The San Jose State Spartans finished a dreadful 2004-05 season with a record of 6-23 straight up, which included a Western Athletic Conference record of 3-15, good for a dead last place finish in the then team league as they lost their final ten consecutive regular season games.
The story was not much better for San Jose State against the board as the Spartans finished with just eleven payoffs in twenty eight games against the spread, with just two payoffs in their final eleven games to conclude the season as one of the least desirable teams in all of college basketball gambling.
As they prepared for the 2005-06 season there was little indication that San Jose State was primed for any drastic improvement. The one possibility that did exist, however, was that they would have enhanced board value due to their total lack of appeal with the college basketball gambling public as the oddsmakers were likely to add some value to the Spartans in order to draw action their way.
Profitable start
San Jose State opened the 2005-06 season with a 54-88 blowout loss at Texas Tech as whopping 27.5-point dogs, which was not an encouraging sign as Tech was rebuilding. The Spartans then took a game off the board and scored an 82-53 neutral court win over Portland.
Back on the board at Cal Poly SLO, the Spartans scored an encouraging 72-57 win/cover as 2-point chalks. That was then followed by a 79-68 home win over San Diego as 1-point chalks for a profitable start of 2-1 against the spread.
Unable to sustain success
San Jose State next traveled to Pac-10 territory to face California and suffered a 52-70 loss as 12-point dogs. That was then followed by a 58-68 loss at UC Irvine as 11.5-point dogs. Next came a 63-81 loss at Pacific as 10.5-point dogs and then a 69-56 win/cover at Long Beach State as 4-point dogs.
But from there, the Spartans proved unable to sustain success as they lost at home to Drake 64-82 as 2-point chalks and then lost at home to Cal State Fullerton 59-67 as 1.5-point dogs to complete a seven game stretch with just two payoffs.
Bargain Values
It was difficult to conceive of a team with less overall board appeal than San Jose State, which served to enhance their value on the board and transform them into bargain values, beginning with a 78-80 neutral court loss to Northern Illinois as 9-point dogs. That was then followed by a 71-75 loss at Montana State as 6.5-point dogs.
After a 56-67 home loss to Utah State as 8-point dogs, the Spartans scored a 56-63 loss/cover at home against Nevada as 9-point dogs. That was then followed by a 65-68 loss at Boise State as 8-point dogs and then a 57-53 win at Idaho as 2.5-point chalks for a fifth payoff in six games.
Return to the red
San Jose State wasn’t good enough, however, to maintain board success and they embarked on a return to the red in a 55-75 blowout loss to Louisiana Tech as 3-point dogs. That was then followed by a 75-81 overtime loss to New Mexico State as 1-point chalks. Next came a 75-77 home loss to Boise State as 1-point chalks and then a 68-83 loss at Hawaii as 14.5-point dogs for a fourth consecutive failure ATS.
Up and down finish
The Spartans began the stretch drive with a 72-61 home win over Idaho as 10-point chalks. That was then followed by a 66-79 loss at Fresno State as 10-point dogs. Next came a 63-74 loss at Louisiana Tech as 14-point dogs, followed by a 72-76 home loss to Santa Barbara as 1-point chalks. The up and down finish continued with a loss cover at New Mexico State, followed by four consecutive straight up losses in which the Spartans covered twice. In the conference tourney, San Jose State lost to Utah State 69-76 as 12-point dogs.