New Mexico State vs. University of Nevada, Las Vegas game under investigation for questionable betting patterns
Gambling regulators in multiple states are investigating reports of suspicious betting patterns on the Nov. 4 game between the University of New Mexico and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Action Network reports.
Just hours before tipoff in Albuquerque, "one of the major U.S. sports betting operators" contacted independent integrity monitoring firm US Integrity to express its concerns. These include investing unusually high amounts of money in a number of new accounts that appear to have been opened specifically for this purpose—usually a red flag.
UNLV enters the game as a 10.5-point favorite. But when play began six days later, he was the 16.5-point favorite. The Rebels easily tied the score and defeated the Lobos 56-14.
Something suspicious
New Mexico fired head coach Danny Gonzales on Nov. 26 after four seasons with the team. New Mexico State athletic director Eddie Nuñez told Action Network the decision had nothing to do with the investigation and everything to do with the team's recent performance. Suspicious bets have been notified.
The whole crew insisted they didn't see anything (suspicious)," Nunez said."They were all pissed that we just lost... We looked around and saw nothing different (from any other game compared), except we got our butts kicked. "
"The University of New Mexico is aware that American Integrity is conducting a review of our Nov. 4, 2023 football game against UNLV," Nunez said in a more formal statement Wednesday. "We are fully cooperating with the Mountain West Conference. To date, there has been no evidence of wrongdoing and we look forward to completing the review."
Likewise, University of Nevada, Las Vegas head coach Barry Odom told Action Network he didn't see anything questionable in any player's performance.
College Gambling Scandal
Several recent scandals have thrust the college game and its betting markets into the spotlight. These include charges against four Iowa State University and three University of Iowa football players for betting on their own games.
Meanwhile, the University of Alabama fired its head baseball coach Brad Bohannon in May, allegedly for leaking inside information about an injury to its star pitcher to a player..
Many states that have legalized sports betting do not allow betting on NCAA games because of concerns that young, low-paid athletes may be vulnerable to corruption.
The NCAA prohibits athletes, coaches and staff from participating in sports betting and "prohibits the disclosure of information to or to any person involved in any type of sports betting involving intercollegiate, amateur or professional sports competitions."
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Source: www.casino.org
