2005 Northwestern Wildcats Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

Northwestern entered the 2004 season on a bit of a sports handicapping roll, as from game four of the 2002 season through the completion of the 2003 campaign, the Wildcats got the money in 15 out of 22 games for sports bettors. But having posted losing seasons for three consecutive years entering the 2004 season, Northwestern commanded little sports handicapping respect.

The Cats started off 2004 in fine fashion, taking Conference USA powerhouse TCU into overtime before losing 45-48 as 6.5-point road dogs. In their next game, however, Northwestern was proven to be completely overvalued as 1.5-point home chalks in a 21-30 loss to Arizona State. This game turned a lot of sports betting bloggers against the Cats, and many posts labeled them as “Mildcats” and “frauds.”

In their very next game, Northwestern hosted an up and coming Kansas team that was playing impressive football. In one of those “weird” lines that scare a lot of seasoned members of the sports handicapping community, Northwestern was made 2.5-point chalks despite Kansas being highly touted by both many sports services and sports betting bloggers. Northwestern won 20-17, confounding the experts who overreached and overreacted to a Kansas team that had been building its bulk on cupcakes.

Standing at 2-1 both straight up and against the odds Northwestern was considered a bargain by many sports betting bloggers in their next game at Minnesota, where they were installed as 14.5-point dogs by the sports betting odds makers. The Cats were mauled 14-43 and basically written off for good after that game.

In their next game at home versus still highly regarded Ohio State the Cats were made 11-point dogs. After the Minnesota debacle NOBLDY wanted the Cats on their list of football picks and there was considerable sports betting activity on Ohio State. Northwestern pulled off a stunning 33-27 upset win which stunned both college football fans and the sports handicapping community. This win sparked a streak of four wins their next five games against the sports betting line by the Cats. Many sports bettors were ready to forgive and forget past bankroll burns by Northwestern by the end of this streak, but then the Cats collapsed and lost their final three games against the odds.