The NBA schedule was released on Thursday and the biggest news is that teams will not play the day before or after "high-profile national TV" games this season.
In the past, teams would enact "load management" to take key players out of said games, leaving nationally televised games in the lurk with role players subbing in for stars such as LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard, among many others.
Teams will also no longer be hampered by four games in five nights, eight games in 12 nights or 18 games in 30 nights.
While NBA teams will have more back-to-backs compared to last season, the amount has been reduced by 23% compared to a decade ago, the Associated Press reported.
These measures were enacted with a new TV partner in mind. The NBA's longstanding deal with Turner — which hosted games on TNT — has come to a close.
A new deal with NBC and Amazon — alongside longtime partner ESPN/ABC — will result in $76 billion in revenue over 11 years.
It also means new rules governing how those games will air, incentivizing teams to play at full strength for those national games.
In all, the edge on player props and mainlines will likely be negligible over the long run, although early-season player props are always profitable for sharp bettors.
What is an asset: bettors will better understand what they're dealing with heading into a game. With player availability up in the air due to non-injury-related rest, the markets can go haywire guessing which direction lines will head in the lead-up to a game.
Now, there will be less confusion on that front. And that may serve fans and bettors far better.
