When No. 16-seeded Derrick Jones Jr. took down No. 1 seed Kevin Durant in the opening round of the NBA 2k20 players-only tournament last Friday, the “upset”—the seedings were based on the players' 2k ratings, not their video game ability—resulted in some major losses for gamblers, who are looking for anything to bet on as sports leagues around the world are paused indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak.
As it turns out, controversy has now arisen surrounding the betting for the game, as it's been revealed that the contest between the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat forwards was pre-taped and the results were leaked before the event aired. Jones Jr. admitted the two hoopers recorded the game earlier in the day, per a since-deleted tweet from Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sentinel.
According to Robert Cooper, Odds Manager at SportsBetting.ag, the NBA 2K tourney “caused a headache for sports books because it was pre-taped, and information was ultimately leaked. We initially made Durant the favorite to win the tournament, but he was taking very little action over the course of the first 24 hours. When we posted the first-round matchup lines and the bets were completely one-sided toward Jones Jr., it became obvious that someone knew the outcome of the game.”
The lesson: don't gamble on other people playing video games. Of course, that won't stop anyone—presently company (possibly) included. If you're still interested, Odds Shark has updated its odds for the tournament, which will air its quarterfinals on Tuesday on ESPN2, followed by the semifinals and finals on Saturday.
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