2005 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have been an up and down team against the odds since the 2001 season. In 2001 Louisiana Tech beat the sports betting line in seven of their first nine games only to drop their final three games against the pointspread, including the Humanitarian Bowl in a 24-49 loss to Clemson as 6-point dogs. In the 2002 campaign Louisiana Tech, after beating the sports betting odds in two of their first three games went on to drop six consecutive, and eight of their last nine overall games against the pointspread. Combined with the three straight losses against the number to end 2001 and Tech was a dismal 3-12 against the odds making due for a sports handicapping market correction for 2003. Sure enough, after a season opening pointspread failure against Miami, Louisiana Tech lost just one of their next five games against the odds in 2003, only to then drop five of their final seven games against the pointspread to finish with just five wins in twelve games against the line.

Tech entered the 2004 season as one of college football’s truly anonymous teams and received scant attention from the sports betting bloggers. What few members of the sports handicapping fraternity that did bother to check out the Bulldogs figured they may have their spots as a potential “value” play. That being said, Louisiana Tech would not be much of a thought to appear on anyone’s lists of football picks entering the 2004 campaign.

After a season opening 38-21 home win over Nevada as 6-point chalks, the Bulldogs went on to drop their next three games against the odds, winning one of them straight up, to stand at 2-2 straight up and 1-3 against the sports betting line. They hosted a well respected Fresno State team in their next game and, as 14.5-point home dogs, pulled off a 28-21 upset win. Tech was obviously out of gas for their next game at powerhouse Auburn, which they lost 7-52 as 26-point dogs. On the road the next week at SMU the Bulldogs prevailed 41-10 as 9.5-point chalks to get the cash for what few sports bettors had them on their lists of football picks.

Tech was overvalued in their next game as 2.5-point home chalks against resurgent Texas El Paso, who took the game and the money 44-27. Tech next lost at struggling Hawaii 23-34 as 4-point dogs before rallying to win two of their final three games against the odds to finish with a record of 6-6 straight up and 5-7 against the sports betting line.