2005 Stats
| Straight up | 20-13 overall, 11-5 conference, 2nd WAC
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| Against the spread | 16-12 (4-5 home, 11-5 away)
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| Over/Under | 9-19 (3-6 home, 4-12 away)
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| Offensive Rank | 232nd
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| Defensive Rank | 44th
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2005 Season Summary
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs completed the 2004-05 season with a record of 14-15 straight up, including a Western Athletic Conference record of 9-9, which was good for a fourth place finish in the league.
Against the spread, however, the Bulldogs were unable to maintain the pace as they went 9-16 against the college basketball gambling lines, and got the cash in just one of their last six games against the spread.
The good news is that the Bulldogs were so poor against the board that a recovery was highly likely, particularly due to their status as a mid-major team as lower level teams often slip under the radar screen of the college basketball gambling public.
Profitable start
Louisiana Tech opened the 2005-06 season with a 68-69 neutral court loss to Yale as 7.5-point overlays. That was then followed by an 83-73 neutral court win over Longwood.
Back on the board at Nebraska, the Bulldogs got the cash in a 56-59 loss/cover as 9.5-point dogs. That was followed by a 76-64 win at New Orleans as 1-point chalks. Next came a 63-73 loss/cover at Alabama as 13.5-point dogs for a third consecutive payoff.
Louisiana Tech next scored an unlined 61-52 home win over Southern. Back on the board at Texas Tech, the Bulldogs scored a 68-53 win as 11-point dogs. They then went back off the board and suffered a horrific letdown in the form of a 47-63 loss at Southern in a payback.
The Bulldogs, recovered nicely, however, as they scored an 85-78 home win over Louisiana-Lafayette as 4.5-point chalks before going back off the board in an 80-67 home win over McNeese State. It was a profitable start for Louisiana Tech as they covered five of their first six games of the season, reversing the trends of the previous campaign.
Loss of value
The Bulldogs went back off the board and scored a 92-58 home win over Tugaloo. Back on the board at Wisconsin, the Bulldogs failed 52-78 as 13.5-point dogs. That was then followed by a 75-72 win/cover at Boise State as 2.5-point dogs. Louisiana Tech would prove to have a loss of value on the board, however, as they next lost at Idaho 66-61 as 8-point chalks before failing to cover a home win over Hawaii 65-62 as 3.5-point overlays in a classic half-point ‘bad beat.’
Back in black
The Bulldogs had just completed a bad stretch in which they got the cash in just one of their last four games, which helped to improve their board value as they were less desirable to gamblers.
Starting with a 73-54 home win over Fresno State as 6.5-point chalks, Louisiana Tech was back in black. That was then followed by a 55-64 loss cover at Utah State as 10-point dogs.
After a 66-61 win over New Mexico State that they failed to cover as 9.5-point overlays the Bulldogs scored a 75-55 in at San Jose State as 3-point chalks, which was then followed by a 68-66 overtime win at Fresno State as 2-point dogs for a fourth payoff in five games.
Back and fourth
From there, the Bulldogs went into a back and fourth pattern against the board starting with a 53-65 home loss to Nevada as 2-point chalks, which was followed by a 62-63 home loss to Utah State as 1.5-point chalks.
Louisiana Tech then got back on track with an 81-71 home win over Boise State as 9-point chalks, followed by a 49-50 loss at Nevada as 9-point dogs. They then failed to cover a 74-63 home win over San Jose State as 14-point overlays but got the cash in a 54-51 win at Southern Illinois as 8.5-point dogs. The Bulldogs finished the season going 2-1 both SU&ATS.
After going 1-1 SU&ATS in the WAC tourney, Louisiana Tech lost at Clemson 53-69 as 7-point dogs in the NIT.