The Jan. 14 men’s college basketball game between Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan is under investigation for suspicious betting activity.
Betting monitoring firm Integrity Compliance 360 flagged the game for irregular betting patterns the following day, issuing an alert to its partnered sportsbooks, state regulators, the NCAA and others, according to ESPN.
The alert marks the second time this season an Eastern Michigan game has set off alarms for betting irregularities.
Big spread jump on MAC game
The focus of the investigation is the game’s first-half point spread, which moved significantly just before tipoff.
Central Michigan opened as a 3.5-point favorite for the first half, but the line jumped to -6.5 in the final hour before tipoff, atypical for a non-power conference regular season game.
Second EMU game under scrutiny
Tuesday’s alert follows a December incident involving a game between Eastern and Wright State. In both cases, sportsbooks flagged large wagers placed against Eastern Michigan on first-half spreads.
For the December matchup, the suspicious activity focused on Wright State’s first-half spread of -2.5, with high-stakes bets reportedly placed from accounts in Connecticut and Tennessee. These accounts were also flagged for irregular betting patterns in previous seasons, according to industry sources.
Eastern Michigan is set to play Bowling Green on Saturday. Whether this latest controversy will affect the team’s season remains to be seen.
Eastern Michigan response
Eastern Michigan told ESPN it is aware of the issue and is working with the Mid-American Conference on a review.
“At this time, we do not know anything further about what may have precipitated the suspicious activity,” a university spokesperson told the outlet.
Integrity Compliance 360 issued an alert to its clients detailing attempts by bettors to place unusually large wagers on Tuesday’s game. The Michigan Gaming Control Board and the International Betting Integrity Association are also monitoring the situation.
Regulators are now focused on identifying whether a coordinated betting effort is influencing outcomes in these flagged games.
More suspicions around college basketball
Suspicious betting activity in college basketball is not new. Last season, a March game between Temple and UAB drew scrutiny for similar reasons. Federal authorities are investigating a former Temple player in connection with the case, which involved flagged first-half bets.
The rise in legal sports betting across the US has brought increased attention to potential manipulation in college sports.
The NCAA and regulators have been under growing pressure to address vulnerabilities in sports betting markets. Some sportsbooks have responded by limiting or removing first-half betting options for games they view as high-risk.
During a congressional hearing in December, NCAA President Charlie Baker reiterated the organization’s call for a nationwide ban on college player props, citing harassment faced by student-athletes. The hearing explored broader concerns, including the impact of sports betting on college athletes and recent wagering scandals, such as the University of Alabama baseball coach’s firing and ongoing investigations into potential point-shaving at Temple University.