Over in the Old Line State, one university is dealing with a gambling investigation that has put an ominous spotlight on the basketball program. Per a recent report, Loyola (Maryland) said it had removed a person from its basketball program after it became aware of a gambling violation. This almost comes in parallel conjunction with Temple University saying Friday it will review reports that show at least one game involving its men’s basketball team being flagged for unusual betting activity. Of course, as one article states, the separate investigations emerged within hours of each other and a little more than a week before the NCAA tournaments open and in the midst of conference tournaments. Moreover, this is a stark reminder that the spread of legalized gambling across the country has resulted in a handful of incidents involving college sports programs.
In this report, SBS will be going over the latest updates coming from Maryland and also more notes about the state of gambling in the Old Line State.
As noted in the same report, Loyola said in a statement to The Associated Press it had taken swift action when its basketball program was compromised. “Loyola was made aware of an individual’s gambling violation that was promptly reported to the NCAA. The individual was immediately removed from the program, and the NCAA accepted the self-report and took no further action,” the school said without identifying the person or the timing of the move.
Loyola said gambling watchdog U.S. Integrity had analyzed its games and “no anomalies” were discovered. The announcement came only hours after basketball coach Tavaras Hardy stepped down after six seasons. Moreover, per sources, a person with direct knowledge told the AP on condition of anonymity because details are not being released that Hardy is the person who was removed from the program over the gambling violation.
Per the same article, in Philadelphia, the betting line between last week’s game between Temple and UAB surged from the Blazers opening as a two-point favorite to reaching as high as eight points, per tracking website Covers.com.
“We are aware of the media reports regarding last night’s men’s basketball game,” Temple said in a press release. “We will review the reports thoroughly in accordance with university and NCAA policies. While we can’t comment any further at this time, we take this matter very seriously.”
The Owls are members of the American Athletic Conference, which confirmed it is a client of U.S. Integrity and had no additional comment. Per the same article, U.S. Integrity said it was in the “very early stages of acquiring information” but otherwise declined to comment on an ongoing investigation. Moreover, a UAB spokesman declined to comment, adding “This does not apply to us.” The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said it “received the alert and are reviewing the matter to see if there’s any impact in Pennsylvania.”
As noted in the report, the point spread can dramatically shift when sportsbooks are taking in money on one side of a game. The line could be suspicious if, for example, an overwhelming amount of money came in on UAB. This scenario would perhaps be unusual in an otherwise meaningless college basketball game without major injuries or suspensions to key players. At Westgate, which has sportsbooks in nine states, the line moved from 2.5 points to eight (8) at one point. Jay Kornegay, the race and sports manager at Westgate Las Vegas, said in an article that once the line reached seven (7), the money was even on both sides, typically an indication a game is on the level. Moreover, sportsbook directors often become suspicious when there is an inordinate amount of bet on one side.
Temple is just 11-19 in coach Adam Fisher’s first season and meanwhile, Loyola (MD.) has had a tough year with an overall record of 7-25 with a mark of 5-13 in conference play. The growth of legal sports betting in the U.S., especially among college-aged people, has prompted concern about increased stress on athletes and raised the potential for wrongdoing. NCAA President Charlie Baker said earlier this year the NCAA is trying to modify “draconian” penalties college athletes face for breaking rules regarding betting on sports.
The topic drew headlines earlier last year when about two dozen Iowa State and Iowa athletes were criminally charged after a state investigation into illegal sports wagering per reports. Some charges were dropped though after investigators were found to have misused tracking software inside the mobile betting apps.
Once you are all squared away regarding the latest gaming news coming from the Old Line State, make sure to tap into the wide variety of information available to you only at SBS. Of course, for even more info on the topic at hand, our Maryland sports betting guide has you covered with all the latest gaming news and info coming from the state. Moreover, for those interested in some deposit and withdrawal options, look no further than the payment methods rundown which goes over a variety of great options from cryptocurrencies to more traditional banking routes too. Finally, for those perhaps intrigued by some higher stakes betting, check out the VIP sports betting sites breakdown. On this page you can learn more about the benefits of VIP online sports betting, the costs of having a VIP account and if it might be the fit for you.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football in the Mountain West Conference, and basketball. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones.
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