2005 Utah State Aggies Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

Utah State, like many current members of the Western Athletic Conference, has taken sports bettors on wild streaks of both positive and negative natures. In 2000 they started the season by dropping their first four games against the sports betting line, only to then rally and cover their next four games before failing to get the cash in their finale. After starting 2001 with two straight wins against the odds the Aggies dropped six of their final seven lined games in a sharp sports handicapping market correction. The skid continued in 2002 as Utah State lost their first four games against the odds to extend their overall streak of futility to ten losses in eleven games versus the pointspread. The Aggies then began a stark lesson in sports handicapping market corrections as they beat the sports betting odds in four of their final six games of 2002, and in six of their first nine games of 2003 making for a total streak of ten covers in fifteen games during that span. Just as they were being touted at the online sports betting blogs as a good “value” team, however, Utah State dropped their final three games against the odds, thus, entering the 2004 campaign as a question mark. Most online sports betting blogs ignored the Aggies, and what few posts appeared about them were negative in nature, as Utah State had not had a winning season straight up since 1997. It is important to note that perception is often reality in sports handicapping, and Utah State was perceived as a loser that would be a potential “go against” team on many lists of 2004 football picks.

Utah State wasted little time in shattering whatever potential sports handicapping belief was resting on them as they were clobbered 17-48 at Alabama as 25-point dogs in their 2004 season opener. After failing to get the cash in a 14-7 home win over Idaho as 11.5-point chalks the Aggies were again hammered, 6-48, as 19.5-point dogs at Utah. With two high profile slaughters in their first three losses against the odds, Utah State had absolutely no appeal as a team to appear on anyone’s lists of football picks, unless as a “go against” team. They traveled to UNLV as 13-point dogs in a game many pointed to as a potential springboard for the Rebels. Incredibly, the Aggies won 31-21 but few sports bettors cashed in as the online sports betting sites and casino sportsbooks cleaned up. The game served only as a band aid for the Aggies, however, as they dropped their next six games against the odds before covering their finale, finishing the 2004 season with a record of 3-8 straight up and 2-9 against the odds.