Gambling service flags late line movement ahead of UAB's blowout win over Temple
The line moved five points in the Blazers' favor at some sportsbooks ahead of the 100-72 win
A gambling service was intrigued by the late line movement ahead of Temple’s home loss to UAB on Thursday.
U.S. Integrity noted there was unusual wagering activity on the game as UAB ballooned from a 2.5-point favorite to an 7.5-point favorite at some sports books before tip-off. The Blazers easily covered the spread in a 100-72 road win.
The AAC confirmed to Sports Illustrated it was “aware” that the gambling watchdog service flagged the game, and SI noted that U.S. Integrity has been keeping an eye on Temple games recently.
A source in the gambling space says U.S. Integrity has been monitoring Temple games for a while. Temple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Friday morning, Temple issued a statement saying it was also "aware" of what had happened.
From @TempleUniv: "We are aware of the social media posts regarding last night’s men’s basketball game. We will review the reports thoroughly in accordance with university, NCAA policies. While we can’t comment any further at this time, we take this matter very seriously.
— Dana O'Neil (@DanaONeilWriter) March 8, 2024
The loss dropped Temple to 11-19 overall and 4-13 in the AAC. The Owls are tied for last in the conference with Tulane, while UAB is tied for fourth at 11-6 and five games back of first-place South Florida.
Temple lost 72-67 at home to Tulsa in its previous game. The Owls entered that one as 5.5-point favorites. Per Sportsbook Review, the line moved five points in a matter of hours at some sportsbooks. At BetMGM, the game was at 2.5 points on Thursday morning before moving three points in the span of 20 minutes before it appeared to be removed.
For the season, the Owls are 12-15-2 against the spread. They had a stretch from Dec. 2-Jan. 24 when they failed to cover in 11 of 12 games.
The reported scrutiny on Temple games comes as college sports have dealt with betting investigations in recent months. Former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon received a show-cause penalty from the NCAA after providing a bettor inside information about his team ahead of a game against LSU, and multiple Iowa and Iowa State players have been investigated for their betting habits.
Last week, charges against four former Iowa State athletes were dropped because of the way the state gathered location-based evidence against them.
