The Purdue Boilermakers basketball program had gone from a perennial NCAA Tournament contender to a bottom feeding also ran in the rugged Big Ten Conference. Purdue hit rock bottom in 2004-05 with a record of 7-21 straight up and 9-19 against the spread and with a rather messy coaching transition that fouled up recruiting, thus setting the program back even further.
Potential forgotten value of Purdue Boilermakers
There was little doubt that Purdue would finish near the bottom of the Big Ten standings for 2005-06 but there was also the hope that perhaps they would end up as something of a potential forgotten value on the basketball betting boards. Often times in sports betting, the teams that are the least wanted and appealing end up as the most valuable for just that reason, as the oddsmakers will jack up the lines of such team’s opponents into massive overlays, transforming the unwanted team into a bargain.
More of the same
Purdue Boilermakers opened the 2005-06 season with an 82-75 home win over Wofford as a 10-point overlay. This was followed by an 85-67 home win over South Alabama as 7.5-point chalks.
Purdue was quickly slapped back to earth, however, with a stretch of three consecutive losses both straight up and against the spread. They first lost to Xavier on a neutral court 55-74 as 5.5-point dogs, then at Florida State 57-97 as 9.5-point dogs, and then at Evansville 69-75 as 1.5-point dogs. After an unlined home win over Chicago State, Purdue lost at Loyola-Chicago 65-80 as 8-point dogs to start off their season with more of the same from 2004-05 as they were 1-5 against the spread.
Purdue Boilermakers Back and forth
In their next game at home against New Orleans, Purdue scored a 68-56 win as 8-5.point home favorites. This was followed by an unlined home win over IUPU-Ft. Wayne and then a 62-54 win over Tennessee-Martin as 11-point overlays as Purdue fell into a back and forth pattern against the pointspread. In the preseason finale at Memphis, the Boilermakers got the cash in a 70-90 loss as 23.5-point dogs.
Up and down pattern continued
Purdue began conference play with a 53-66 loss at Northwestern as 8-point dogs and followed that up with a 65-68 loss/cover at Michigan as 17-point dogs. The up and down pattern continued in conference play as Purdue Boilermakers next lost at Ohio State 64-80 as 11-point dogs before beating Minnesota 72-55 as 4-point home dogs.
Back and forth the Boilermakers went with an ugly 54-74 loss at Penn State as 5-point dogs followed by 49-62 loss/cover at Indiana as 17-point dogs. Next was a 76-78 overtime loss to Northwestern as 1-point dogs followed by a 58-76 loss/cover at Illinois as 21-point pups. It was Purdue’s 11th consecutive game in which they did not repeat the pointspread result of their previous game.
At home against Iowa, Purdue kept the loss/cover alternation pattern going with a 68-77 loss as 8-point dogs. This was followed by a 70-62 upset home win over Wisconsin as 7-point dogs.
Purdue next lost at Michigan State 52-77 as 18-point dogs and then beat Michigan at home 84-70 as 6.5-point dogs. Entering their home game against Penn State, Purdue Boilermakers had now gone 15 consecutive games without repeating the pointspread result of their previous game. The streak reached 16 in a 61-69 loss to the Nittany Lions as 4.5-point chalks.
Purdue Boilermakers Out of steam
The loss to Penn State was an indicator that the Boilermakers were running out of steam and being ground down by the Big Ten schedule. After a 50-62 loss/push at Minnesota as 12-point dogs, Purdue lost at home to Indiana 59-70 as a 4.5-point dog and then lost at Ohio State 57-76 as 17.5-point dogs go conclude the regular season with four consecutive games in which they failed to cover the spread. In the Big Ten tournament against Michigan State, Purdue Boilermakers was defeated 58-70 as 12.5-point dogs, getting the cash as they went home for good.