The Pepperdine Waves finished the 2004-05 season with a record of 17-14 straight up, including a West Coast Conference mark of 6-8, which was good for a fifth place finish in the league.
Pepperdine Waves was unable to keep pace on the board, however, as they got the cash in just eleven out of twenty-eight games against the spread, proving to be one of the worst values on the board.
Pepperdine Waves had turned off most college basketball gamblers toward the end of the season, which had the effect of transforming them into something of a bargain value at the end as they got the cash in four of their final six games of the season.
Still, it was a disappointing season for a program that seemed to be treading water more and more as the rest of the West Coast Conference improved, and there was no assurance the Pepperdine would offer gamblers any improved value for 2005-06.
Stumbled out of the gate
Pepperdine Waves stumbled out of the gate beginning with a most difficult assignment to start the season, a home game against one of the teams favored to make the Final Four, Connecticut, in a 56-75 blowout loss as 12-point dogs, which set the tone for the season. The Waves then lost at Cal State Fullerton 66-76 as 8-point dogs.
After a 79-76 win/cover at home over UC Irvine as 1.5-point dogs, Pepperdine Waves scored a 45-63 blowout loss at Dayton as 14-point dogs. That was followed by a 55-71 loss at Wisconsin as 20.5-point dogs. But from there the red ink resumed its flow.
Pepperdine lost at Santa Barbara 55-65 as 8-point dogs and followed that up with a 56-71 loss at Colorado State as 13-point dogs. The Waves next beat Long Beach State at home 92-86 but failed to cover as 7-point chalks in a classic “bad beat.” That was then followed by a 43-63 blowout loss at Kansas as 18-point dogs as Pepperdine began the season with a mark of 2-7 against the board.
Brief break in the misery
Few teams in college basketball gambling has as less appeal than Pepperdine Waves, which served to enhance their value ever so slightly starting with a 75-61 win at UNLV as 12.5-point dogs, followed by an 87-72 home win over Northridge as 5-point chalks for a brief break in the misery of two straight covers.
Pepperdine couldn’t sustain board success, however, as they next lost at home to Oklahoma State 49-69 as 6-point home dogs and followed that up with a 63-71 home loss to San Francisco as 4.5-point chalks.
Up and down
From there, it proved to be difficult for gamblers to get a good read on Pepperdine as they went into an up and down pattern starting with a 55-54 home win over San Diego as 2.5-point dogs. That was then followed by a 73-102 loss at Gonzaga as 18.5-point dogs. Next came an 82-84 overtime loss/cover at Portland as four point pups, followed by a 61-83 home loss to St. Mary’s as 1.5-point dogs.
Unwanted bargain values
Pepperdine had done nothing to set itself apart with gamblers, nor distinguish itself as a team to take on the board. This transformed them into unwanted bargain values for the season’s stretch drive starting with a 65-45 home win over Santa Clara as 2-point chalks, followed by a 70-62 home win over Loyola-Marymount as 2-point chalks. After a 71-84 loss at San Diego as 11-point dogs, Pepperdine got back on track with a 63-66 loss/cover at San Francisco as 5.5-point dogs.
The Waves then went on to lose SU&ATS at Loyola-Marymount and at home to Portland, before getting loss/covers in their final three regular season games starting at home against Gonzaga, and then at St. Mary’s and at Santa Clara. The Waves then lost 72-85 to San Diego as 5-point dogs in the WCC tourney.