2005 Utah State Aggies Handicapping Review
By Tom Wilkinson
Utah State, like many current members of the Western
Athletic Conference, has taken sports bettors on
wild streaks of both positive and negative natures. In 2000
they started the season by dropping their first four games
against the sports betting line, only to then rally and
cover their next four games before failing to get the cash
in their finale. After starting 2001 with two straight wins
against the odds the Aggies dropped six of
their final seven lined games in a sharp sports handicapping
market correction. The skid continued in 2002 as Utah State
lost their first four games against the odds
to extend their overall streak of futility to ten losses in
eleven games versus the pointspread. The Aggies then began a
stark lesson in sports handicapping market corrections as
they beat the sports betting odds in four of their final six
games of 2002, and in six of their first nine games of 2003
making for a total streak of ten covers in fifteen games
during that span. Just as they were being touted at the
online sports betting blogs as a good “value” team, however,
Utah State dropped their final three games against the odds, thus, entering the 2004 campaign as a
question mark. Most online sports betting blogs ignored the
Aggies, and what few posts appeared about them were negative
in nature, as Utah State had not had a winning season
straight up since 1997. It is important to note that
perception is often reality in sports handicapping, and Utah
State was perceived as a loser that would be a potential “go
against” team on many lists of 2004 football picks.
Utah State wasted little time in shattering whatever
potential sports handicapping belief was resting on them as
they were clobbered 17-48 at Alabama as 25-point dogs in
their 2004 season opener. After failing to get the cash in a
14-7 home win over Idaho as 11.5-point chalks the Aggies
were again hammered, 6-48, as 19.5-point dogs at Utah. With
two high profile slaughters in their first three losses
against the odds, Utah State had absolutely
no appeal as a team to appear on anyone’s lists of football
picks, unless as a “go against” team. They traveled to UNLV
as 13-point dogs in a game many pointed to as a potential
springboard for the Rebels. Incredibly, the Aggies won 31-21
but few sports bettors cashed in as the online
sports betting sites and casino sportsbooks cleaned up. The
game served only as a band aid for the Aggies, however, as
they dropped their next six games against the odds before covering their finale, finishing the 2004 season
with a record of 3-8 straight up and 2-9 against the odds.
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