Mad Bets: How will COVID-19 impact NFL betting?

Minty Bets is joined by former NFL GM Michael Lombardi to discuss the challenges of betting this fall with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video Transcript

MINTY BETS: The football season is only a couple short weeks away. Michael Lombardi, recent host, writer for "The Athletic," and host of the "GM Shuffle" podcast is joining me today, so I could pick his brain on how he thinks betting on the football season this season will differ from past seasons. So there's been talks from Vegas oddsmakers that there won't be the same 3-point swing for home teams without fans. Do you think that's an advantage for bettors? And how are we going to see those lines adjusted?

MICHAEL LOMBARDI: Look, typically every stadium carries a certain level of points. Kansas City might be three points at home. Cleveland might be a point and a half. So I think bettors are smart enough to know that that golden rule really isn't an important rule in all of this.

But we do know this. The number one advantage the home team has in football is the snap count. Being able to hear the snap count, being able to get off on the snap count, when the opponent can't hear.

Now that we've balanced that, a little bit like what we've seen in the NBA in the bubble, I think we're going to see more offense because the defense won't be in an advantage. The home team defense won't get an advantage. So I think that's really what the case will be.

MINTY BETS: Right. Thank you so much, Mike.

MICHAEL LOMBARDI: Thank you.

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