Did Barstool Sports broadcaster cross line by goading FAU players to fulfill his bets?

In a brazen outburst that speaks to the ugly repercussions of wide-open sports betting, a broadcaster this week openly goaded Florida Atlantic University basketball players to score more points during a game in the hopes of fulfilling personal bets he'd placed.

The incident happened during FAU's 75-62 victory over Loyola Chicago on Tuesday at the Barstool Invitational in Chicago. Barstool Sports personality Dan Katz, part of Barstool's courtside broadcast team, goaded FAU players during their game.

"I need buckets to go in," Katz said in the final minutes of the game. "I can't have buckets not go in right now."

Moments later, Katz shouted at FAU star Johnell Davis to "shoot it" and yelled at referees to call fouls against Loyola Chicago that would send Owls players to the free-throw line.

After Davis lost possession out of bounds with less than a minute to play, Katz threw his headset down onto the table, apparently angry that he would not hit his bet.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who himself has attracted criticism in the past over a number of issues, lamented the game was "a comfortable under," implying that Katz had bet "the over" on total points scored in the contest.

Portnoy and Katz continued to goad student-athletes to fulfill their bets in the following matchup between Mississippi State and Arizona State.

Since the game, Katz has drawn a polarizing reaction and raised discussions on sports gambling and media ethics.

Barstool Sports, an edgy digital sports media and publishing brand based in New York City, hosted the Barstool Sports Invitational college basketball event at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Games were streamed exclusively on Barstool TV.

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Clips of the broadcast drew a strong reaction on social media as some took issue with the broadcaster using his courtside platform to try to influence the game in favor of personal gambling wagers. Veteran college basketball reporter Jeff Goodman called the broadcast "unwatchable."

Is sports betting legal in Florida?

Sports gambling has become a political hot topic in Florida as the one-time vice continues to find greater acceptance and a more mainstream presence in American culture.

The Seminole Tribe recently completed a limited roll-out of its sports wagering app "Hard Rock Bet" and is expected to begin taking in-person sports wagers at its casinos in early December. Numerous lawsuits are in progress to contest the legality of sports betting.

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Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Barstool broadcaster roots for FAU basketball bets to land during game