Spring Football: How To Bet On USFL In Arizona

Written By C.J. Pierre on April 15, 2022 - Last Updated on January 30, 2023
USFL Betting in arizona

This weekend, the United States Football League (USFL) kicks off its inaugural 2022 season in Birmingham, Alabama. Once again, fans across the country will give spring football a shot. That goes for sports bettors, too.

Unlike the now-defunct Alliance of American Football league (AAF), there will be no team in Arizona. Unfortunate for the folks hoping to relive the glory days of the Arizona Hotshots.

The NFL is the most bet on sport in America. It is unlikely that the USFL will reach those heights. However, Arizona sports betting sites will give folks a chance to place wagers on games this season.

5 AZ sportsbooks with USFL bets

Football is football. No matter if it is NFL, college or semi-pro. There will always be a place for football on television. That also means there will always be a place for football in the sports betting market. USFL will have games available for bettors on sportsbooks in Arizona. Here’s some information on what you will find on some of the top Arizona gambling apps:

DraftKings Arizona Sportsbook

  • Moneyline betting
  • Betting against the spread
  • Over/under on total points scored
  • Championship winner

BetMGM Arizona Sportsbook

  • Moneyline betting
  • Betting against the spread
  • Over/under on total points scored
  • Championship winner

Caesars Sportsbook Arizona

  • Moneyline betting
  • Betting against the spread
  • Over/under on total points scored
  • Championship winner
  • Live betting

BetRivers Sportsbook Arizona

  • Moneyline betting
  • Betting against the spread
  • Over/under on total points scored
  • Championship winner
  • Live betting

FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona

  • Moneyline betting
  • Betting against the spread
  • Over/under on total points scored

Some of the more common bets in the NFL, like player props, are not listed on Arizona sports betting sites. The reason is that operators don’t know much about the players or what the game will look like. Furthermore, AZ sportsbooks will likely add to the USFL betting catalog as the season progresses.

Including Arizona, football fans will be able to place legal wagers on USFL games in 27 states and Washington, D.C. No start-up professional sports league has ever had legal betting available in more states.

About the USFL

Many may not know this, but this is a USFL reboot of sorts. The United States Football League existed for three seasons, from 1983 to 1985. The 1986 season was set to take place in the fall and winter and compete head-to-head with the NFL. However, the USFL shut down operations before that season started.

The new USFL is not associated or affiliated with the original league. There are eight teams, each with a 38-man active roster.

USFL Teams

USFL North DivisionUSFL South Division
Michigan PanthersBirmingham Stallions
New Jersey GeneralsHouston Gamblers
Philadelphia StarsNew Orleans Breakers
Pittsburgh MaulersTampa Bay Bandits

All games in the 2022 season will be played in Birmingham. The first game is scheduled for April 16 between the Birmingham Stallions and the New Jersey Generals. Fox and NBC will broadcast the game. According to the USFL, this will mark the first simulcast of the same football game by networks not owned by the same company since Super Bowl I in 1967.

Each team will play 10 games over 10 weeks. The top two teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs. Postseason games will be held at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, with the USFL Championship game taking place on Sunday, July 3.

Some new rules

The league will also incorporate new technology and some rule tweaks to help enhance the game. One of them includes adding the option of attempting a three-point conversion from the 10-yard line after scoring a touchdown.

There will also be a brand new set of overtime rules. Overtime will feature the teams attempting three alternating two-point tries. Whichever team has the most points after the three tries wins. If the score is still tied after all of the attempts, it becomes sudden death, and the next successful try ends the game.

Another interesting wrinkle mirrors a similar rule used in the AAF. A trailing team can choose to execute either an onside kick under standard rules or attempt to gain 12 yards on a scrimmage play from the offense’s 33-yard line.

We can also say goodbye to the chain crew. Instead, there will be a microchip placed inside each football that will pinpoint the location of the ball.

Arizona colleges well represented in USFL

Several Arizona connections will be featured on the field in Birmingham during the season. There are several players the USFL hopes to market as stars that football fans in the Grand Canyon State will recognize.

Scooby Wright – Arizona (Birmingham Stallions linebacker)

Arguably the most notable name is former Arizona Wildcat linebacker Scooby Wright. He will be a part of the USFL’s inaugural game when his Birmingham Stallions play the New Jersey Generals on Saturday.

Wright was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American as a sophomore in 2014. He also won several awards that year and led the nation in total tackles.

Wright was a seventh-round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns in 2016. He also played in both the AAF with the Arizona Hotshots and the XFL with the DC Defenders.

Shawn Poindexter – Arizona (New Orleans Breakers wide receiver)

In the 2022 USFL draft, the third receiver was former Wildcats wideout Shawn Poindexter. He played in 35 career games at Arizona. His 11 touchdown receptions in 2018 is tied for the single-season school record.

Poindexter signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2019. However, a torn ACL he suffered during training camp derailed his shot at making the team as a rookie. The 49ers added him to their practice squad in 2020, but he never got an NFL call-up.

New Orleans Breakers head coach Larry Fedora has a reputation for running no-huddle offenses that look to score on every play. So Poindexter has a chance to see a lot of action.

Christian Sam – Arizona State (Tampa Bay Bandits linebacker)

A name Sun Devils fans might remember is hard-hitting linebacker Christian Sam. He had a very successful college playing career at ASU. Although he never played in an official NFL game, he had the opportunity to learn from the best after being drafted by the New England Patriots. That team went on to win Super Bowl LIII.

Sam is expected to spearhead the Tampa Bay Bandits defense, which some say could be the best in the league.

Case Cookus – Northern Arizona (Philadelphia Stars quarterback)

That’s right. Even the little guy gets some love. Case Cookus had a roller-coaster ride as the quarterback for the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.  As a true freshman, he was named  Freshman of the Year and won the Jerry Rice Award, which is given to the most outstanding freshman in the FCS.

However, injuries started to pile up, and he couldn’t recapture that early success. He’s bounced around the NFL and the CFL since college. Now, he will be the backup QB on the Philadelphia Stars.

Photo by USFL
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C.J. Pierre

CJ Pierre is a multimedia journalist currently residing in the Phoenix-Metro Area in Arizona. He has been covering news and sports for over a decade for both online and TV broadcasts. He was born and raised in Minneapolis and an alum of Minnesota State University: Moorhead. CJ has experience as a reporter and videographer and has covered high school, college and professional sports throughout his career. Most notably following Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Vikings and North Dakota State University football.

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