October 12 possibility: Chargers-Saints Monday NFL matchup vs. Game 7 of NBA Finals
Bettors could have an interesting decision to make in terms of primary interest on Oct. 12 this year.
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The NBA's Board of Governors will vote on Commissioner Adam Silver's restart plan Thursday, and a 22-team model is expected to be overwhelmingly passed. Owners are 100 percent behind Silver, who has a terrific working relationship with the league's Players' Association – unlike MLB commissioner Rob Manfred does with is. That's a story for another day.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the NBA season would restart July 31 at Disney World in Orlando, but his new tidbit of information is that a potential Game 7 of the NBA Finals would be played on Oct. 12 (also in Orlando).
The NFL is king in this country in terms of TV and betting interest, and there's a good Monday night matchup on Oct. 12 potentially opposite the NBA Finals: Los Angeles Chargers at New Orleans Saints. It's the first-ever meeting between the franchises on a Monday night and the last time Saints Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees will face the team that selected him in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft out of Purdue.
Well … the last time unless the teams meet in Super Bowl 55. The Saints may well get to Tampa for the Feb. 7 game as they are +550 second-favorites on the moneyline odds at William Hill sportsbook to win the NFC. The Chargers are +1200 to win the AFC.
What's even more interesting: ESPN of course has the TV rights to "Monday Night Football." ABC has the rights to the NBA Finals. Both are owned by Disney.
Which event would draw more interest? It would certainly depend on the NBA Finals matchup. If LeBron James and the Lakers are in a Game 7 against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, that's going to draw a lot more TV viewers and betting action than, say, if the Denver Nuggets are representing the Western Conference – if the NBA playoffs are even sorted by conference this year.
Monday Night Football averaged 12.6 million viewers in the USA last year. Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Raptors and Warriors – which was the last game of the series – drew 18.34 million viewers.
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