2005 Indiana Hoosiers Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

Indiana entered the 2004 campaign coming off three consecutive losing seasons against the odds. In fact, from 2001-2003 the Hoosiers had beaten the sports betting line just eleven times out of thirty-three games. Normally, this would be an immediate sports handicapping situation in which a market correction would be likely. When a team has such a horrible three year run in sports betting, eventually the numbers posted by the sports betting odds makers straighten out the record as such losing teams, more often than not, turn into sports handicapping values and bargains.

Indiana seemed to be primed to make that correction as they won their first two games of the season both straight up and against the odds. They opened with a 41-10 home win over Central Michigan as 12.5-point chalks, which was followed by an incredible 30-24 win at Oregon in which the Hoosiers were installed as 20-point dogs.

Just when many members of the sports handicapping community began to believe that Indiana could be a “sleeper” to include on their lists of football picks the Hoosiers went back to their old ways and were clobbered at Kentucky 32-51 as 2-point dogs. This proved to be the beginning of the end for Indiana and many sports betting bloggers that wrote them off after the Kentucky debacle.

Indiana next had a two-game homestand against Michigan State and Michigan, losing both games both straight up and against the odds as home dogs to fall to 2-3 both straight up and against the sports betting line as they traveled to Northwestern, where they were installed as 11-point dogs. The Hoosiers got the money in a 24-31 loss. This was followed up with a 7-30 loss at Ohio State as 13.5-point dogs.

At 3-4 both straight up and against the odds Indiana came home to host Minnesota, who was coming off a 45-0 blowout win over Illinois. Indiana was installed as a ridiculous 17.5-point home dog and beat the Golden Gophers straight up 30-21. While many members of the sports handicapping community were shocked at Minnesota being made such a large chalk few were interested in the Hoosiers. Indiana lost their last three games both straight up and against the sports betting line to finish with just 15 payoffs in their last 44 games for sports bettors.