Rece Davis Calls Erin Dolan ESPN Betting Advice 'Risk-Free Investing'
ESPN is all-in on sports betting. Not only is the one-time "Worldwide Leader in Sports" delivering gambling advice, they want you to risk your money on their platform, ESPN Bet. On Sunday, though, host Rece Davis and analyst Erin Dolan probably took that a bit too far.
Look, sports betting is exactly what it says it is: gambling. Which means, of course, that you cannot be sure you're going to win. Everyone understands that. Rece Davis, by all accounts a very good guy, understands this. Erin Dolan, a relative newcomer in the sports betting advice space, knows this.
That's what makes a segment that ran on ESPN on Sunday morning very, very strange.
Dolan joined Davis and gave out a pick for an NCAA Tournament game on Sunday. The pair discussed the match-up between #9 Northwestern and #1 UConn. Dolan gave out her pick for that match-up, which is for Northwestern to score under 60.5 points.
ESPN host Rece Davis (pictured) referred to betting advice from analyst Erin Dolan as "risk-free investing," which is really weird.
(USA TODAY Sports)
What's fascinating is that Dolan starts her analysis by saying, "This is going to be a sweat. I wish I could give you a ton of research on why this is going to hit."
OK, that doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. Quite frankly, credit to her for admitting that. Most betting analysts deliver their picks as if there's no chance they could lose. And, most of the public touts give out a LOT of losing picks. Myself included, by the way.
Dolan then explains that the plan for both teams is to slow down the tempo in the game and that Northwestern's total is inflated by the fact that they scored 77 points in the First Round, though many of those points came in overtime.
Perfectly reasonable advice for a pick, but by no means a lock to happen. Obviously.
That's when it gets a little strange. After listening to Dolan give her advice, he essentially guarantees that her pick is correct and even encourages people to plop down a large sum of money because it's free money.
"Some would call this wagering, gambling; the way you've sold this, I think what it is, is a risk-free investment," Davis said.
A RISK-FREE INVESTMENT!?
To be fair to Davis, I think he's joking. The point of his comment is to comically refer to gambling advice as "risk-free" or an "investment." Both of which most people understand is not how betting works.
However, these are the pitfalls for companies like ESPN. The network decided to get into the sports betting business. Just watch the clip above, and you can see all the ESPN Bet logos and promotion for their sportsbook. The goal for the company, to make money, is to get as many people as possible to bet on their book.
But you think ESPN wants people to use ESPN Bet and WIN a ton of money?? Of course not. They want you to LOSE a ton of money. That's how books make money.
While I think Davis meant no harm with his comment, and I certainly don't think he should be punished for making a joke, it just goes to show the position that ESPN put itself in.
Should anyone have taken that comment seriously? No. Will some people? Maybe. What if someone bet their mortgage on Davis' advice of a "risk-free investment" and lost? Could they sue ESPN for giving terrible financial advice? I don't know, I'm not a lawyer.
But the network just can't help itself from diving into murky waters and that segment provides the latest example.
AN UPDATE TO THIS STORY
At 3:05pm ET Rece Davis made an apology on X for his original statement on air.