2005 Kansas Jayhawks Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

Kansas entered the 2004 season with, if not quite momentum, at least a small measure of respect as they were coming off a 2003 bowl season, though by losing the Tangerine Bowl to North Carolina State 26-56 they ended up with a 6-7 losing straight up record. Kansas, incredibly enough, has not had a major sports handicapping market correction take place with them as they entered 2004 having failed to finish in the black against the odds for six consecutive seasons. As the 2004 season began, KU had lost 13 out of their last 18 games against the odds and was a poor 11-22 against the number in their previous three seasons.

At the start of 2004 it did appear as if a sports handicapping market correction would take place as Kansas won back-to-back games both straight up and against the odds. KU was a frequent member of many sports bettor’s lists of football picks in their third game at Northwestern. KU was installed as 2.5-point dogs after annihilating a well-respected Toledo team 63-14 the previous week. Many online sports betting blogs proclaimed that the wrong team was favored, but Northwestern got the cash and the game 20-17. KU next suffered a brutal home loss to Texas Tech 30-31 as 5.5-point home dogs in a game that many Jayhawkers believed they should have won. Still, it was encouraging that KU was playing toe to toe with a perennial bowl team like Texas Tech. An 8-14 loss as 12.5-point dogs at Nebraska, while a payoff, was disappointing because the Huskers were several notches below their old selves and KU was hoping to steal a straight up win. The highlight of the KU season occurred in their next game at home against Kansas State, who had owned the Jayhawks for several years running prior to this game. K State was installed as 3-point chalks but Kansas came through with the upset 31-28 to get the money for the fifth time in six games to start 2004. At 3-3 there was still hope for a bowl in Lawrence.

Kansas suffered quite a hangover from that K State win because they went on to lose three straight games both straight up and against the odds to Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Colorado. In their home finale against Texas, Kansas gave away a near certain win by losing late 23-27 as 23-point dogs. Kansas was a bargain as 11-point dogs at Missouri, winning 31-14 to complete the 2004 season with a record of 4-7 straight up and 7-4 against the number, finishing in the black against the odds for the first time since 1997 and completing the sports handicapping market correction.