What do you need to keep in mind as the MLS returns?
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – an event we are all sick of hearing about – one of the first things to take a hit on our social calendar was organized sports. As governments across the world entered into varying stages of lockdown, one feature remained consistent across all of them; organized sports were no longer feasible in the interests of public health. And as much as we might be pained to admit it, we can’t argue with the overwhelming justification to do so given the public health implications of having thousands of people flocking to one enclosed location to watch a sporting event.
Despite this, we couldn’t help but feel somewhat lost with no sporting events to watch. And with many of us now working from home and our social calendars wiped out for the next few months, we found ourselves in the unenviable position of having a huge amount of free time to kill, but nothing to watch.
Things are starting to look up, however, with the recent announcement that several MLS games are due to take place over the coming days and weeks.
Unfortunately, while this might seem like just the lifesaver you need at this moment in time, with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging on across many US states, things aren’t looking too certain. And for those sports fans hoping to use this opportunity to load up your favorite New Jersey online sportsbook to place a wager on these games after the long COVID-19 induced sporting drought, there are several factors you need to keep in mind.
Empty stadiums
As with many of the European soccer games that have resumed play, to comply with the public health guidelines, all sporting events will need to take place behind closed doors with no fans present in the stadium. As such, professional sports teams across the world are playing before empty stadiums—a sight they might not have seen since their amateur days! While this might not seem like it would make a difference, it is bound to have an impact on howplay unfolds, with some teams performing better without a crowd to distract them. For others, however, this might see them under-performing if they usually feed off the crowd for energy. It is something you should keep in mind if placing a wager!
Potential outbreaks
The other major factor you need to keep in mind is the most obvious; the risk of another outbreak. With cases on the rise across many major US cities, the risk of both individual players and whole teams catching COVID-19 is at an all-time high. As such, just because a game is scheduled to be played, doesn’t mean it is likely to go ahead! With the figures still looking so uncertain, there is a real risk whole teams might get pulled at the last minute, spoiling your finely crafted accumulator bet. With that said, although pre-COVID-19 normality might be beginning to return, there is no guarantee it will last!