Birmingham Iron Now At 4-1 Odds to Win AAF Championship After 26-0 Win in Week 1

• The AAF debuted this past weekend to strong ratings across America.
• Birmingham’s odds to win the AAF Championship have been shortened to +400 after a 26-0 victory.
• Are the Iron’s Championship odds worth a wager?

Early reviews for the Alliance of American Football’s opening weekend are in, and surprise, surprise football is still King in America.

In its debut night last night, @theaaf beat the NBA on ABC in head-to-head overnight ratings:

AAF Games (2 games, 1 per market): 2.1

Houston-OKC game: 2.0

(per @darrenrovell) pic.twitter.com/wxcNpy9MA8

— AAF Stats (@AAF_Stats) February 10, 2019

The league generated plenty of buzz on social media, proving once again how much people like watching and betting on football.

The AAF is already a more betting friendly league than the XFL ever was. Here are my reasons why https://t.co/DXRa86pzUe

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 12, 2019

With that in mind, odds have been released to win the Inaugural AAF championship, and while the Arizona Hotshots remain the favorite, the Birmingham Iron made the biggest move.

Odds to Win AAF Championship

*Odds taken 2/12

Prior to Week 1, the Iron were tied for the longest odds to win the title, but an impressive shutout victory over the Express prompted online sports betting sites to quickly shorten their price.

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The Iron make history and shut out the Memphis Express!#WeAreBirmingham #ForgeOn⚒️? pic.twitter.com/ZptAHbAfbY

— Birmingham Iron (@aafiron) February 10, 2019

Dominant Defense

Birmingham overwhelmed Memphis in their debut, holding the Express and former second-round pick Christian Hackenberg to under 100 yards passing.

We Have The Best Defense in the @TheAAF I stand On that ! @aafiron ?

— Trovon Reed (@TrovonReed) February 11, 2019

The Iron squad, comprised of a heavy mix of former Alabama and Auburn players, allowed just two third down conversions and a league low 202 yards of total offense, while forcing three turnovers.

.@aafiron defense with the pick! #MEMvsBHM pic.twitter.com/bK73dUP7kq

— The Alliance (@TheAAF) February 10, 2019

The sample size is small, but in a league where rules are designed to promote offense, having a dominant defense, with good corners, can help separate the contenders from the pretenders.

Birmingham @aafiron CB Jamar Summer was named to our Team of the Week after his dominant Week 1 performance pic.twitter.com/EVDrzI5E0i

— PFF_AAF (@PFF_AAF) February 12, 2019

Underrated Offense

The defense may have gotten all the publicity, but the offense impressed as well.

Former Division II stud Luis Perez, who spent training camp with Sean McVay and the LA Rams, completed 19 of 33 passes, and Trent Richardson proved he still has a nose for the endzone.

✌️ TD’s on the night for Trent Richardson!@aafiron | #MEMvsBHM pic.twitter.com/YZklJW7wfV

— The Alliance (@TheAAF) February 10, 2019

Quinton Patton averaged 26.8 yards per reception and became the first player in AAF history to record a 100-yard receiving game, while Ladarius Perkins led all Week 1 players with six catches.

Don’t Strike While the Iron is Hot

While Birmingham was one of the most impressive teams in Week 1, betting them now feels like chasing. It’s a lousy price compared to what was available last week and it would be more advantageous to target a team the books haven’t properly adjusted for.

Big fan of the aptly-named Orlando Special.pic.twitter.com/8ayr3aie3l

— PFF_AAF (@PFF_AAF) February 12, 2019

The Orlando Apollos price hasn’t budge, despite pummeling the Atlanta Legends by 34 points. It’s possible the Legends are terrible, but the Apollos offense looked unstoppable in Week 1 and their defense forced three interceptions.

.@aafapollos LB @T_Garvin28 had 2 picks during #ATLvsORL, including one that went to the house! pic.twitter.com/0vRCP4ZJM7

— The Alliance (@TheAAF) February 11, 2019

Their +500 odds won’t last long, especially if they take care of business in Week 2 against Salt Lake.