2005 Detroit Lions NFL Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

After a nice 28-13 bounce back win at the New York Giants, the 2004 Detroit Lions took their 4-2 start to the regular season, (both straight up and against the sports betting odds), into Dallas to face the reeling Cowboys, who were 2-4 both straight up and against the sports betting odds and suffering with a three-game losing streak. At this point the sports betting players who were burned with similar traps that Detroit had set should have ran for the hills from this game on EITHER side as the Lions had proven just one thing thus far; they were totally inconsistent, unpredictable, and unreliable in either a positive or negative way. To think that Detroit would be a certain victor at Dallas against the struggling Cowboys would be pure folly.

The opening sports betting line set by the sports betting odds makers was so bizarre in itself that it should have been a warning to avoid this game at all costs. Struggling 2-4 Dallas, with a three game losing streak, was favored by three points over 4-2 Detroit who was coming off a nice recovery win. The lesson here is a lesson of “feel.” These types of pro football games happen almost every week. You will see sports betting odds on a game or two that simply doesn’t make sense, is totally puzzling, and should immediately set off alarm signals to you that this game is a trap, senseless, and something that only a fool would get involved with. Yet many bloggers at online sports betting websites were talking up Detroit, or more to the point, ripping on Dallas, the three-point favorite, screaming that the online sports betting websites and sportsbooks were offering “charity.” Yeah, and thieves steal to build hospitals!!! Dallas beat Detroit 31-21 and those foolish enough to make wagers on football picks that couldn’t have possibly have felt right.

This was the beginning of the end for the highly touted Lions. Detroit would lose four more in a row straight up, and six of their next seven. Interestingly enough, the puzzling Lions would actually turn out to be a better value against the sports betting odds later in this losing streak as they would, in fact, beat the sports betting odds in a stretch of four out of five games, four of which they lost straight up.

The Detroit Lions proved to be a great example of a team to just avoid for sports betting players. Football picks either for or against teams like this are like playing roulette against the online sports betting boards.