Oddsmakers Faced with Fluid NFL Schedule Ahead of Week 5, According to TheLines.com

NFL bettors received a reminder just how quickly a pandemic can alter the sports landscape. Two COVID-19-related postponements made for a lighter Sunday schedule and the effects will reverberate into Week 5, according to analysts of TheLines.com.

Last week, the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans was postponed, and the highly anticipated showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots was pushed back to Monday after Cam Newton tested positive. That leaves active rosters in flux for at least two teams — the Titans and the Patriots — and puts Week 5’s game between the Titans and Bills very much in doubt.

“The first few weeks in the NFL went so well, it would have been easy to forget that a single positive test can send waves through the schedule. Oddsmakers are accustomed to factoring in injuries, but both bettors and oddsmakers are dealing with an extremely fluid situation where active rosters and schedules can change in a flash. So far, it appears that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm for bettors overall,” Brett Collson, lead analyst for TheLines.com, said.