Arizona Hotshots Favored to Win Inaugural Alliance of American Football Championship

• The Alliance of American Football kicks off its inaugural season this weekend
• The Arizona Hotshots are favored to win the Championship, while the Salt Lake Stallions have the second shortest odds
• Which one of the eight teams is the best bet on the board?

The NFL season is over but that doesn’t mean football fans have to wait until September to get their fix.

This weekend, football continues. ? #JoinTheAlliance

? | https://t.co/m6ssSzpAg2 pic.twitter.com/50Ut7ppAlB

— The Alliance (@TheAAF) February 6, 2019

The Alliance of American Football’s inaugural season is set to kick off this weekend, with the first game on Saturday, February 9th at 8pm EST (Atlanta vs Orlando), and online sports books have already pegged a favorite to win the championship.

Odds to Win AAF Championship

*Odds taken 2/7

The Arizona Hotshots are currently the front runners, with the Salt Lake Stallions hot on their trail.

The eight team league will play a 10-week season, and features a handful of unique rules that will help differentiate them from the NFL.

What is The Alliance? Here’s everything you need to know before the first-snap. ?

? | https://t.co/IZ8Q7Y0LkB pic.twitter.com/LSjyNGh4fL

— The Alliance (@TheAAF) February 6, 2019

Among the most notable: there are no kickoffs, no timeouts, and teams must attempt a two-point conversion after every touchdown.

What’s so hot about Arizona?

For starters, they have the best quarterback tandem in the league with John Wolford and Trevor Knight.

Most experts expect offensive line play around the league to be suspect, and these guys are both incredibly athletic.

Wolford and Knight each rushed for over 600 yards and 10 touchdowns in their senior seasons in college, and should be able to extend plays with their legs when the pocket inevitably collapses.

??? — @WakeFB QB John Wolford to Virginia’s defense.

64 yards to the house. pic.twitter.com/ngzvxaAgX3

— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) November 5, 2016

The pass-catching corps features plenty of NFL experience with Josh Huff and Joseph Fauria, who most will remember for his outrageous end zone dances during his seven-touchdown 2013 season.

Detroit Lions touchdown with celebration from Joseph Fauria. https://t.co/fNXG7NiImL

— Steve Noah (@Steve_OS) December 17, 2013

Arizona also appears strong on the defensive side with former NFL players Rahim and Sterling Moore anchoring the secondary and a defensive line that features former All-American and Bears tackle Will Sutton.

On paper, the Hotshots appear to have the most talent, but it’s tough to pull the trigger on them at such short odds, with so much about this league still unknown.

Quick Hitter

If targeting the mid range, the Orlando Apollos appear to offer value at 5-1. They’re led by league’s most accomplished coach, Steve Spurrier, and they expect strong quarterback play from Garrett Gilbert.

Watch this dime from Garrett Gilbert!#KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/9bVyvrj9Sf

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 10, 2018

The Apollos project to be one of the fastest teams in the league with speedsters like former Texans running back Akeem Hunt and boast plenty of championship experience within the organization.

If the #SuperBowl ring is the thing, we got a few on the Apollos.@twashington757 – (XXXVII, XLVII)
Jim Jeffcoat – (XXVII, XXVIII)
Garrett Gilbert – (XLIX)@TreJackson54 – (LI)

We got @TheAAF ?s coming this season.

?#TakeAim

Get your tickets: https://t.co/MQ3muGeCPI pic.twitter.com/tfP70xh3v7

— Orlando Apollos (@aafAPOLLOS) February 3, 2019

Fade the Fleet

One team to avoid is the San Diego Fleet.

The Mike Martz led squad is without a bonafide starting quarterback after their number one pick Josh Johnson was picked up by the Redskins for their 2018 stretch run.

Former Arizona State pivot Mike Bercovici is penciled in as the number one right now, but reports out of camp haven’t exactly been glowing.