- The coronavirus has suspended play for almost all sports leagues around the world.
- It is expected that there will be no fans at games once certain sports return.
- The NFL is favored to be the first league to have live fans in attendance of their games at +120 odds.
NEW YORK — With all sports continuing to be shut down due to the coronavirus, questions are starting to be raised about if fans will be in attendance when sports return. Some sports like the NBA are expected to not have fans at their games for the foreseeable future and others like the NFL are.
Online sportsbooks are chiming into this discussion by offering odds for which sports league will have live fans in attendance first.
NFL
The NFL is currently the favorite to be the league that allows fans first at +120 odds for them to do so. The league is aiming to start on time with fans at the stadiums. The league has shown confidence that by the time the start of the league comes around that the virus will have progressed to a point where fans will be able to make their own decisions on if they want to attend games or not.
If the NFL were to allow fans right away, they would surely be following social distancing of six feet or more when in the seating area. There is a concern, however, that when fans are entering and exiting the stadiums and walking about the property that social distancing rules will not be met.
Stadium owners are making adjustments now and there could even be a delayed start to the season in order to give them more time to make the areas safe. So if football fans want to attend and bet on NFL games live, then they will likely be able to do so.
MLB
Those betting on the MLB to return will see it is at +160 odds to be the first league to play with fans. The league has been trying to come up with a plan for the season to return and it does not look like fans are a part of the plan as of yet.
The MLB has discussed the option of hosting the rest of the season for all of the teams in Arizona. This would mean that there would definitely be no fans at the games as they want to avoid having fans coming in and out of the stadiums to watch their teams play.
Bettors who are interested in betting on the MLB to be the first league with fans should consider the fact that the season will likely take place in one city.
NBA
The NBA’s odds to be the first league with fans take a dip as they sit on odds boards with +450 odds.
In a memo sent to the teams, it did mention that steps would need to be taken in order to play games with only essential staff present. LeBron James has weighed in on his thoughts about playing with no fans.
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“We play games without the fans? Nah, that’s impossible. I ain’t playing, if I ain’t got the fans in the crowd, that’s who I play for.
—LeBron James on the possibility of playing games without fans in attendance due to concerns from the Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/E3Yb41YfCK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 7, 2020
Those that want to bet on the NBA should note that the league has already reached out to teams and told them to prepare for games with no fans.
Another betting line found at online sportsbooks specifically asks if the next NBA game will be played in an empty arena and the odds for that line are “yes” at -750 and “no” at +415. That should be enough of an indicator right there to guide bettors on this prop bet that concerns all sports leagues.
NHL
The NHL is tied with the NBA on odds boards as they have +450 odds to be the first league with fans as well. This is no coincidence as Matt Caldwell, the president of the Florida Panthers, told the Miami Herald that the NBA and NHL are working together to get their leagues back in action sometime in the summer.
“Once we feel it’s a safe time to start bringing them back to practice facilities and bring them back on the ice, we’re going to constantly monitor them and work on getting them back,” said Caldwell. “When we start playing, if we resume the season this summer, I think there will be an empty or limited arena format.”
Based on the direction of the NBA and the fact that the NHL is following suit, both of these sports appear not to be a wise bet.
Samuel decided to get into writing 6 years ago when he first started his college career at Florida State University. After declaring a major in Editing, Writing and Media, Samuel had found his passion for writing. During his free time, he could be found writing about, watching or playing sports.
