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Michigan State QB Says ‘Take Over,’ and Many Bettors Do
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Michigan State QB Says ‘Take Over,’ and Many Bettors Do

The over/under totals for Michigan State’s season opener against Florida Atlantic changed at the bookies on Thursday and the market turned when the Spartans’ starting quarterback gave reporters a betting recommendation.

Michigan State sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles told reporters twice Thursday afternoon, “If you’re going to bet, take over,” during a press conference in response to questions about the Spartans’ season outlook and their Aug. 30 opener against FAU.

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

As of 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, about 71% of the money wagered on the FAU-Michigan State total at BetMGM sportsbooks was on the under. But by Friday, the day after his comments, that had flipped, with 64% of the money on the over at BetMGM books.

The over/under figure at bookmakers has also risen from 46.5 to 47.5.

A Michigan State spokesperson released the audio of Chiles’ comments but would not comment further on the matter.

An NCAA spokesperson said student-athletes receive training on sports betting policies and potential dangers through its partnership with Epic Global Solutions, a company that works to prevent gambling-related harm. The training includes discussions about sharing inside information with colleagues, family or the media “that could be used to influence betting decisions.”

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

Patrick Chester, senior program manager at Epic, says he encourages student-athletes to keep everything “in-house.”

“That includes injury information, game plans and betting tips,” Chester told ESPN in an email. “I’m talking about media, friends and family and I emphasize that when they provide that information to the media, it exposes teammates to potential online abuse and outside threats, who can then use that information for betting purposes.”