Will NFL and MLB Support Betting? Will Teams Sign Fantasy Deals? – Odds

Last week, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver did the unthinkable (unthinkable for a commissioner, anyway) by publicly supporting betting on games under certain conditions. Silver’s stance, itself, didn’t change much. Sports betting has been pervasive in society for a century, and we don’t expect his remarks to have an immediate impact on the legality or popularity thereof. But Silver’s comments could be the first domino in a chain that eventually topples certain cultural taboos or legal restrictions. How and when that might happen, we don’t know. But it’s clear that the current trend is in support of sanctioned sports betting.

In a terribly meta maneuver, we have set odds on which league will be the next to jump on the bandwagon and publicly support sanctioned betting.

Odds on being the next league to publicly support sanctioned betting:

NHL: 2/1
MLS: 4/1
MLB: 8/1
NFL: 12/1

The entire discussion is rife with hypocrisy, as many teams and leagues are already jumping into bed with the recent rage of fantasy sports websites (which, for all intents and purposes, offer a form of sports betting). Take, for instance, Draft-Kings and FanDuel. Both have signed deals with leagues and teams. This list includes the NHL, MLB, NBA, Washington Redskins, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, New England Patriots, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, and more.

Which leagues and teams will be the next to arrive at the fantasy ball? While we see the NFL as an unlikely candidate to support sanctioned betting – especially with Roger Goodell at the helm – several NFL teams are likely to affiliate with a fantasy site. There’s one owner, in particular, who never shies away from controversy and loves himself some revenue.

Odds on being the next league to affiliate itself with a fantasy sports website:

MLS: 2/1
NFL: 8/1

Odds on being the next team to affiliate itself with a fantasy sports website:

Dallas Cowboys: 1/2
New York Yankees: 2/1
Los Angeles Lakers: 3/1
Los Angeles Dodgers: 4/1
Miami Marlins: 4/1
Philadelphia Eagles: 6/1
Cleveland Browns: 8/1
Oakland Raiders: 10/1
Chicago Bears: 12/1

(Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Bradley Lail, USAF [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)