The Pennsylvania Quakers finished the 2004-05 season with a record of 20-9 straight up and 16-11 against the spread and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Penn was a rather streaky team against the board in 2004-05 as they began the season with three straight losses against the spread, then covered eleven of their next thirteen. They next failed to get the cash in five of the following seven games before covering three of their final four to finish the year.
High expectations
Pennsylvania Quakers had a solid reputation nationally as a strong Ivy League program and more of the same was expected for 2005-06. This did mean, however, that the Pennsylvania Quakers overall board value might deplete somewhat, since with that respect came more action and fewer bargains on the board. Gamblers would have to maintain a distant respect with Penn.
Over-valued at the start
It was quickly apparent, in fact, that Penn was, indeed, over-valued at the start as the lingering affects of the previous season caused them problems on the board early as gamblers recalled them as a tourney team, Ivy League champion, and a team that was likely to repeat all of that at the least.
In Penn’s first game, they beat Siena 82-77 as 14-point home overlays, a classic example of their depleted board value. In their next game, also at home, against Drexel, the Quakers scored a 68-80 win as a 4.5-point chalk for their first payoff of 2005-06.
Still at home in their next game against Colorado, the Pennsylvania Quakers suffered a 60-78 blowout loss as 3-point chalks. That was followed by an 86-73 unlined home win over Navy. Back on the board at home against Temple, Penn stumbled again with a 46-50 loss as 2-point dogs to begin the season with a mark of 1-3 against the spread.
Back in black
The slow start did serve the purpose of enhancing Pennsylvania’s overall board value, however, as was shown in their next game, a 59-72 loss/cover at Duke as 23-point dogs. That was a game in which the value quotient was completely flipped and Penn went from over-valued to under-valued as a bargain added team.
Pennsylvania Quakers remained back in black with a 55-62 home win over Villanova as a 10.5-point chalks, their second straight win as a value-added team. That was followed by a 58-55 win at Hawaii as 7.5-point dogs for a third straight payoff.
After an unlined 72-62 win at BYU-Hawaii, the Quakers scored an 84-49 win at the Citadel as 12-point chalks. The four game payoff streak was halted with a 63-78 loss at Fordham as 3-point chalks. But the Quakers got right back on track as Ivy League play started in earnest with an 84-44 blowout home win over Cornell as 15-point chalks. That was followed by another blowout win, 87-55 over Columbia as 18-point chalks as the Quakers got the cash for the sixth time in seven games.
Brief dip
After an unlined blowout home win over Lafayette, the Quakers scored a 73-65 home win/push over La Salle. That was followed by a 44-47 home win over St. Joseph’s as a 3-point chalk. Next was a 68-51 home win over Brown as a 20-point chalk for a brief dip of 0-2-1 against the board.
Payoffs resume
Pennsylvania Quakers got right back on track with four consecutive wins and covers at home over Yale, at Dartmouth, at Harvard, and at home against Princeton before losing SU&ATS at Columbia and then winning both SU&ATS over Cornell.
Value was shot
Penn’s solid performance both on the board and on the court, coupled with their success in previous seasons, all combined to cause them to become overlays as they finished the regular season 4-1 straight up and 0-5 against the spread as their value was shot. Penn did cover their NCAA tourney game in a 52-60 loss to Texas as 13.5-point dogs.