After three weeks of picks, I can confirm we’re currently sat on a 55% strikerate – not bad, but we can do better.

As leagues go on, more easily-recognisable traits begin to appear which make these matchups dissectible. That’s not to say the good teams get better and the bad teams get worse – this isn’t baseball.

But it does mean that their schemes and their situations decisions in-play start to solidify as identities are created.

This should give us an edge going forward, and I think, wagers aside, everyone has been pretty happy with how the XFL has turned out. Sure, it might not be your Sunday routine that features Redzone, but it’s certainly football.

And football, as you know, is all that matters.

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I read an article during the week about the theory that the NFL should join up with the XFL, where both should listen to the other’s strategies so they could combine to make a better product going forward.

Now, if you’re like me, you’re stumped by this. You also have a very funny visual of Vince McMahon falling backwards in his chair due to a euphoria overload.

And while most will laugh at the thought that anyone should take too much notice of the XFL, least not a similar product who evidently have all but monopolised the entire market, it does raise a question.

Is the XFL actually becoming legitimised this time ‘round after such a failed initial regime all those years ago? There’s good reason for that, too. It’s an entertaining product that doesn’t rely on gimmicky players who are just versions of themselves turned up to 200, or silly rules that just make the game more dangerous.

The general football public understand the game better than they did during the original run. Colour commentary has gotten better. Insight is stronger from analysts.

People just want football – and the XFL is delivering just that this time ‘round.

Let’s look ahead to Week 4.

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Not everyone was particularly enthusiastic about the return of the XFL, and perhaps for good reason. But it does seem to have legitimised itself into a viable alternative to the NFL – bridging a gap between the NFL season, overlapping the Draft, free agency and landing you smack bang in the summer where pre-season is only around the corner.

The XFL is the hero none of us knew we needed, and since Vince McMahon has peeled back on the gimmicks, its credibility has gone through the roof.

This is healthy, and not only is it good for us, but it’s somewhere for not-quites at NFL level to go to get work in the field they’ve been preparing for all their lives.

But with great power comes great responsibility – and with a decent level of competitive sports comes a decent level of money to be made from it. After all three of my Week 2 spread picks came in, I’m feeling in a positive mood.

Let’s go six-for-six to start the season, shall we?

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After a fairly exciting start to the reincarnation of the XFL, we expect things to calm down slightly as coordinators get a handle on opposition game plans and their key players.

The Week 1 schedule gave us some large margins which is unlikely to be repeated this week. Let’s take a look at some of the top bets for Week 2 of the XFL.

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So your NFL team isn’t the Kansas City Chiefs and you’ve come here for some respite from the relentless war machine that is Patrick Mahomes.

Either that or your NFL team *is* the Kansas City Chiefs and you can’t let go of the idea of football now as your life is currently ongoing to the soundtrack of summer breeze across a meadow.

Well, either way – here’s a reality check: Pat Mahomes ain’t in the XFL, but you can bet your life almost everyone who was ever cut from the NFL probably is.

This is no top-table stuff, but it enough to whet an appetite on a given weekend. And if you can watch it, you can make it profitable.

Without further ado, here’s your team-by-team preview for the opening weekend of the (Vince McMahon’s overly deep, menacing signature vocal) XFL!

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