Olympics Flag Football Odds 2028: Team USA the Heavy Betting Favorite to Win Gold in L.A.
Flag football is coming to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and so will NFL players.
NFL owners voted to permit players to compete in flag football's Summer Olympics debut in 2028. The sport was officially added to the agenda for the L.A. 2028 games in October 2023. Team USA is expected to dominate and is a commanding betting favorite by the odds to win the gold medal, with NFL players anticipated to fill rosters.
Here's what you need to know about flag football in the 2028 Olympics, including betting odds to win gold, rules, and our AI prediction for the Team USA roster.
🥇 Will Team USA win flag football men's gold in the 2028 Olympics?
The official field for men's flag football in the 2028 Summer Olympics isn't set yet, but Team USA is an overwhelming betting favorite against the Rest of World.
- Team USA: -300
- Rest of World: +200
Team USA's -300 betting odds to win gold represent an implied win probability of 75%. A $10 futures bet on the Americans to win gold, with the L.A. Games over three years away, would return a modest profit of $3.33.
🇺🇸 Who will be the starting QB for Team USA in the 2028 Olympics?
There are three full NFL seasons to be played before the 2028 Summer Olympics, but we can already bet on who will be starting at quarterback for Team USA. This is a risky betting market, and player injuries and performance will impact the final flag football roster decisions.
- Lamar Jackson (+200)
- Jayden Daniels (+300)
- Josh Allen (+500)
- Kyler Murray (+600)
- Patrick Mahomes (+800)
- Jalen Hurts (+1000)
- Joe Burrow (+1200)
- C.J. Stroud (+1200)
- Bo Nix (+1200)
- Justin Herbert (+1600)
- Caleb Williams (+2000)
- Justin Fields (+2500)
- Bryce Young (+2500)
- Drake Maye (+3300)
- Jordan Love (+4000)
- Anthony Richardson (+4000)
- Jalen Milroe (+5000)
- Michael Penix Jr. (+5000)
- Cam Ward (+5000)
- Baker Mayfield (+5000)
- Tua Tagovailoa (+6600)
- Dak Prescott (+6600)
- Shedeur Sanders (+6600)
- Trevor Lawrence (+6600)
- Jared Goff (+7500)
- J.J. McCarthy (+7500)
- Tyler Shough (+7500)
- Matthew Stafford (+10000)
- Brock Purdy (+10000)
- Russell Wilson (+12500)
- Geno Smith (+12500)
- Tom Brady (+25000)
- Aaron Rodgers (+50000)
Will a current college player be Team USA's starting QB?
With the 2028 Olympics still three seasons away, we may not yet even know the name of Team USA's starting quarterback. This betting market asks if a current college player - entering the 2025 college football season - will be Team USA's starter:
- Yes: +250
- No: -400
The +250 odds on "yes" represent a 28.57% implied win probability, and the wager would return a $25 profit on a winning $10 bet.
🤖 AI's predicted 2028 U.S. Olympic flag football roster
I asked ChatGPT, a popular large language model from Open AI, to predict the 10-man Team USA flag football roster. I told the chatbot to consider a player's skills (as applicable to flag football) and age. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Offense
- QB: Jalen Hurts (Eagles) Age in 2028: 29 Olympic ambassador for flag football. A dual-threat QB with excellent decision-making and short-area quickness. His leadership, quick release, and mobility make him ideal for flag football - especially with the no-contact, no-pass-rush format.
- WR: Justin Jefferson (Vikings) Age: 28 Arguably the NFL’s top route-runner with elite hands and separation skills. Jefferson’s quick cuts and tracking make him a top scoring option in 5-on-5 flag football.
- WR: Tyreek Hill (Dolphins) Age: 34 Speed is king in flag football, and Hill’s ability to stretch the field or score on screens makes him a lock if he maintains his current level of play.
- WR: Puka Nacua (Rams) Age: 27 Nacua is emerging as a crafty, sure-handed option. Great size for goal-line red-zone situations, and he could serve as a possession receiver to complement Hill and Jefferson.
