2005 Rice Owels Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

The Rice Owls entered the 2004 season as perennial losers on the field but consistent winners against the odds. In fact, starting with the second game of the 2002 season Rice had lost only six out of their next twenty-two games against the odds, which meant that there was the strong possibility of a market correction for 2004. That being said, the fact that Rice has been a losing team in the Western Athletic Conference, (they have since joined Conference USA to start 2005), has protected, if not enhanced, their sports handicapping value as they often slip under the radar of the general sports betting public.

Rice began the 2004 season on natural territory, (Reliant Stadium, home of pro football’s Houston Texans), in a matchup with cross-town rival Houston and prevailed 10-7 as 4.5-point dogs. In their home opener against Hawaii, the Owls got their second consecutive win both straight up and against the odds with a 41-29 win. Rice’s third game was a considerably more difficult challenge as they traveled to Texas to face the nationally ranked Longhorns as 32-point dogs, getting the cash in a 13-35 loss. At this point Rice stood at 2-1 straight up and 3-0 against the odds with just 6 failures in their last 25 games against the sportsbooks and online sports betting boards. Even a low profile team like Rice was about to pay for its profit margin and undergo a sports handicapping market correction.

Rice’s problems began in their next game at San Jose State where they were ridiculously over-priced as 15-point chalks, losing straight up 63-70 in a textbook example of the type of game that serious sports bettors should strive to avoid. As bad a program as San Jose State was at the time, Rice had no business laying such a number on the road, as they were not exactly a powerhouse, nor had shown any demonstration of being one.

In their next game as 13.5-point home chalks against SMU, the Owls prevailed 44-10, to improve their record to 4-1 against the odds. Once again Rice proved to be an unreliable road chalk in their next game as 7.5-point favorites at Nevada in a 10-35 loss. This began a stretch in which Rice beat the sports betting odds in just 2 of their final 6 games as they finished with an overall record of 3-8 straight up and 6-5 against the odds. Thanks to a fast start, Rice avoided finishing in the red for the fourth straight season.