Just for discussion, are sports are fixed?

[Mikelewis]

Just to liven this section up...Do we think most wagerable sports are fixed? Should or do you approach
handicapping with this in mind?

[captrobey]

I think it happens from time to time . But overall i think you are mostly safe. But once in awhile i see some really questionable things happen. But compared to this Virtual crap happening right now i think it is 100Xs safer to bet on a live real game then a virtual Madden or whatever they are. Already see a ton of stories on here where people thought they were cheated with the virtual stuff.

[hehfest]

I think it happens from time to time . But overall i think you are mostly safe. But once in awhile i see some really questionable things happen. But compared to this Virtual crap happening right now i think it is 100Xs safer to bet on a live real game then a virtual Madden or whatever they are. Already see a ton of stories on here where people thought they were cheated with the virtual stuff.

LOL @ Virtual games being fixed. Ha ha.

[JoeCool20]

Some people think it is fixed because of some of the wild shit that happens when human beings (athletes) are involved.

But it is just like I tell people about poker, if you play long enough then you will see all kinds of wild shit!

4 of a kind losing to a higher 4 of a kind, 2 straight flushes with obviously one of them losing, and of course,

the one card miracle out hitting on the river. Same thing with sports, if you bet long enough, then you will see

the wildest shit on earth happen in some games. Doesn't mean it is fixed though.

[nyplayer33]

Think that would come out in 2020...too much technology and people would do it to look good and get a big name outting a fix.

[BigdaddyQH]

If Team A is a hoops favorite by say 16 and wins by 15, was the game fixed? I know of several games that this happened and yes, all the games were "fixed". Shaving points, especially in a game like hoops, is very easy to do. It is impossible for Joe Bettor to know this. It is part of the price you pay for wagering on such a fixable sport. After al, winning a game by 15 is certainly not "throwing" the game. No one really cares except for the people who took the favorite and the Boys who put the shave in. All it takes is one player. College Hoops are easy to manipulate because of the utter stupidity of the vast majority of payers, who are 17-18 year old blacks and probably had to have someone fill out their app to get into the college to begin with. Those kids are easy to pay off. a C-note and a two dollar working girl is all it takes.

[chilidog]

lol @ big daddy showing up in the think tank

[StackinGreen]

Some people think it is fixed because of some of the wild shit that happens when human beings (athletes) are involved.

But it is just like I tell people about poker, if you play long enough then you will see all kinds of wild shit!

4 of a kind losing to a higher 4 of a kind, 2 straight flushes with obviously one of them losing, and of course,

the one card miracle out hitting on the river. Same thing with sports, if you bet long enough, then you will see

the wildest shit on earth happen in some games. Doesn't mean it is fixed though.

Yes, another classic experiment in cognitive bias. Thousands of ho-hum results where nothing is fixed, most things go as expected (and no one says anything as there is "no story"), then here come the tight games where the spread is close are all that people remember or talk about. Pretty silly, but that's how the human mind works. It's also why propaganda is so effective --- what's going on right now is a perfect example.

Ever wonder why people talk about when the market gets the spread "right on" and it's "amazing" but when a -4 spread results in a 30 point blowout no one talks about how great "Vegas" is? Same thing.

I'm not surprised anymore at how few people engage in critical thinking, especially after the coronavirus madness.

[StackinGreen]

lol @ big daddy showing up in the think tank

And conspiracy related, no less. At least he didn't talk about how stupid everyone else was, and how smart he is. But he implied it, so I guess that counts.

[cashin81]

Some people think it is fixed because of some of the wild shit that happens when human beings (athletes) are involved.

But it is just like I tell people about poker, if you play long enough then you will see all kinds of wild shit!

4 of a kind losing to a higher 4 of a kind, 2 straight flushes with obviously one of them losing, and of course,

the one card miracle out hitting on the river. Same thing with sports, if you bet long enough, then you will see

the wildest shit on earth happen in some games. Doesn't mean it is fixed though.

good post by joe.

But a fix doesnt have to be something special or out of the ordinary. It could be just the fav to win the game at -300.

Happens in soccer a lot, mostly the poor countries, africa, poor european countries where they are easier to influence. Even at the highest level (world cup) I guess americans are harder to convince due to the standard of living being higher. Though id imagine college games could be targeted.

