NCAA seeks to ban ‘prop’ bets in college games

(NewsNation) — How many three-point shots will Arizona’s Caleb Love make in Thursday’s NCAA men’s college basketball playoff game against Clemson? How many rebounds will Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin grab?

Wagers on individual achievements within a game, known as prop bets, are growing in popularity with fans who want more action than just the money line, point spread and game total bets.

But individual props are also a big danger to the integrity of the game, according to the NCAA. It wants states that have legalized betting to ban prop bets on college games.

“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a Wednesday statement.

It’s difficult for a single player to determine the final score of a game, or by how many points their team wins or loses. But the fear is that a player, knowing the number set for their points, assists and rebounds, could purposefully under-perform so bettors will hit the “under.”

More urgently, says the NCAA, is the problem of bettors reaching out to college players and pressuring, even threatening them to hit a “over” or “under.”

The sport betting monitor service U.S. Integrity flagged two Temple University basketball games earlier this year.

The NBA this week confirmed it’s investigating two games involving the Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter. According to ESPN, Porter’s “under” number was bet heavily in two games. Porter left both games early due to illness or injury, and those who bet the “under” won their bets.

Meanwhile, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said his social media is filled with complaints. Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff revealed he received threats from gamblers last season and reported it to the NBA.

Several states already ban props on college games. Others don’t allow props bets involving in-state teams.

The American Gaming Association says it’s not sure that banning prop bets will reduce athlete harassment, but it tells the Associated Press, “We do know that driving customers to illegal channels will ultimately hinder the ability to monitor for and detect potential suspicious betting behavior.”