The USFL was launched in 2022 to compete with the National Football League, and its inaugural season was entirely played in Birmingham. It is worth noting that the original USFL, established in 1982, is not officially associated with this new version even though this new version owns its trademarks. 

The 2022 USFL, made up of 8 teams and split into two divisions, was designed to have 38 players in each team. The professional USFL has some similarities to the XFL and AAF although it did introduce some rule changes to make it more entertaining in terms of increasing scoring chances. Most of these rules were designed to boost offense, but looking at them in detail, they also play a huge part in improving the game flow, promoting player safety, and enhancing correct penalty calls. 

The launch of the USFL has provided the sport with a degree of competitiveness that the NFL alone could not achieve. Besides the on-field entertainment, the USFL has also provided sports betting enthusiasts with more options and markets to punt on. In fact, many folks may argue that the USFL’s launch after the Supreme Court invalidated the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was a technical move aimed at boosting betting on the league. 

This is because the new legal frameworks allowed states to legalize sports betting at their discretion. 

Although the sports betting market for many fans of American Football has been blown wide open with USFL gambling sportsbooks providing another cohort of betting options, it is important to understand all the dynamics surrounding this league before blindingly betting on it. This article provides the latest update about the USFL and sheds light on the latest developments that could impact your betting experience on American Football. Let’s dive in to learn more.

Betting on USFL

Since its launch, the USFL has garnered notable attention among punters. Its unique format and impressive gameplay have ushered in fresh opportunities for sports gamblers. Although not as mature betting on the NFL or Canada’s CFL, USFL gambling presents several nuances not typically found in the former two leagues. The structure, team dynamics, and rules of the game slightly deviate from the norm.

USFL betting markets offered on Real money casinos  are the usual types, such as money line, spread, and totals betting. However, with rules such as shorter play clocks and the different approaches to overtime affecting game outcomes, one can easily understand why it’s important to approach USFL betting differently. 

The Merger

Now, before you go searching for the USFL in your favorite sportsbook, here’s the kicker — as of March 30th 2024, the USFL was transformed into UFL after a successful merger with XFL. 

The announcement by both the XFL and USFL to merge into a new football league called the United Football League is yet another transformation of spring football. The new league will feature eight teams: four from the XFL, three from the USFL, and the eight Houston Roughnecks. The Houston Roughnecks will use staff from the previous Houston USFL team and players signed on from the previous Houston XFL team. 

The new league will also have a new format: each team will play a 10-game schedule followed by a semifinal and neutral venue championship match. 

The Canadian CFL is set to be the biggest winner of this outcome, with several players set to cross the border and sign up for teams in the Canadian Football League. 

How Can Bettors Navigate The New Challenge 

If you had your betting favorites in the USFL, don’t worry, chances are, they still made it into the new UFL Championship. However, the intricacies of this new league mean that your former team might not be a favorite in the UFL as it was in the USFL. This, therefore, requires a new approach if you’re going to place any meaningful wagers. 

Here are things you’ll have to consider to grasp the reality on the ground and navigate the new challenge in the betting market. 

• The technical bench — Coaching plays a vital role in determining the outcomes of any sporting match, and more especially in football. Teams with a deep technical bench will have a better chance of winning this new season. Those who retain their technical bench will benefit from the cohesion and rapport that coaching consistency offers. 
• Quarterbacks win you games — The contribution of quarterbacks has been a consistent pattern in football leagues, whether you’re looking at NFL, CFL or college leagues. A clear example is how the top quarterbacks paced most of the favorite teams in USFL last season. Therefore, punters should check which teams sign the best quarterbacks as they highly determine who wins or loses a football game. 
• Strength of USFL vs XFL — Another aspect you’ll have to consider is which of the two merging leagues has the best stats. For instance, XFL recorded 21.65 points per game while USFL registered 21.15 points per game, suggesting a reasonably balanced scoring rate. Other vital stats include conversion rate, first downs per team among other relevant stats. 
• Rules — Finally, it is crucial for punters to get to know the rules adopted for the new league. This is because teams that will be more familiar will have an easy run in the league in its maiden season. As things stand, its agreed that XFL’s overtime and extra points system will be adopted by UFL. However, some rules will be entirely new to both the former USFL and XFL teams such as the traditional NFL-style kickoff which will be adopted for UFL. 

With the latest transformation of spring football seeing USFL merging with XFL to forge UFL, sports betting fanatics are provided with another league to quench their thirst for betting. For The gambling sector will see this as another opportunity to offer an exciting betting experience to new and existing bettors of the sport.