2005 St Louis Rams NFL Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

Few football coaches draw the passionate ire of the online sports betting bloggers than the St. Louis Rams’ Mike Martz. “Mad Mike” is either a made scientist or resident buffoon depending on which side of the sports betting odds that you are on. For many members of the sports handicapping community, Martz brings out a rage and anger that while passionate, is actually quite rational. Few coaches have “masterminded” more bad beats for sports betting players than Martz.

Say what you will about Martz, he does get his team into the playoffs and after a 12-4 season in 2003 the playoffs are were expected by many in the sports handicapping community, even the Martz haters. St. Louis stumbled out of the gate in 2004 with a 1-2 straight up mark, and a zip for three record against the sports betting odds. Many online sports betting blogs were full of rage against Martz but other sports handicapping members posted that only a fool would have a Martz team on his list of football picks and offered no sympathy for those whose pockets were burned by the Rams.

Just as the final “never again” posts were registered at the online sports betting blogs the Rams, of course, won and covered three consecutive games against the sports betting odds to stand at 4-2 straight up and 3-3 against the sports betting line. Sure enough, many of Martz’s detractors were now posting blogs at the online sports betting message boards about how maybe Martz learned his lesson and was coaching with more “control.” Many members of the sports handicapping community who wrote off the Rams were now ready to include them on their list of football picks again.

Sure enough, after earning forgiveness and doing their penance the Rams sucked in a lot of money for their game at Miami against the reeling Dolphins. Not even Martz, it was figured, could screw this game up. And yet the Rams were blown out 14-31 by the hapless fish as 6-point chalks. The online sports betting blogs were blazing with enraged sports betting players who once again were burned by Martz. The very next week only increased the rage of the sports handicapping community as the Rams WON 23-12 as 1.5-home dogs to Seattle. After that, however, St. Louis dropped five straight to the sports betting odd, only again to rally with wins and covers in their final two games to gain the playoffs. In the playoffs the Rams beat Seattle for the third time in 2004 before being destroyed at Atlanta 17-47 to finish 7-11 against the sports betting odds.