DraftKings Now Offering Online AAF Betting in New Jersey

Once the Super Bowl ends, the wait to gamble on meaningful football games seems like forever. The seven-month break between games is always difficult for even the most casual football fan.

Online betting options on the new American Alliance Football (AAF) has been fairly limited, but on Wednesday DraftKings began offering game and futures wagering on the AAF, the first non-affiliated online sportsbook to do so.

What Odds Are DraftKings Offering?

DraftKings in New Jersey is offering moneyline, spread, over/under betting and futures betting, just like NFL betting fans are accustomed to.

According to DraftKings, the Orlando Apollos, oached by former Florida Gators and Washington Redskins coach Steve Spurrier, are currently the favorites (+175) to take home the league’s first ever championship.

The Apollos are led by former SMU and Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who has thrown for 620 yards in the first two games.

Behind the Apollos are the Arizona Hotshots at +200, who have also started the season out 2-0.

Led by head coach Rick Neuheisel, the Hotshots have won their two games in convincing fashion. The Apollos and the Hotshots are clearly the cream of the crop after the first two weeks of the AAF.

The longshots in the field are Atlanta and Memphis, both sitting at +4000.

What is the AAF?

If you aren’t familiar with the AAF, it is an eight-team league that is run by Hall of Famer Bill Polian of the Indianapolis Colts and TV producer Charlie Ebersol. The league is run by many former NFL greats, including Troy Polamalu, Justin Tuck, and Jared Allen, among others.

The 12-week season is being broadcast on CBS, NFL Network and TNT. The AAF follows most of the traditional NFL rules but does have a few exciting innovations, including no kickoffs, a 4th-and-12 "onside conversion attempts" for teams trailing by 17 or more (there are no onside kicks) and a sky judge that can make penalty calls.

What sets the AAF apart from the other professional, non-NFL football leagues in the past is the talent on the field and on the sidelines. The AAF features many notable NFL players, such as Trent Richardson, Christian Hackenberg, Zach Metternberger, among many, many others.

According to the AAF, 81 percent of the players in the league have previously signed NFL contracts. The quality of talent and play on the field is the best we've ever seen from a non-NFL football league, and that is, in part, why the league is destined to succeed.

A Recipe for Success?

Another reason the AAF is likely to succeed is that the players are led by proven, quality coaches, such as Spurrier, Mike Martz and Dennis Erickson. Under the leadership of great head coaches, the quality of the game and play should improve as the season goes along.

What makes this league even more exciting is the potential innovation that could come due to so many creative offensive minds. As the league continues to develop, expect to see the NFL “stealing” some of the AAF’s ideas and play calls.

With DraftKings now offering betting for the AAF, expect the league to grow in popularity as gamblers and football fans enjoy watching football in the spring.