[Sawyer]

Sometimes, it's fixed, yes. One game in Moldova league 2 days ago. Half time ended 0-0. Then Over 2½ Goals odds started to change in half time break! Moved from +100 to -150. No surprise, 4 goals happened quickly..

[cashin81]

i saw that, b365 blocked it and they insist on taking bets on everything. Poorest country in europe, fuk me i didnt realise its this bad, they live off £7 a day. If you go to mcdonalds, you have to turn the lights off and sit in the dark at home.

the average monthly salary in the economy was MDL 4611 (approx. 210 EUR / 235 USD),

[Ian]

Personally, I think Razor took a dive here. Totally fixed.

[Sawyer]

I'm expecting fixed games to increase these days due to corona virus. Most clubs are in financial trouble, no ticket sales. They play without fans. How they will make money? They will cut player salaries. How players will make money? By fixing games of course.

[cashin81]

https://www.thesportster.com/entertainment/top-15-biggest-match-fixing-scandals-of-all-time/

The Nigerian Football Association handed down several lifetime bans for one of the most blatant match fixing scandals ever carried out. Plateau United Feeders and Police Machine were both on the brink of promotion prior to their respective matches with Akurba FC and Babayaro FC. However, their victories came into question when Plateau United Feeders won 79-0 and Police Machine won 67-0, with the vast majority of the goals being scored in the second half of those matches. As a result of this ridiculous match fixing, all four teams and the match officials from these matches were given lifetime bans.

[krisinsd]

There was a chargers/steelers game 10-11. last play of the game steelers got a TD, refs took it off with the worst reversal ive ever seen (when no team was even asking or for it to be reviewed) and the power going out in a UNLV/Wisconsin game with about 8 minutes left. Those 2 I think might have been fixed.

[pologq]

i think it happens more than we think but not to the level we think it does

there are some real questionable fouls at the end of basketball games when the game is out of reach but the losing team will foul still and the free throws make the winning team cover

i also see football teams look completely disorganized and then wake up out of nowhere to not only win but to cover - it does make you think when it happens more than on an occassion

[pologq]

Personally, I think Razor took a dive here. Totally fixed.

[BigdaddyQH]

Hoops is by far, the easiest game to "FIX", though in most cases, the only thing that is being "FIXED" is the final score, NOT who won the game. Think it out. Team "A" is favored by 18 over Team "B" and the total is 150. Most people are looking at a possible final of 84-66 for Team "A" or something close to that. Now if Team "B" wins outright, there will be more Red Flags flying that at a NASCAR Race this year. Everyone is going to question the results of that game, and at least 10 people in here will scream "FIX". People who actually matter (not the posters in here) are going to look into this game. That is the last thing that people who set these games up want.

By the same token, if Team "A" wins 82-68. They do NOT cover the 18 point spread, but they still won by 14. Who is going to question that result? It happens all of the time. If the game was played on a Saturday, there were probably 40-50 other games played on that same day, with some of them having results a lot more questionable than that. So it is much easier to have one player shave a few points by missing a sot or two or some free throws in "garbage" time than an entire team tank and lose as a big favorite. Remember, point shaving is almost unnoticeable if done correctly.

[Bsims]

Just to liven this section up...Do we think most wagerable sports are fixed? Should or do you approach handicapping with this in mind?

I suppose a small number of games could be fixed. I doubt that happens much. But, it does not influence my analysis. I'm probably just as likely to bet the way the game was fixed, as the opposite side.

[dante1]

I suppose a small number of games could be fixed. I doubt that happens much. But, it does not influence my analysis. I'm probably just as likely to bet the way the game was fixed, as the opposite side.

it is rare and the games that might be fixed would be small colleges and even then not very often

how much money would you need to bribe a pro athlete? criminals are stupid but not that stupid. they will not spend their time on a crime that will cost so much money with a real chance of things going bad. then we have the other issue. where are you going to lay off the type of money you need to bet in order to make your money back and a huge profit. the local book has limits, vegas and other establishments have protocols that screen large bets and they communicate with each other. so what are you going to do make 10,000 bets locally. It makes no sense.

and then what criminal will chance paying an athlete 100,000 dollars to maybe earn one million. when he can take that same 100,000 and purchase drugs and make many times more. It just makes no sense. The days of Arnold Rothstein are basically over.

then we have tons of checks and balances so getting to a ref is next to impossible. too many different obstacles, fixing games is a pipe dream. Maybe you can offer your nephew $20 to blow a lead in his PAL basketball league.

