Odds Released If MLS Will Play Before or After June 1, 2020
- Odds are heavily favoring the MLS to resume after June 1st
- All sports have come to a halt because of COVID-19, with no timetable set for their return due to the rapid spread of the virus
- See the odds for Major League Soccer to return before June below
With all sports around the world at a standstill because of COVID-19, by no surprise, the sportsbooks are quite inactive at the moment. But odds have been released on when the different leagues around the world might return to action.
Major League Soccer’s 2020 campaign just began a few weeks ago, but all matches this past weekend were canceled, with commissioner Don Garber announcing that the league would postpone all fixtures for 30 days.
Will MLS Play Before June 1st Odds
| Prop | Odds |
|---|---|
| Before June 1st | +220 |
| After June 1st | -260 |
Odds taken Mar. 16
COVID-19 Severely Affecting the Sports World
Aside from the MLS, the NBA and NHL have also postponed their seasons at the most inconvenient time as both leagues were preparing for the playoffs in the next month here. Major League Baseball shut down all spring training festivities last week and also delayed opening day for at least two weeks, but it’s increasingly looking like we won’t see baseball until May or June at this rate.
The MLS was heading into Week 3 of the 2020 season when the COVID-19 news forced them to postpone and given the number of cases that are surfacing every day in the United States especially, it’s not looking good for the league.
The sportsbooks have given +220 odds that MLS play will resume before June 1st, while the -260 odds that it will return after June 1st looks like the better bet as of right now.
The US and Canadian governments are urging people to refrain from gatherings of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks after recommendations by the CDC, which would take us into mid-May. Some cities in America have even closed down bars and restaurants for two weeks, with Chicago and New York being the most recent ones to announce this decision.
A reported 3,500 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the United States, however, health officials believe that number to be even higher. In Canada, there are just 324 cases, with 145 of them happening in Ontario. 65 people have died from the virus in the United States, with 25 deaths occurring at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington.
MLS Won’t Return Until After June 1st
Personally, I don’t see any league returning until June at the very least. As for the MLS, it’s obviously a breeding ground for a virus like this, with thousands of people gathering close to one another to watch a match. Even though most games are in stadiums that are outside, it’s far too risky to have a huge number of fans in the same area. I do think if the US and Canada follow the correct precautions that the virus will eventually be under control, but it’s going to take a couple of months.
Realistically, I don’t see Major League Soccer resuming their season until mid-to-late June.
Pick: After June 1st (-260)
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
