The Fairfield Stags in 2004-05 went 15-15 straight up but just 11-17-1 against the spread in a classic lesson on college basketball gambling value, or more properly, the lack of it.
The Stags went 11-7 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play good for third place in the league. Fairfield gushed red ink down the stretch with just two payoffs in their final ten games.
Fortunes can change rapidly
In the Metro Atlantic, as is the case in most mid-major conference, fortunes can change rapidly both on the court and at the sportsbook. The Metro Atlantic has seen a lot of up and down teams year after year and it was likely that a program such as Fairfield Stags would fit that mold.
Discouraging start
Fairfield opened the season with a 64-69 loss at St. Francis-NY in an unlined game and then lost 41-72 in their home and lined opener against St. Joseph’s as a 4.5-point dog for a discouraging start.
Brief burst of profits Fairfield Stags
The Stags next hosted Providence and scored a 78-81 loss/cover as 6-point dogs. That was followed by a 59-75 win at Iowa as whopping 24-point dogs and then an 80-68 win over Tulane in a neutral court pick’em affair for a brief burst of profits at three straight payoffs.
Red ink run
Fairfield could not sustain success, however, as they next lost at home in overtime to Loyola-Maryland 85-90 as 6-point chalks. That was followed by a 51-76 loss at Georgetown as whopping 20.5-point dogs and then an 80-95 loss to Fordham as 1.5-point dogs.
After applying a band aid to the losing with a 66-65 win at Northridge, the Stags suffered an 81-79 home win over Siena as 3-point chalks. That was followed by a 73-84 loss to Canisius as 1-point chalks to complete a red ink run of 1-5 against the spread.
Back in black Fairfield Stags
As Metro Atlantic conference play heated up, so too did the Fairfield Stags beginning with an 85-81 win at Rider as 5-point dogs. This was followed by a 73-78 loss at Niagara as 6.5-point dogs and then an 81-75 win at St. Peter’s as 6-point dogs as Fairfield was back in black with three straight payoffs. The streak ended with a 77-89 loss/push at Iona as 12-point dogs.
Couldn’t sustain success
Unfortunately for Fairfield, they couldn’t sustain success as they next lost as Marist 72-91 as 10.5-point dogs. That was followed by an 80-72 win at Loyola-Maryland as 6-point dogs.
The losing then resumed starting with a 69-74 home loss to Manhattan as 1.5-point dogs and then a 71-87 loss at Canisius as 2.5-point dogs as the Stags failed to get the cash for the fourth time in five games.
Up then down Fairfield Stags
The red ink stopped bleeding as Fairfield next scored a 77-69 overtime win at home over Rider as 2.5-point chalks and followed that up with a 68-64 home win over Niagara as 3-point chalks.
The Fairfield Stags proved to be up then down as they next lost at Siena 47-58 as 6.5-point dogs. That was followed by a 66-89 home loss to Iona as 6-point dogs and then a 109-108 home win over St. Peter’s as 1-point chalks.
Fairfield went from down to up as they next got a loss/cover at Loyola-Chicago 70-73 as 9.5-point dogs and followed that up with a 77-78 loss/cover at Manhattan as 10-point dogs, proving to be a value-added team getting more points than what was actually merited.
In the regular season finale at home against Marist, the Stags lost 61-67 as 4-point dogs.
In the MAAC tournament against Niagara as 3.5-point dogs, Fairfield lost 77-84 as 3.5-point dogs to end the year with two straight losses ATS.