[StackinGreen]

Hoops is by far, the easiest game to "FIX", though in most cases, the only thing that is being "FIXED" is the final score, NOT who won the game. Think it out. Team "A" is favored by 18 over Team "B" and the total is 150. Most people are looking at a possible final of 84-66 for Team "A" or something close to that. Now if Team "B" wins outright, there will be more Red Flags flying that at a NASCAR Race this year. Everyone is going to question the results of that game, and at least 10 people in here will scream "FIX". People who actually matter (not the posters in here) are going to look into this game. That is the last thing that people who set these games up want.

By the same token, if Team "A" wins 82-68. They do NOT cover the 18 point spread, but they still won by 14. Who is going to question that result? It happens all of the time. If the game was played on a Saturday, there were probably 40-50 other games played on that same day, with some of them having results a lot more questionable than that. So it is much easier to have one player shave a few points by missing a sot or two or some free throws in "garbage" time than an entire team tank and lose as a big favorite. Remember, point shaving is almost unnoticeable if done correctly.

I think we all agree this would be far more likely, and I'm sure it has happened, but I think overall it is uncommon. Usually teammates can also tell, so it's not that easy to keep silent.

[hehfest]

Every US professional sporting event game is fixed. Other countries? Don't know for sure. College? Yes. Coaches in on it and certain players. Don't be naive. You will see coaches make some of the most retarded decisions in almost every game (college) that a fifth grader wouldn't dare do.

[POTVINSUX]

Simple..Don't be oblivious..YES!!!

[benibrowns]

Seems like everything else, Some are some aren't

[Vyasports]

There is a simple logic that we should understand when it comes to questions like this...
FIXED or NOT = bettors can bet what they want.... So when someone says that a soccer match was fixed (for example away team to win), that means everyone who bet on that away team , they've won, right? And those who did not bet on away team , they've lost obviously... Just like a normal match where some bettors win and some lose. Dnt get me wrong here, im just pinpointing this "logic"

[CIS]

There are def atleast 2 fixed games every day. From esports to regular sports. Some games do not even enter into live offer simply because they got hits prematch... For example, Esports scene has atleast 1 fixed game per day definetely. Sometimes its paid off by fixers, often times players themselves fix those games by simply throwing away maps/rounds. Why? Because if youre a pro player who plays on low tier matches/cups/competitions with for example, making barely 20k last year from tournament money then why not threw away a match in competition where you know its improbable to end in top 3.Just let your friend to bet against your team and make the tournament money much easily than winning many matches in a row. Alot of this happening on Australian teams, CIS teams and Asian teams. Also cheating is something which is noticeble this days a lot more, especially on CSGO scenes so would not say its "fixing" but def its helping cheaters to win matches and to make money from betting itself. The ones who say that its impossible on 2020 because of technology then his simply ignoring the fact that fixes have existed as far as sports so one cant go without another basically For big leagues like serie A or Premium league, yes, no interest to fix simply because players would be super hard to pay off unless they are the ones who want to fix. But for small leagues where players dont get decent salary or clubs have lil to no money, fixes are happening on "daily" basis just for the sake to put bread on the table

[Microphone]

I think it happens from time to time . But overall i think you are mostly safe. But once in awhile i see some really questionable things happen. But compared to this Virtual crap happening right now i think it is 100Xs safer to bet on a live real game then a virtual Madden or whatever they are. Already see a ton of stories on here where people thought they were cheated with the virtual stuff.

We know trying to win to a round number in the casino is fixed so why not sports, right Captro?

[clockwise1965]

The fix exists. Bet according

[QuantumLeap]

For those who like conspiracy theories, one of the comments at this page tells how much the military is involved in sports, especially the NFL and how this "brotherhood" could affect games. That's why there are military exercises like the Honor Guard before each game. It's also why the "taking a knee" was reviled. Now it seems that has reversed with the changing of the national anthem.

