2005 Houston Cougars Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

The Houston Cougars entered the 2004 season with relatively good feelings as they were coming off a 7-6 straight up record in 2003, which included a berth in the Hawaii Bowl. More important, to sports bettors, the Cougars posted their first season in the black in five years in 2003.

The good feelings at Houston were to go away quickly, however, starting in the first game of 2004, which was a 7-10 loss to cross town rival Rice at Reliant Stadium as Houston failed to get the cash as 4.5-point favorites. In their next game at Oklahoma, as 37-point dogs, the Cougars were totally humiliated, and exposed, in a 13-63 loss to the mighty Sooners. In their next game, Houston was clearly overvalued and overpriced as 15.5-point home chalks against an improving Army team that refused to quit under new coach Bobby Ross. Houston caused a bad beat for its sports betting backers in a 35-21 win to stand at 1-2 straight up and 0-3 against the odds.

In their next game against, perhaps, college football’s ultimate “name brand” team, Miami of Florida, the Cougars proved to be a bargain as 29-point dogs at Reliant Stadium, particularly with the Oklahoma debacle still fresh on the minds of the sports handicapping world. Houston got the cash, but not the game, in a 13-38 loss. Houston could not sustain momentum, however, and lost their next game at Memphis 14-41 as 13-point road dogs, falling to 1-4 both straight up and against the sports betting line. In their next game at Southern Miss, Houston proved to be a bargain as 17-point dogs in a 29-35-overtime loss. Next at TCU, a perennial Conference USA contender but currently struggling team, Houston lost 27-34 as 6.5-point dogs causing their sports betting backers another bad beat. The Cougars came home to host Tulane and were installed as 9.5-point chalks, getting the cash in a 24-3 win to now stand at 2-6 both straight up and against the spread heading into their final three games of the 2004 season.

Struggling East Carolina came calling to Houston and the Cougars were installed as 15.5-point chalks, getting the game but not the cash in a 34-24 win of a game that should not have been on anyone’s list of football picks. Houston then lost at UAB 7-20 as 9.5-point dogs and came home to get crushed by Louisville 27-65 as 21.5-point dogs to finish 2004 at 3-8 both straight up and against the odds for their fifth season in the red out of their last six. Houston appears on few lists of football picks and that is unlikely to change with such a poor track record.