2005 Season Summary
The Toledo Rockets finished the 2004-05 season with a record of 16-13 straight up, which included a conference mark of 11-7 good for a first place tie in the Mid-American Conference West Division.
Even more impressive was the fact that Toledo finished in the black against the college basketball betting boards with a record of 16-12 against the spread, getting payoffs in six of their final nine games of the season, which ended with a first round conference tournament loss to Buffalo, 72-85 in a game in which they were 1.5-point dogs.
Strong finish meant high expectations
Toledo’s strong finish meant high expectations for the 2005-06 season as the Rockets would attempt to make it two straight division titles.
Solid Start
Toledo opened the 2005-06 season with a 73-85 loss/push at South Carolina as 12-point dogs. That was followed by a 64-53 home win over Wright State as 8-point chalks. Next came a 72-60 win at Southern Methodist as 2-point chalks and then an unlined 85-65 home win over IUPU-Ft. Wayne for a solid start to the season at 3-1 straight up and 2-0-1 against the college basketball board.
Rockets began to malfunction
Toledo next played in their MAC opener at home against Northern Illinois and suffered a 69-73 loss as 8.5-point chalks. That was followed by an unlined home win over Ferris State, 67-55.
Toledo next hosted East Carolina and failed to cover a 73-62 win as 14-point chalks. That was followed by an unlined 64-61 home win over Oakland.
MAC play kicked into high gear for Toledo in a 68-76 loss at Kent State as 5-point dogs as the Rockets began to malfunction. Next was a 58-75 loss at Akron as 6.5-point dogs and then a 73-70 home win over Buffalo as 4.5-point chalks for a fourth straight loss against the spread.
The Rockets problems continued at Bowling Green in a 52-59 loss as 4.5-point chalks. That was followed by a 49-58 loss at Miami-Ohio as 6.5-point dogs. Toledo the went on to lose a seventh consecutive game against the college basketball betting boards with a 68-71 home loss to Ohio as 1-point chalks to complete their bleakest point of the season.
Tide began to turn
Toledo stopped the bleeding with a 67-66 win at Northern Illinois as 5-point dogs. That was followed by an 88-58 home win over Eastern Michigan as 13-point chalks.
But just when gamblers though the Rockets might have been ready to take off they malfunctioned at liftoff again with a 56-69 loss at Ball State as 1.5-point dogs, which was followed by a 53-57 loss at Western Michigan as identical 1.5-point dogs.
The tide began to turn, however, in the Rockets next game, which was a 78-62 hoe win over Central Michigan as 14-point chalks. That was followed by a 60-44 home win against Kent State as 1.5-point dogs. After a 72-64 home win over Bowling Green as 9.5-point overlays, the Rockets got back on track with a 63-65 loss at Detroit as 2.5-point dogs.
Finished strong
Toledo next scored a 70-59 win at Eastern Michigan as 3.5-point chalks and followed that up with an 81-54 home win over Ball State as 8.5-point chalks. Toledo next scored an 81-58 home win over Western Michigan as 10-point chalks for a fourth consecutive payoff and sixth in eight games as the Rockets finished strong.
The regular season finale was a 66-64 win at Central Michigan as 9-point chalks.
In the MAC tourney the Rockets ripped off three straight wins over Bowling Green, Northern Illinois (a push), and Akron to make the finals against Kent State, losing 66-71 as 4-point dogs.