting on the AAF in New Jersey
Two weeks into the AAF’s first season, DraftKings Sportsbook announced it would start booking bets on the league.
You spoke. We listened. @TheAAF lines are now available. pic.twitter.com/5xMCPktDlx
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) February 20, 2019
DraftKings’ Senior Affiliate and Partnership Associate Brian Brown said DraftKings Sportsbook will offer spread, total, and moneyline bets on each game.
Plus, there will be a futures market where you can bet on who will be the league’s first champion.
Similar AAF betting markets are also available online at:
- BetStars NJ
- FanDuel Sportsbook (AAF futures only)
- SugarHouse Sportsbook
- PlayMGM Sports
- PointsBet
Setting lines on a brand new football league may prove difficult for NJ gambling sites with very little known about each team. So far, most sportsbooks are making the 2-0 Orlando Apollos the odds on favorites to win it all.
The Arizona Hotshots and Birmingham Iron are also 2-0 and should be favorites in most match-ups throughout the season, as long as the winning continues.
More about the AAF
The league was founded by TV producer Charlie Ebersol and Hall of Fame NFL executive Bill Polian. Ebersol’s father, Dick Ebersol, co-founded the original XFL.
Ebersol says the AAF is focused on creating a better product on the field than other failed startup football leagues have in the past.
To that end, the AAF has brought in several pro coaches with championship experience, including:
- College coaching great and 1996 National Championship winner Steve Spurrier (Orlando)
- College coaching great and two-time National Championship winner Dennis Erickson (Salt Lake)
- Former St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator, head coach, and Super Bowl XXXIV champion Mike Martz (San Diego)
- Chicago Bears legend, Pro Football Hall of Fame member, two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl XX champion Mike Singletary (Memphis)
All league players sign a three-year $250,000 contract.
It gives each player a $70,000 salary in the first year and a number of performance-based and fan-interaction incentives allowing them to earn more.
When to watch the AAF games
The AAF schedule consists of two games each on Saturday and Sunday on most weekends throughout the 10-week regular season.
The regular season will be followed up by a four-team playoff and AAF championship game. The league is hosting the championship game at Sam Boyd Stadium near Las Vegas on the weekend of April 26-28.
The upcoming Week 3 AAF schedule is as follows (all times Eastern):
| Game | Location | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona vs. Salt Lake | Salt Lake City | Saturday, Feb. 23 | 3 p.m. |
| Memphis vs. Orlando | Orlando | Saturday, Feb. 23 | 8 p.m. |
| Birmingham vs. Atlanta | Atlanta | Sunday, Feb. 24 | 4 p.m. |
| San Antonio vs. San Diego | San Diego | Sunday, Feb. 24 | 8 p.m. |
Bleacher Report Live, the NFL Network, and CBS Sports Network will broadcast all games throughout the rest of the season. Week 1 and 2 games also appeared on CBS and TNT.
Additionally, fans can stream AAF games live via the free AAF mobile app with integrated fantasy football options.
Financial difficulties?
After the first two weeks of games, reports surfaced that the AAF was having financial difficulties and could not meet payroll demands.
This week, Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, made a $250 million investment in the AAF.
The influx of cash has been widely reported as a bailout of the fledgling league, but Ebersol called it a buy-in. The league also named Dundon its new chairman.
The league has corrected all payroll issues, blaming them on a recent change in payroll companies.