Spartans total up after QB’s ‘take the over’ talk
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David Purdum, ESPN Staff Writer
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.”
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is “ready to play,” coach Billy Napier said Thursday on his weekly radio show.
Napier removed Lagway from the team’s injury report and penciled him in to start against No. 21 LSU in the Swamp on Saturday.
Lagway practiced every day this week while progressing from a strained left hamstring. The highly touted freshman was carted off the field against Georgia on Nov. 2. Tests revealed a “less significant” injury than initially feared, and now he’s back in time to face the Tigers.
The Gators (4-5, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) need him. They have to win two of their final three regular-season games to become bowl eligible.
LSU (6-3, 3-2) has struggled mightily against dual-threat QBs, including Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who ran for 185 yards and four touchdowns last week.
Lagway returns after walk-on and Yale transfer Aidan Warner started in his place against Texas. Warner threw two interceptions and was 12-of-25 passing for 132 yards in a 49-17 loss.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
No. 12 Georgia will be without leading rusher Trevor Etienne for Saturday’s showdown against No. 7 Tennessee.
Etienne was downgraded from questionable to out on Thursday night’s SEC availability report.
Etienne left Georgia’s win over Florida with an upper-body injury on Nov. 2 and did not return. He played limited snaps in last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss, carrying the ball six times for 24 yards.
Etienne leads the Bulldogs with 477 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season.
The loss is another blow to Georgia’s banged-up backfield. Cash Jones is also listed as questionable while Branson Robinson remains out after missing the past three games with a knee injury.
That leaves true freshman Nate Frazier as the only healthy Bulldogs running back who has played meaningful snaps this year. Frazier is second on the team with 333 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who lost his starting job earlier this week, will not be returning to the team, he announced Thursday night.
Castellanos, who started 12 games last season and retained the top job under new coach Bill O’Brien, wrote on X that “unfortunately, all good things come to an end, even though it’s sooner than I would like.” He did not mention the transfer portal in his departing message and has not officially entered it. The junior from Waycross, Georgia, started his career at UCF and appeared in five games in 2022.
O’Brien said Tuesday that Grayson James, who replaced Castellanos in last week’s win against Syracuse, will start Saturday when Boston College visits No. 14 SMU. Castellanos “wasn’t real thrilled” with the decision, O’Brien said, adding that the quarterback decided to step away from the team for several days.
Castellanos had 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards last season under coach Jeff Hafley, passing for 15 touchdowns and adding 13 on the ground. He had 18 touchdown passes and only five interceptions this season, but his accuracy dipped in recent weeks, and he completed only 2 of 7 passes against Syracuse before being replaced.
In his statement, Castellanos thanked both coaching staffs he played for at Boston College and wrote that he had “some of the best experiences of my life in the Eagles Nest and I will truly cherish these memories forever.”
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