Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 19 Connecticut Huskies
Sunday, 1/29/12, 12:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN3
Opening Point Spread: Connecticut -8.5
Current Betting Line: Connecticut -8.5
Opening Total: 129
Current Total: 128
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Notre Dame will conclude a two-game road trip Sunday in playing the Connecticut Huskies inside the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. The Fighting Irish have won and covered their last two contests, while going “under” the total in five consecutive games. On of those victories came against then-No. 1 team Syracuse, but head coach Mike Brey was more impressed in his squad not suffering a letdown versus Seton Hall. “In some ways, this game is bigger than Saturday because we handled a great win so well mentally,” Brey stated this week. Notre Dame is 5-9 ATS on the year and the “under” is 12-3 in that span.
The Fighting Irish will be meeting with the Huskies for the second time in a span of just over two weeks, as they had their 29-game home streak snapped in the first contest. Notre Dame came into that contest with three straight wins in the series, but dropped a 67-53 decision as two-point home underdogs on Jan. 14. It’s important to note that the team’s 53 points in that meeting was the school’s fewest at home during the Brey era.
Connecticut enters this contest with a 14-5 overall record that includes a 4-3 mark in Big East Conference play. The Huskies are led offensively by the play of Jeremy Lamb, who leads the team in scoring 17.9 points per game, topping the 20-plus point mark in seven games this season. Andre Drummond is another player to watch in this contest, recording three straight double-doubles in conference action, as the squad looks to snap a two-game losing streak. Connecticut is 2-4 ATS versus Big East opponents this year.
The Huskies have held eight of their last 12 opponents to under 40 percent shooting, while leading the conference in allowing Big East teams to shoot just 37.6 percent overall. Connecticut holds a 17-9 advantage over Notre Dame in the overall series, winning seven of the last 11 meetings. The Huskies are 7-1 against the Irish at the XL Center. Offensively, the team may receive some additional help from Ryan Boatright Sunday, as he’s been cleared to play after missing the last three games due to an NCAA investigation.
Bettors will likely back the Huskies due to their 5-2 ATS mark at home, while the Fighting Irish are 0-4 ATS on Sundays.
Don’t miss out on a winning season and let the college basketball handicappers at Maddux Sports line your pockets with cash. Long term packages are available now!
