When the NBA suspended play back in March, there was no telling whether the season would be finished. It took a few months, but eventually, the league announced plans to finish the season. As the restart draws near, it looks like the 2019-20 season will see a new champion crowned.
That is, assuming Covid-19 does not bring the restart to a screeching halt.
As much as fans and the league may hate the possibility, it could happen. Yes, the league has instituted some strict guidelines for everyone inside the bubble to follow. But all it takes is one careless person to ruin it for everyone.
With the coronavirus hanging over the NBA’s bubble, it makes sense for sportsbooks to post a few Covid-19 related prop bets (odds via MyBookie.ag):
- Will LeBron James be Revealed Tested Positive for
- Yes +170
- No -240
- Will any NBA Head Coach be Revealed Tested Positive
- Yes +110
- No -140
- NBA Team Removed from the bubble due to COVID conc
- Yes +600
- No -2000
- NBA Player to be Removed from Bubble due to Violat
- Yes +200
- No -300
According to recent media reports, there were no positive test results out of the 346 players the league administered since July 13. On July 13, the league reported two positives among the 322 players tested. If those results are any indication, it sounds like the league’s protocols are working.
Players and team personnel are not leaving the bubble, so everyone must be clear, right? Not exactly. Park employees are still coming and going. There have been claims made on social media that at least one player has tried to talk an Instagram model into visiting him.
Should guys get bored enough during their downtime, there is no telling what someone might do.
At the same time, these guys are professionals. They are getting paid very well to do their job. Surely, they are mature enough to take the situation seriously and just put up with life in the bubble. But then there are guys like Dwight Howard.
Howard has ignored the league’s mask rules and joked about the virus. It sounds like he doesn’t take the threat of the virus seriously. The league has already warned him about breaking the rules. Should he continue to do so, the league could eject him from the bubble.
So—how should you bet?
James seems to be approaching the restart with the right attitude. It would be shocking to see him do anything foolish that could put him in danger of contracting Covid-19.
Of course, none of the head coaches are going to do something questionable. They are going to be too concerned with setting an example for the players. Now, there are some older coaches that have a higher risk of catching the coronavirus. But those guys are likely going to take every precaution imaginable.
As for a team being removed, if there is enough concern that an entire team is getting ejected, the whole thing will get shut down. But when it comes to a player, it would not be shocking to see Dwight Howard get booted with how he has acted.
If you really want to put money on these, take ‘no’ for the first three. But for the last, Dwight Howard’s cavalier attitude makes it seem like ‘yes’ is a good bet. However, at those odds, the risk is not worth the payout. Surely, Howard will get his act together before the league boots him.
Take the ‘NO’ at your favorite sports betting site!
