Montana State began their 2005-06 season in back-to-back neutral court games starting with a 64-69 loss to Illinois-Chicago as 2.5-point dogs. That was followed by a 62-65 loss to Alaska-Fairbanks as 4-point chalks and then an 82-92 loss to Lamar as 2.5-point chalks, also on a neutral court, to begin the season at 0-3 both straight up and against the spread.
When a team such as Montana State, who operates in virtual anonymity with college basketball bettors to begin with, starts off on the wrong foot that only makes them even less appealing than they were to begin with, which actually enhances their value on the college basketball betting boards as they lacked mainstream appeal to begin with.
Montana State next scored a pair of unlined wins starting at home with an 84-60 triumph over Wayland Baptist University which was followed by an 83-69 win at Northern Colorado.
Brief bargains
Montana State returned to the college basketball betting boards with a 66-69 loss/cover at Denver as 9.5-point dogs. They next returned home to score another unlined win, 78-75 over Carroll-Montana. That was followed by a 73-75 win at Wisconsin-Green Bay as 3-point dogs. The Bobcats run as brief bargains halted with a 67-80 loss to Wyoming as 2.5-point neutral court dogs, which was followed by a 70-68 home win over Portland as 4-point chalks. The Bobcats got back in black at home in an 84-76 win over Denver as 3.5-point chalks for their third cover in five games.
Losses enhanced the Bobcats’ value
Montana State next lost to North Dakota State 75-76 as 9-point home chalks and then beat San Jose State 75-71 as 6.5-point home overlays to complete a stretch of 1-4 against the sportsbooks. As it turned out, however, the losses enhanced the Bobcats’ value as conference play went into full swing. Montana State concluded preseason play with a 78-73 unlined home win over South Dakota State.
Winning under the radar screen
Montana State opened Big Sky Conference play with an 81-65 home win over Weber State as 8.5-point chalks. That was followed by an 84-72 win over Idaho State as 8-point home chalks. Next was a tough 64-80 loss at home to Montana as 1-point dogs before the Bobcats resumed winning under the radar screen.
Montana State beat Sacramento State 78-75 as 8-point road dogs. That was followed by a 72-78 win at Northern Arizona as 7.5-point dogs and then an 82-70 win over Eastern Washington as 4-point home chalks for the Bobcats’ fifth cover in six games.
After a 69-68 win over Portland State as 6.5-point chalks the Bobcats got back on the winning track with a 98-87 win at Idaho State as 1-point dogs, which was their peak to the season both straight up and against the spread as Montana State was about to experience a severe correction.
Gushing red ink
Montana State’s problems began with a 56-67 loss at Weber State in a pick’em affair. That was followed by a 61-70 loss at Montana as 8.5-point dogs. The Bobcats got no relief at home as they lost to Northern Arizona 73-82 as 3-point chalks. They next beat Idaho 79-69 as 12.5-point overlays as they continued gushing red ink despite that straight up win.
Next was a 59-82 loss at Portland State as the Bobcats were 4.5-point dogs. That was followed by an ugly 53-87 loss at Eastern Washington in a game in which the Bobcats were 6-point dogs. It was the sixth consecutive loss against the spread for Montana State.
Montana State ended the regular season with a 75-70 win at home over Sacramento State as 3-point chalks to stop the red ink from flowing, at least temporarily.
In the Big Sky Conference tournament, Montana State lost to Sacramento State 70-71 as 2-point chalks to end the season in disappointment, as well as in the red.