Michigan Wolverines at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Saturday, 9/22/12, 7:30 PM EST, TV: NBC
Opening Point Spread: Notre Dame -6.5
Current Betting Line: Notre Dame -5.5
Opening Total: 51
Current Total: 51
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Michigan will meet Saturday’s opponent for the 40th time on the gridiron, posting a 23-15-1 all-time record in this rivalry. The Wolverines have won three consecutive games in the series, including a thrilling 35-31 victory as 3.5-point home underdogs last year. Quarterback Denard Robinson has been amazing against Notre Dame, as he set a school record with 502 yards of total offense in this contest a year ago. “He’s a superior football player,” commented Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly. Michigan is 4-11 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record the last two-plus seasons, something to consider when making your Week 4 college football picks.
The Wolverines were led by Robinson in last week’s 63-13 blowout win over Massachusetts as 45-point home favorites, as he threw for 291 yards and ran for another 106. Dating back to the 2009 campaign, Michigan has won 14 of its last 15 September contests, with the lone setback coming against the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in this year’s season opener.
Notre Dame has opened up a campaign with three wins for the first time in 10 years, with the defense leading the way, allowing only 10.0 points per game. “They have been very productive as a football team and a defensive team,” commented Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke this week. The Fighting Irish are benefiting in a big way from being plus-five in turnover margin, which is far different than the minus-eight it suffered through in the first three games in 2011. Notre Dame is 3-6 ATS as a home favorite, with the “under” going 9-3 in that situation the last two-plus seasons.
The Fighting Irish have outscored their first three opponents by a 20-0 margin in the first quarter, while also dominating the final stanza. Notre Dame out-gained Navy, Purdue and Michigan State by a 260-103 margin in terms of yards in the fourth quarter. The turnover margin statistic can’t be mentioned enough, considering the program hasn’t had fewer turnovers through the first three games since 1993.
Sports bettors will likely back the Fighting Irish when coming up with their college football predictions, as the home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
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