Spartans total up after QB’s ‘take the over’ talk

The over/under total on Michigan State‘s opener against Florida Atlantic moved Thursday at sportsbooks and the market turned after the Spartans’ starting quarterback gave reporters a betting recommendation.

Michigan State sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles told reporters, “If you bet, take the over,” twice during a news conference Thursday afternoon in response to questions about the season outlook for the Spartans and their opening game against FAU on Aug. 30.

It’s unclear whether Chiles was referring to a specific betting opportunity or just exuding confidence in his team, but the comments appeared to have an effect.

Since 3 p.m. Thursday, 97% of the money wagered and 84% of the bets on the total at ESPN BET have been on the over. Also on Thursday, at the time of Chiles’ comments, approximately 71% of the money that had been wagered on the FAU-Michigan State total at BetMGM sportsbooks was on the under. But as of Friday, a day after his remarks, that had flipped, with 64% of the money on the over at BetMGM books.

The over/under number has also ticked up from 46.5 to 47.5 at sportsbooks.

A Michigan State spokesperson provided the audio of the Chiles remarks but declined any additional comment on the matter.

A spokesperson for the NCAA said student-athletes receive training on its sports betting policy and the potential dangers through its partnership with Epic Global Solutions, a firm that works to prevent gambling-related harm. The training includes discussion on the sharing of inside information with peers, family or media “that could be used to influence betting.”

“Additionally, the NCAA encourages all athletics departments to provide media training for their student-athletes,” Saquandra Heath, the NCAA’s associate director of external communication, told ESPN in an email. “However, it is the school’s decision to determine the content of those training sessions.”

Patrick Chester, senior program facilitator for Epic, said he emphasizes to college athletes to keep everything “in house.”

“That includes injury info, gameplans and gambling tips,” Chester told ESPN in an email. “I talk about media, friends and family and I make a point to stress that whenever they provide any of that information to media, that exposes teammates to potential online abuse and threats from those on the outside, who then may take that information and use it for gambling purposes.”