The Canisius Golden Griffins gave a textbook lesson in college basketball gambling value for 2004-05 as they finished 11-18 straight up and yet finished in the black with a record of 15-12 against the spread. The Griffins, in fact, closed incredibly strong and played their best basketball down the stretch, just when they were least appealing to the public as they got the cash in eight of their final eleven games of the season, proving that the public bets college basketball, like the other sports, with a “straight up” rather than pointspread mentality.
Slow and quiet start
Canisius Golden Griffins began the 2005-06 season with a 76-81 win at Buffalo as 7-point dogs for a nice payoff to open the year. The Golden Griffins couldn’t sustain success, however, as they next lost at St. Bonaventure 55-77 as 1-point dogs. Canisius then took a hiatus from the board and promptly lost their next two unlined games. First at home against Hartford, the Canisius Golden Griffins were defeated 78-85 and that was followed by a 65-69 overtime loss to Farleigh Dickinson as the Golden Griffins were off to a slow and quiet start to the new campaign.
Cranking cash Canisius Golden Griffins
Canisius Golden Griffins brushed themselves off and began to put it together, however, starting with a 67-50 home win over Siena as 2.5-point chalks. That was followed by a 68-69 loss at Detroit as 10.5-point dogs. The Golden Griffins then took a game off from the board and lost at home to Boston University 56-69. After that, however, the Golden Griffins resumed cranking cash beginning with a 68-80 loss/cover at West Virginia as whopping 22-point point value-added dogs. That was followed by a 69-55 win at Brown as 1-point chalks and then a 76-67 win at Marist as 7.5-point dogs. The Canisius Golden Griffins then earned a sixth straight payoff with an 84-73 win at Fairfield as 1-point dogs as they were proving to be bargain values in the early going, But as is often the case with teams in the Metro Atlantic, success and failure never seemed to last long.
Canisius Golden Griffins Red ink run
The Canisius Golden Griffins profits began to end with an 80-95 home loss to Loyola-Maryland as 5.5-point chalks. That was followed by a 73-88 home loss to Iona as 3-point dogs, Next was an 84-93 home loss to Niagara as 2.5-point chalks. After a 71-78 loss/cover at Manhattan as 12-point dogs, the red ink run resumed with a 55-76 blowout loss at Siena as 5-point dogs. That was followed by a 62-81 home loss to Rider as 3.5-point chalks as the Golden Griffins failed to get the cash for the fifth time in six games.
Fair to middlin’
Canisius Golden Griffins next beat Fairfield 87-71 as 2.5-point home chalks before losing at Iona 58-95 as 12.5-point dogs, That was followed by a 69-73 loss at Rider and then a 72-79 loss push at Niagara for a fair to middlin’ period of two payoffs, a loss and a push before the regular season stretch drive.
Canisius Golden Griffins Cash cows
Canisius started off that stretch run in profitable fashion with an 86-75 home win over Manhattan as 5-point dogs. That was followed by a 71-74 loss/cover against Marist as 4.5-point dogs. Next game a 75-68 home win over Youngstown State as 4.5-point chalks and then a 91-84 overtime win at St. Peter’s as 7.5-point dogs. Canisius Golden Griffins kept their roll as cash cows going with a 54-59 loss at Loyola-Maryland as 6-point dogs.
More cash in post season
The Golden Griffins closed the regular season out with five consecutive payoffs and entered MAAC tournament play on a roll. In the first round of the conference tourney Canisius beat Loyola-Maryland 74-72 as 3-point dogs and then scored a 62-68 loss/cover to Marist as 8.5-point dogs to close 2006 out with seven straight cash grabs.