The 2004-05 Dartmouth Big Green provided an excellent lesson about college basketball gambling value as they went 10-17 straight up but a strong 11-5 against the spread. In fact the Big Green were at their very best at the end of the season, just as they had lost all esteem in the eyes of the college basketball gambling public, as they got the cash in six of their final seven games of the year.
What this ultimately taught gamblers is that a team can often be at their most valuable on the board, just at the point and time when they have the LEAST appeal with the college basketball gambling public. Let’s face it, an Ivy League team that is en route to a 10-17 straight up record just isn’t going to draw a lot of cash their way, unless it is in opposition. And that is precisely what makes such teams valuable.
Dartmouth Big Green More of the same
Dartmouth began the season with a 61-80 loss at Boston College as whopping 29.5-point dogs in a classic case of “more of the same” as they got the cash in a loss as bargain basement dogs.
The Big Green took the next three games off from the board starting with a 66-61 home win over UC Davis. That was followed by a 64-65 loss at Colgate in overtime.
On a neutral court for their next two games, Dartmouth Big Green first lost at Colgate 64-65 before returning to the board against Hofstra as a 15-point dog in a 59-74 loss /push.
Back off the board, Dartmouth first lost at Quinnipiac 77-88 and then at home to Vermont 46-77.
The Big Green returned to the board as they began a five game road trip starting with a 60-66 loss at New Mexico as hefty 19.5-point dogs. That was followed by an unlined neutral court loss to Radford, 78-75.
Back on the board at Colorado, the Big Green lost 65-83 as big time 28.5-point dogs, as they started off the season with a 3-0-1 mark against the spread. Back off the board, Dartmouth won at Army 55-42. The road trip ended with the beginning of Ivy League play as Dartmouth lost at Harvard 65-78 as 9-point dogs. The final unlined game of the season followed, which was a 59-71 loss at New Hampshire.
Value depleted
As good as Dartmouth had been against the board over the past season and a half, the value depleted with that pointspread success as they entered the heart of Ivy League play.
Things started out well enough, however, as the Big Green scored a 70-73 overtime loss at Brown as 7-point dogs. But the value erosion began in their next two games starting with a 55-72 loss at Yale as 10-point dogs. That was followed by a 47-63 loss at Cornell as 8.5-point dogs.
The bleeding briefly stopped with a 78-68 loss at Columbia as 5.5-point dogs but was followed up with a 51-70 home loss to Pennsylvania as 13.5-point dogs and then a 49-52 home loss to Princeton as 2-point dogs for a total of four losses against the board in five games.
Dartmouth Big Green Value restored
Dartmouth Big Green horrible performance on the court and that 1-4 string against the spread served to lessen their overall appeal and have their value restored as a result.
The Big Green made big green for gamblers starting with a 72-64 home win over Yale as 3.5-point dogs. That was followed by a 58-46 home win over Brown as 2.5-point chalks. Next was a 60-63 loss at Princeton as 8.5-point dogs and then a 52-68 loss at league leader Pennsylvania as 19-point dogs.
Dartmouth got a fifth straight payoff with a 69-62 win at Columbia as 4.5-point chalks.
The Dartmouth Big Green had once again proved to be at their most valuable just when they were the least appealing. They ended with a SU & ATS loss to Cornell.