- RB/Slot: Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions) Age: 26 Explosive and elusive with soft hands out of the backfield. Think of him as a flag version of Alvin Kamara - perfect for short catches, cuts, and YAC.
Defense
- CB: Sauce Gardner (Jets) Age: 27 Long, twitchy, and cerebral. Perfect for flag football, in which man-to-man coverage and quick reads are essential. He can shut down one side of the field.
- CB/S: DaRon Bland (Cowboys) Age: 28 A versatile and instinctive ballhawk. His record-setting pick-six ability and anticipation fit the small field of flag football.
- LB: Fred Warner (49ers) Age: 31 Warner's coverage instincts and lateral speed are tailor-made for a roaming flag-football defender. He can neutralize tight ends and backfield motion
- S: Brian Branch (Lions) Age: 26 Branch is underrated and ascending. Physical and smart, Branch brings slot-coverage versatility and great anticipation in short zones.
- Utility/WR-DB: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks) Age: 26 Shifty, sure-handed, and experienced playing both ways in 7-on-7 and high school flag formats. He adds flexibility as a slot receiver or safety in key situations
Notes:
- No Mahomes or Lamar? Patrick Mahomes (32) and Lamar Jackson (31) are still likely candidates. But Hurts is the Olympic ambassador, fits the format, and doesn’t rely on broken plays or deep shots as much. That's key in a condensed flag game.
- No Travis Kelce or older stars? By 2028, Kelce (38) and others may be beyond their peak. The roster favors youth and agility over name recognition.
- Defensive emphasis: In a game during which every possession matters and turnovers are gold, the inclusion of coverage-savvy defenders like Gardner, Warner, and Bland is critical.
🏈 Olympic flag football rules
🤼♂️ Competition format (5-on-5)
The Olympic flag‐football games will be played at 5-on-5 (one quarterback and four ball-carriers per side) on a smaller field. Each team may carry roughly 10–12 players on its roster (final Olympic rosters will be 10 players, with five on the field at a time). Games consist of two 20-minute halves.
The game clock runs continuously until two-minute warnings in each half, after which it stops on normal dead balls. Teams start each drive on their own 5-yard line (no kickoffs). There is no kicking: Touchdowns are 6 points, and after a score, the offense gets one play for a conversion attempt (one point from the 5-yard line, two points from the 10-yard line).
All players wear three flags. “Tackles” are made by pulling a flag (no diving or traditional tackling).
4️⃣ Field and downs
The playing field is much shorter than an NFL field. It measures about 50 yards between goal lines (70 yards including two 10-yard end zones) and roughly 25–30 yards wide.
Offenses get four downs to advance the ball to midfield. Once midfield is reached, the unit gets another four downs to score. Failing to gain midfield on fourth down turns the ball over, and the opponents start at their own 5-yard line.
There are no punt or field-goal plays. Turnovers on downs simply award possession at the 5-yard line. Notably, the rules will forbid QB rushing (especially within five yards of the goal line), so quarterbacks must throw or hand off on every play.
If the score is tied after 40 minutes, the game goes to sudden-death overtime (first score wins).
🌎 Likely qualified teams
The Olympic men’s tournament will feature six national teams. Based on recent international performance and strong federations, the leading candidates include:
- United States: Defending world champion (IFAF), host nation, and powerhouse. The U.S. won gold at the 2024 World Championship and is virtually certain to qualify.
- Austria: Runner-up at the 2024 world tournament
- Switzerland: 3rd place in 2024
- Mexico: Placed 4th at the 2024 worlds
- France: 5th in 2024
- Italy: 6th in 2024
- Canada: Finished 7th in 2024
Other strong programs include Denmark, Israel, Great Britain, Japan, and Germany, which all reached the knockout stages at the 2024 World Championship.
💵 Best NFL betting sites
Ready to bet on the NFL this season? Check out our best NFL betting sites and the best sportsbook promos for the 2025-26 NFL season:
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission.
Related Articles