I'm not saying I agree with it but it sure makes for interesting reading. Lots of musicians from the 60's had military connections in their families as well.

https://pieceofmindful.com/2016/06/06/are-american-sports-all-rigged/

I take that as my hint that Jimmy Johnson is military. He went to high school with Janis Joplin which was Laurel Canyon-connected. Buffalo Bills GM during the Super Bowl years was Bill Polian who is also famous for being the GM of Peyton Manning’s Colts. He is considered one of the greatest GMs of all time. Well he has 14 years missing in his bio between college and the USFL. He went to a Marine Academy and then coached Trinity School in Manhattan (Trinity being a signal for intelligence).

Bills coach Marv Levy was former Air Force. I mentioned earlier that owner Ralph Wilson was former Navy along with so many other original owners. Well reading the Wiki bio closer I see that he was a 33rd Degree Freemason (note the 33).

Well the Bills history is just filled with military. Here are some former Buffalo Bills coaches:
Chan Gailey – Coached 4 years at Air Force
Lou Saban – Coached Army
Bills GM John Butler – Former Marine
Mike Mularkey – Wearing Navy hat in Wiki picture
Doug Marrone – Coached Coast Guard
Buster Ramsey – Navy
Joe Collier – Army
John Rauch – Coached Army
Perry Fewell – Position Coach at Army
Wade Phillips – Father Bum Phillips was Elite Marine
Rex Ryan – Father Bud Ryan was Sergeant during Korean War

We’re talking 80-90% of all Bills coaches have been connected somehow to the military. With Bill Polian seeming like a high-level spook, it puts the Bills Super Bowl teams under scrutiny. Not only were they possibly better than all 4 teams they lost to, but it’s possible they were placed in the Super Bowl to begin with. Both Wade Phillips and Rex Ryan are beloved NFL coaches who keep being given 2nd chances. It seems they are a legacy in the NFL with their father’s military connections and coaching “success”.

Bill Belichick’s father was a scout for the Navy for 30+ years. Belichick supposedly met his shady sidekick Ernie Adams at a Prep school when Adams recognized Belichick because he had read his father’s obscure scouting book. How unlikely is that. They met at Phillips Academy which is one of the top prep schools in the Country. How did Ernie Adams get into that academy? We don’t know because they don’t mention his parents. Looks like a spook academy.

How about all the other “great” NFL coaches:
Vince Lombardi – Coached at West Point
Hank Stram – Former Military
Tom Landry – 2nd Lieutenant in Air Force
Chiefs Owner Lamar Hunt attended Culver Military Academy with Titans Owner Bud Adams. Also attending were both Steinbrenners (NY Yankees owners).

What about NFL Commissioners:
Roger Goodell – Son of a Senator
Pete Rozelle – Former Navy
Austin Gunsel – Former FBI
Bert Bell – 1st Sergeant in WWI

Other NFL coaches and players from military families:
Jim Caldwell – Heavy Military Family
Frank Reich (Bills backup QB and current Head Coach Prospect – Father was Marines
Larry Fitzgerald – Uncle AND Aunt are Lieutenant Colonels
John Fox – Father was one of the original Navy Seals
Marvin Lewis – Father was Army
Rod Marinelli – Vietnam Veteran
Andy Reid – Father was Navy
Ron Rivera (Panthers Coach) – Father was Army Officer
Norv Turner – Father was Marine

[Vyasports]

hmmm thats interesting... wat about other sports Quantum

[caramba]

Personally, I think Razor took a dive here. Totally fixed.

That would explain how he got the $10,000 to goad The Kid into a rematch weeks later.

[Mikelewis]

Every US professional sporting event game is fixed. Other countries? Don't know for sure. College? Yes. Coaches in on it and certain players. Don't be naive. You will see coaches make some of the most retarded decisions in almost every game (college) that a fifth grader wouldn't dare do.

totally agree...listen to hehfest he knows, there are insiders right here on this site that know as well (not me, but others)

[Vyasports]

[QuantumLeap]

hmmm thats interesting... wat about other sports Quantum

Don't know offhand, Vya. I'll have to do some checking.