The Arkansas Razorbacks finished the 2004-05 season with a record of 18-12 straight up, including a Southeastern Conference record of 6-10, which was good for a fourth place finish in the SEC West Division. Arkansas was unable to maintain that pace against the sportsbooks, however, as they finished a dreadful 8-17 against the spread, finishing as one of the most unprofitable and over-valued teams on the board. The Razorbacks were a horrific 2-14 against the spread to finish the season, as they dropped their final ten games against the board to finish the year in disgrace with gamblers. The good news was that with a new 2005-06 season came new opportunities. Beyond that, Arkansas was losing at a pace that was unsustainable and would eventually correct itself on the board. For bargain hunting gamblers, the Razorbacks would be a team to keep an eye on for 2005-06.
More of the same at first
Arkansas opened the 2005-06 season with a 107-69 blowout home win over Portland State as 24-point chalks. But that was followed next by a brutal three game stretch beginning with a 68-77 neutral court loss against top ranked Connecticut as 4.5-point dogs. That was then followed by a 65-64 neutral court win over Kansas as a 3.5-point overlay. Next came a 62-75 neutral court loss to Maryland as 3.5-point dogs for a third straight failure against the board as it was more of the same at first for the Razorbacks The bleeding temporarily stopped with an unlined 75-55 home win over Radford followed by a 77-35 blowout win over Southern Mississippi as 23-point chalks. But the Razorbacks were not ready to put together a streak as of yet as they got past Missouri 66-63 as 13-point home overlays for a fourth loss in five games ATS. That was then followed by a 73-67 unlined home win over Texas State.
First sign of better things to come
Arkansas next scored a 79-75 home win over Missouri State as 3.5-point chalks which was then followed by an 80-61 home win over Rice as 17-point chalks. Next came a 78-65 neutral court win over Texas Tech as 3.5-point chalks for a third straight payoff and a first sign of better things to come. The Razorbacks then went off the board for a pair of games beginning with a 66-38 home win over Texas-Pan American followed by an 83-54 home win over Western Illinois.
Tough SEC start
Arkansas opened SEC play with a 67-69 loss at Mississippi State as 6-point overlays, which was then followed by a 58-63 loss to Louisiana State as 3-point home chalks. After a 78-66 home win over Vanderbilt as 4.5-point chalks, the Razorbacks scored a 75-78 overtime win at Alabama as 1.5-point dogs for a tough SEC start of 1-3 ATS.
Back in black
Unlike the ugly previous season, however, Arkansas was able to stop the bleeding and avoid a free fall, starting with a 68-52 win at Auburn as 3.5-point chalks. That was then followed by a 71-58 home win/push over Mississippi as 13-point chalks. Arkansas then was back in black for the next four games starting with a 76-78 loss at Kentucky as 3.5-point dogs. That was then followed by a 73-59 home win over South Carolina as 8-point chalks. Arkansas next won at Louisiana State 77-78 as 6.5-point dogs and followed that up with an 84-64 home win over Auburn as 15-point chalks for a fourth straight payoff and six game unbeaten streak against the board.
Down and up
Arkansas began the regular season stretch drive with a 70-73 loss at Mississippi as 4.5-point chalks and followed that up with an 85-81 overtime home win over eventual national champion Florida as 2-point chalks to highlight a down and up pattern of 5-1 SU and 3-3 ATS to end the season. In post season the Razorbacks went 1-2 SU and 1-1-1 ATS as they made the first round of the NCAA tournament where they lost to Bucknell 55-59 as 5-point chalks.