[cleaveland]

I was just thinking that the spreads of Catholic Universities could be inflated because Catholics are betting on them just to root for Catholic teams. That could explain for example why St. Johns and Villanova are/were favored (when they probably shouldn't).

Before you laugh at that, please realize that the Catholic church is the biggest organization in the world with over a billion members. If they're mostly making "homer" bets for their organization, that would inflate lines a lot.

[Iona]

I for one will root for a Catholic school but would not wager on a Catholic school unless I find value.

[ryanspeer2001]

From my understanding it's not a catholic thing to gamble. Thinking the lines would be inflated would be akin to buying up ladies halter tops in a muslim country. It just doesn't add up.

[cleaveland]

From my understanding it's not a catholic thing to gamble. Thinking the lines would be inflated would be akin to buying up ladies halter tops in a muslim country. It just doesn't add up.

I don't want to get into all the evil the Catholic church has done that it shouldn't have done. Anyway about gambling:

The Catholic position (Gambling)
Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement. Unfair wagers and cheating at games constitute grave matter [i.e., they can be mortal sin], unless the damage inflicted is so slight that the one who suffers it cannot reasonably consider it significant.

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/35629

Come on now, if the Catholic church prohibited gambling too many members might leave. Running the biggest organization in the world, which includes its own country, is expensive, they need the cash flow that comes with as big a membership as possible.

[Extra Innings]

Yes,

I only bet on Catholic Universities.

Yours in Christ,
Extra Innings

[stealthyburrito]

way more muslims then catholics.

and no way the # of catholics even approaches 1 billion.

[cleaveland]

way more muslims then catholics.

and no way the # of catholics even approaches 1 billion.

But there are many different types of Muslims (Sunnis and Shia, for example) with their own organizations. They are absolutely not one organization:

http://islam.about.com/cs/divisions/f/shia_sunni.htm

According to the Vatican the number of Catholics in the world is over a billion:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4243727.stm

When I said the Catholic church is the largest organization in the world I'm talking about an actual organization with headquarters (the Vatican) and a leader (the Pope). The Muslim religion is not like that, it's a religion not one unified organization.

[str]

Being catholic has nothing to do with whether or not you are a gambler.

But the answer to your question about Villanova and St. Johns is no.They were not favored because they were catholic.FYI:Gonzaga is catholic.
However, Notre Dame has long been a place were inflated numbers could be found, especially in football.