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Everything to Know About Sports Betting During the Coronavirus Pandemic

by Matt Schmitto (schmitto) Last Updated 2020-08-26T19:26:56
coronavirus sports

Many Americans had yet to feel the personal impact of the coronavirus pandemic before the suspension of the NBA season on Wednesday, March 17, 2020. That night, Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz players were quickly rushed off the court, and all NBA games were abruptly canceled. The NBA’s response caused a domino effect across American sports, including the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament and suspensions for a handful of other leagues.

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As a result, athletes and sports bettors alike have largely been benched thanks to the global spread of COVID-19, the virus responsible for the coronavirus pandemic, which is taking its toll on things far less trivial than sports. But for many people, sports are an escape from the “real world.” For others, sports betting and DFS are a form of income.

We will use this page to update the status of each sports league, which sports are still available to bet on, what sportsbooks are doing about any futures bets you have pending, and when you can expect regular sports betting to return. Additionally, we break down what daily fantasy sports operators are doing to bring you innovative DFS contests during the coronavirus pandemic.

First thing’s first.

What You Can Bet on This Week

League Info and Updated Statuses

Active

NASCAR – Engines are revving and NASCAR is officially back. Get all the best NASCAR DFS and betting tips with RotoGrinders Core subscription!

MMA – The UFC has resumed and sportsbooks are taking bets while DraftKings posts huge DFS contests while other sports still sit idly. UFC 250 is this weekend with Amanda Nunes taking on Felica Spencer in the main event.

eSports – If you’re looking for a new DFS sport, eSports contests continue to grow amid the current global health crisis. DFS fans can find GPPs and cash games for eSports games like League of Legends (LoL). RotoGrinders has LoL player projections and LineupHQ for the contests, helping those less familiar with these games quickly adjust to one of the few sports still available to sports bettors and DFSers alike.

Revised Schedule and Dates

PGA – The PGA tried to carry on during the 2020 PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass. However, golfers completed only one round before the PGA decided to pull the plug. DraftKings and FanDuel refunded all PGA DFS money, which was a silver lining for those with bad DFS lineups at the time. The cancellation of the tournament was less ideal for Hideki Matsuyama, who led the field after Round 1 with a record-tying 9-under (63).

Now the PGA is aiming for a June 11 start in Fort Worth, Texas for the Charles Schwab Invitational. Colonial Country Club, the host of the event, won’t have fans in attendance, and it’s unclear when spectators will be allowed on Tour again, but it’s live, professional sports nonetheless. You can look at PGA golf betting odds and tips for the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and Masters here.

Temporarily Suspended

NBA – In a way, we might all owe the NBA, commissioner Adam Silver and even Rudy Gobert a big thanks. The NBA took the lead and appropriately opened the floodgates to the suspension of our for past times. What followed has not been fun, but it might be for the best.

As of now, the return of the NBA season is TBD, as is the case with most sports. CDC guidelines put NBA action at least eight weeks out, but it’s probably best to prepare yourself for a longer wait or even a canceled season.

MLB – Baseball fans will not be singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame anytime soon. Originally scheduled for Thursday, March 26, Opening Day will be pushed back as they follow the precautionary measures recommended by the CDC and World Health Organization. Again, it’s best to prepare yourselves for longer delays. We may not see the first pitch of the MLB season until later in the summer.

NHL – Nearly one week after the NHL suspended their season, several Senators players became the first NHL players to test positive for COVID-19. The NHL will likely resume play around the same time the NBA does. There were just three-in-a-half weeks left on the schedule before the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs start. Though we have to temporarily live without our favorite sports, it could be a jam-packed summer and/or fall headlined by the NHL and NBA postseasons.

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Canceled

College Basketball – This one hurts the most. March was here and we were all eagerly waiting for the Madness: brackets, NCAAB betting, and days filled with basketball. For many college basketball fans, like those in Indiana, this was going to be the first March with legal sports betting. However, to our dismay, there will be no 2020 NCAA Tournament. Not now, not later. We won’t get college hoops back until the fall.

XFL – Vince McMahon’s second rendition of the XFL made it halfway before the current pandemic interrupted the season. It looked like the Houston Roughnecks were on their way to an XFL Championship while quarterback PJ Tucker was a heavy favorite to win XFL MVP.

XFL 2020 has been canceled, not just suspended. While those profiting on XFL bets and XLF DFS are understandably disappointed, but it’s not all bad news. The XFL will be back next year. Will the Roughnecks pick up where the left off?

Out of Season

NFL – The NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell proceeded with NFL free agency as originally scheduled. It was a controversial decision considering players will need to take private flights to meet with front offices and undergo physicals, but it is already helping entertain NFL fans, many of whom are social distancing and working from home during this time.

Within hours of free agency kicking off, the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals made a blockbuster trade. On Tuesday, Tom Brady announced he would not be returning to the New England Patriots. It just so happens you can still bet on where certain NFL players will be playing football in Week 1. Not to mention NFL futures odds are still up at legal US sportsbooks, along with betting props for the 2020 NFL Draft, which will keep its original date but will move inside a studio rather than taking place in Las Vegas.

The NFL still plans to kick off the 2020 season on Thursday, September 5th, 2020, but will likely depend on how successful the U.S. is at containing the virus over the next couple of months. In the meantime, keep up with the biggest moves in the NFL with our NFL free agency signings and trades tracker.

College Football – Nothing new here. College football is still scheduled to kick off on August 20. We’ll see how early team practices can resume.

Sportsbook Updates

Here’s what’s left to bet on at some of the most popular online sportsbooks:

DraftKings Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel voided & refunded all NCAA futures bets involving canceled games or tournaments including March Madness.

PointsBet

BetMGM

William Hill

Daily Fantasy Sports Updates

DraftKings

FanDuel

Monkey Knife Fight

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports

About the Author

schmitto
Matt Schmitto (schmitto)

Matt Schmitto is an Organic Strategy Lead for Better Collective. He was introduced to daily fantasy sports in 2012 and soon became a member at RotoGrinders. Seven years later, Schmitto joined RotoGrinders Network full time as a staff writer shortly after the Supreme Court overturned PASPA. He has since covered important stories in the sports betting and fantasy sports industries for sites like SportsHandle and USBets and has had roles as a sports betting editor and commercial content lead. He continues to play DFS and loves placing Futures bets at sportsbooks. His favorite DFS sites are Underdog Fantasy and PrizePicks, and DraftKings. Follow Schmitto on Twitter – @Matt_Schmitto