The COVID-19 pandemic had led to a suspension of high-level sports all over the world. With the spread of the virus all over the globe, it was impossible to have sporting events, especially with fans in attendance. As a result, there were more than two months, from March onwards, where there were virtually no sports events taking place anywhere in the world. Many prestigious tournaments have had to be postponed or suspended in the wake of the crisis. The Olympics, scheduled to be held in Tokyo this year had to be pushed back to 2021. It was the same case for football’s European Championships, while most of the major football leagues across Europe were also suspended for the season. Wimbledon, the most famous and prestigious tennis Grand Slam, was not held for the first time since the Second World War. American sports were not hit as badly, mainly because their seasons had already been completed and preparations were underway for the new season. Nevertheless, college athletics, which are immensely popular, had to be canceled, while the NBA also had to suspend its season after a player tested positive.
However, in recent months, most of these leagues and competitions have been returning to action, albeit in very different circumstances. Fans are not in attendance, and teams will have to play in empty stadiums and arenas for the foreseeable future. There have also been biosecure bubbles that have been created to allow these tournaments to take place safely, with players and staff members not allowed to move outside these bubbles. The NBA, for example, is taking place in Florida, at the Walt Disney World, where 22 teams are in isolation while competing in the tournament. The 2020 NFL season is set to start on 10th September, running up till next year’s Super Bowl, and the return of these sports has been a boon for betting providers.
The lack of sports action had hit the betting and sports betting markets extremely hard, as there were no matches for them to provide odds on. Many sports betting operators had turned to offer odds on esports matches in desperation, but this was also because esports had grown in popularity due to the absence of live sports. Many people had taken to gambling and casino games online as well, which helped betting websites to be able to survive to an extent. Now, with the return of sports all over the world, sports betting operators are breathing a sigh of relief.
When looking at the upcoming NFL season, bookmakers consider the Detroit Lions to be one of the favorites. The team had shown its ability early on last season, starting off with a 2-0-1 record and losing very close games to eventual Super Bowl champions Kansas City, and the Green Bay Packers, who won 13 games and reached the NFC Championship final. However, things went downhill from there, as the Lions lost 12 of their last 13 games.
Bookmakers believe that the Lions were the best of the bottom-placed sides last year, and were unlucky with a number of close results going against them. The hope is that they can do better this season, especially as influential quarterback Matthew Stafford has returned from injury. The team had gone eight losses in a row after losing him last season, showing just how important he is to the team, while a couple of other important players also missed quite a few games with injury. Having all of them fit, along with some shrewd additions in the draft, means that the Lions have a very good team at their disposal now, and the balance of the side means that they just need to maintain an average defense to compete at the top of the competition next season.
