NFL players approve new CBA

There will be no labor dispute in the National Football League for quite a while as the Players Association on Saturday night voted to approve the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will run through 2030.

The new agreement, which passed by a slim margin, includes an expanded playoff field, an increased regular-season schedule and higher minimum salaries for players. In addition, players also will receive a higher percentage of league revenue.

Of the roughly 2,500 players eligible to vote, an estimate of less than 80 percent did so. A total of 1,019 voted to approve the CBA while 959 were against the proposal.

"We understand and know that players have been split on this deal, including members of our (Executive Committee)," the NFLPA said in a statement. "It is our duty to lead, however we may feel as individuals, to bring our men together and to continue to represent the interests of our entire membership."

Beginning with the upcoming 2020 season, seven teams from each conference instead of six will qualify for the postseason. The top seed in each conference will receive a first-round bye, while the remaining clubs will play during Wild-Card Weekend. The change gives bettors two extra games on which to wager.

The expanded field for 2020 undoubtedly will alter the odds for teams to qualify for the playoffs and win Super Bowl LV. Prior to the CBA approval, the Kansas City Chiefs were 5-1 favorites to repeat as champions according to William Hill Sports Book, while the San Francisco 49ers' odds to win the title were set at 13-2.

Game-day rosters in 2020 will expand from 46 to 48 players and practice squads will go from 10 to 12 members. Beginning in 2022, a total of 14 players will form practice squads.

Also in 2020, higher minimum salaries, improvements to benefits for current and former players, and changes to the league's drug and discipline policies will go into effect. In addition, teams only can use one tag this offseason instead of having the option to use both the franchise and transition tag. 

The 2021 NFL season will feature a 17-game schedule, meaning teams' win-total projections also will change. It also will give bettors an extra week of wagering, something that surely will be welcomed.

The new CBA also will see the players' share of league revenue increase from 47 to 48 percent in 2021 and potentially reach 48.8 percent with a "media kicker" from the new television deal.