In their final season of 2004-05 in the Big West Conference the Idaho Vandals finished with a hopeless record of 8-22 straight up, including a conference mark of 6-12, which was good for a ninth place finish in the league.
Idaho finished with a mark of 12-13-1 against the college basketball betting lines, in a tale of two seasons against the board in which the started off the season 9-3 against the spread, only to collapse down the stretch with a mark of 3-10-1.
Idaho would join the Western Athletic Conference for the 2005-06 season, which would prove to be an upgrade that they were incapable of being able to handle.
Perfect start Idaho Vandals
Idaho opened the 2005-06 season with a respectable 60-69 loss /cover at national powerhouse Gonzaga as whopping 25.5-point dogs. That was then followed by a 67-90 loss/cover at Washington as 26-point dogs for a perfect start of 2-0 against the board.
Gushing red ink
Idaho was unable to sustain any success however, beginning with an ugly 37-63 loss at Washington State as 11-point dogs. That was then followed by a 55-68 home loss to Eastern Washington as 5-point chalks. The Vandals then took a break from the board and scored a 75-60 unlined home win over Southern Utah.
Back on the board at home against Idaho State, the Vandals scored a 71-78 loss as 5-point chalks. That was then followed by a 69-61 home loss to Portland State as 2-point chalks.
Idaho then took another break from the board and scored a 77-58 unlined home win over Eastern Oregon, which was then followed by a 76-71 home win over North Dakota State.
From there, however, the Vandals resumed gushing red ink beginning with a 48-81 loss at Portland State as 10-point dogs. That was then followed by a 52-62 home loss to New Mexico State as 2.5-point dogs. The Vandals then got a brief respite from their board misery with a 61-66 loss to Louisiana Tech as 8-point dogs.
Idaho then went right back into the tank, however, starting with a 44-70 blowout loss at Nevada as 23.5-point dogs. That was then followed by another stinker, 58-83 at Utah State as 24-point dogs. Idaho couldn’t even get the cash against one of the WAC’s worst teams, San Jose State, as they lost 53-57 as 2.5-point home dogs.
Idaho then got a much needed break from the board in the form of a 64-71 unlined loss at North Dakota State. Back on the board, however, the red ink flowed some more starting with a 68-82 home loss to Boise State, followed by a 54-89 blowout debacle as Fresno State as 15.5-point dogs to complete a disgraceful stretch of 3-11 against the board as the Vandals were one of the least appealing teams in all of sports gambling.
Unwanted bargain values Idaho Vandals
Idaho was so bad both on the court and at the sportsbook that they would end up as a value-added team as the oddsmakers kept “sweetening the deal” in order to attract action their way, which transformed the Vandals into unwanted bargain values starting with a 61-81 loss at Hawaii as 20.5-point dogs. That was then followed by a 72-61 win over Fresno State as 8-point dogs.
The Vandals briefly returned to their old ways with a pair of SU&ATS losses at San Jose State and to Utah State, before they got back into black with three consecutive payoffs, all straight up losses, at Montana State, then at home to Nevada and Hawaii to complete a 5-2 stretch against the college basketball board.
Idaho finished the regular season 0-3 SU and 1-2 against the spread and faced Nevada in the WAC tourney, losing 55-68 as whopping 25-point dogs for a final payoff.