March 08, 2024
William Purnell/USA TODAY Sports
The betting line for the Temple Owls' basketball game against the UAB on Thursday night was flagged by sports gambling monitor U.S. Integrity for unusual wagering activity. Temple officials said the university is looking into the report.
Gambling watchdog U.S. Integrity sent an alert to casinos Thursday about unusual wagering activity for last night's college basketball game between the Temple University men's team and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The Owls, who have struggled under first-year head coach Adam Fisher, were blown out 100-72 at the Liacouras Center to fall to 11-19 on the season.
U.S. Integrity, which monitors wagering activity in college and pro sports, noted that the betting line on Thursday's game moved significantly throughout the day. Temple had entered as 1.5-point underdogs to UAB, but the line grew to eight points by the afternoon and landed at seven points by tipoff.
An American Athletic Conference spokesperson told Sports Illustrated that the AAC is aware the game was flagged by U.S. Integrity. On Friday, Temple University spokesperson Stephen Orbanek said the university is reviewing the reports.
"We will review the reports thoroughly in accordance with university and NCAA policies," he said. "While we can’t comment any further at this time, we take this matter very seriously."
Thursday's game was the second straight that Temple failed to cover the spread by a wide margin. Against Tulsa on Saturday, the Owls were 5.5-point favorites and lost by five at home.
When contacted Friday, a U.S. Integrity spokesperson said the organization cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.
Before the Temple-UAB game, college basketball analyst Jim Root said during the VSiN Live gambling show that something seemed off about the line.
“That’s the kind of move where I start looking into it like, ‘OK, what’s going on here? Who on Temple is out?’ UAB doesn’t have anyone coming back, so it’s not like that would be contributing to it. There’s nothing we can find here,” Root said. “I’m not gonna say this is point shaving, but in my betting career, I’ve seen a couple of these where [there’s] truly no injury that I can find.”
Before UAB/Temple tipped... @2ndChancePoints sniffed out the the unusual line move and discussed it with me & @meJVT on @VSiNLive Primetime
— Tim Murray (@1TimMurray) March 8, 2024
"It's weird to see it a second time with Temple..."
UAB beat Temple, 100-72 https://t.co/xY8uv1PCdB pic.twitter.com/5cmoQVr7ui
Betting lines are often adjusted and may move based on relevant information including injuries and other potential issues surrounding teams. When lines make dramatic shifts without clear reasons — and especially if there are apparent patterns with particular teams — it sometimes raises alarm.
Point shaving refers to a deliberate effort to score fewer points in order to avoid covering the spread. There have been numerous point-shaving scandals over the years, including the notable 1985 case in which five players on the Tulane University men's team were accused of shaving points in two games and sharing windfalls that were given to them by handlers who placed the bets. The scheme was led on the court by the late Tulane star John "Hot Rod" Williams, who ultimately was acquitted of the charges against him and went on to play 13 seasons in the NBA. Tulane ended up shutting down its basketball program for four seasons.
Root said he saw similar unusual wagering ahead of the Owls' Feb. 8 game against Memphis, who were favored by 6.5 point. The Tigers went on to beat the Owls 84-77.
“It’s weird to see it a second time with Temple,” Root said Thursday on VSiN Live. “This is bizarre. It is not a normal happening in the market — especially this late in the season.”
The Owls, who have not qualified for an NCAA Tournament since 2019, will play their final game of the regular season Sunday on the road against the University of Texas at San Antonio.
In April, U.S. Integrity flagged unusual activity that helped unearth a scandal surrounding the University of Alabama baseball team, whose coach allegedly tipped off a bettor and his gambling associates about the team's starting pitcher getting scratched due to an injury ahead of a game against LSU. The bettor, an Indiana businessman and youth baseball coach, pleaded guilty in February to a federal indictment for obstructing justice. Alabama's coach was fired and disciplined in May, and the Alabama baseball program was fined by NCAA and placed on a three-year probation.
U.S. Integrity's flagging of the Temple-UAB game comes as NCAA gears up for March Madness, potentially shining negative light on college basketball in an era when gambling is now pervasive across the sports landscape.
