EMU alerted to suspicious wagering activity on recent men's basketball game

EMU alerted to suspicious wagering activity on recent men’s basketball game

Posted by Admin January 18, 2025 Basketball

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Eastern Michigan University athletic officials are saying they were alerted this week to suspicious wagering patterns for its men’s basketball game at Central Michigan on Tuesday.

ESPN reported Friday night that multiple betting integrity firms across multiple states flagged unusually high wagering on the first-half point spread for the EMU-CMU game, which grew significantly and abnormally in the hours before tip-off, capping out at CMU by 6.5 points. Central Michigan hit a 3-pointer in the final second before halftime, to lead by six points, 39-33.

ESPN reported an unnamed bettor attempted to place “their largest wager to date” on CMU covering the first-half spread. Sportsbooks, state regulators and NCAA conferences were alerted, ESPN reported.

“We became aware of the matter on Wednesday,” Greg Steiner, senior associate athletics director for external affairs at EMU, said in a statement to The News on Friday night. “At this time, we do not know anything further about what may have precipitated the suspicious activity. We are working with the Mid-American Conference and will provide further details as we learn additional information.”

Eastern Michigan eventually lost the game, 82-63. The Eagles haven’t played since. They are set to return to action Saturday at Bowling Green.

Steiner didn’t respond to follow-up questions from The News on Friday night.

ESPN reported that this is the second Eastern Michigan game this season for which an alert has been issued by a betting-integrity firm; the first was after the game against Wright State in Ypsilanti on Dec. 21. That game, according to ESPN, also involved suspicious first-half wagering, and the bet was against Eastern Michigan. That first-half spread was Wright State by 2.5; Wright State led, 38-27, at the half, but lost the game, 86-82.

First-half lines are among the tools betting-integrity firms monitor closely to flag suspicious wagering, because those lines typically are about half the total of the line for the entire game. If first-half lines move too much, based on the betting, it can be a signal that something isn’t right.

The full-game line for CMU-EMU was CMU by 8, while the first-half line closed at 6.5, after opening at 3.5.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board confirmed to ESPN it is aware that the International Betting Integrity Authority was “reviewing an NCAA basketball game that took place on Jan. 14.” The MGCB didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The News on Friday night.

In recent years, as sports betting has become increasingly legalized throughout the United States (it’s legal in 38 states, including Michigan), there have been multiple instances of wagers being flagged for being suspiciously large, including, of note, with Alabama baseball and Temple men’s basketball.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984