Potential Fan-Less NFL Games Could Impact Sportsbook Betting Lines

The consensus among 10 Las Vegas oddsmakers was that the "biggest impact" on betting lines should the NFL play its upcoming season without fans "would be on a team's home-field advantage, which has historically been worth approximately three points to a line on an NFL game," according to Todd Dewey of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Handicapper Lou Finocchiaro said if the coronavirus pandemic keeps fans from attending games, the home team "will get less of an advantage than they do currently." Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino VP/Race & Sports Operations Jay Kornegay "estimated that playing without fans would lower the average home-field edge by 1½ or two points." He said, "There's still an advantage there, but we would have to probably minimize it a bit." Meanwhile, Dewey noted other "consensus opinions were that NFL games would potentially be higher-scoring without crowd noise and that there would be fewer upsets and comebacks in all sports without the energy of a live audience" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/3).