No. 20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Saint Joseph’s Hawks
Friday, 11/16/12, 9:30 PM EST, TV: truTV
Opening Point Spread: Notre Dame -2.5
Current Betting Line: Notre Dame -3.5
Opening Total: 123
Current Total: 124.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Notre Dame will take its 2-0 record to the newly-built Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., as it prepares to play in a semifinal showdown in the 2012 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. The Fighting Irish have been pounding opponents inside the paint in the early going, with Jack Cooley and Garrick Sherman combining for 38 points and 18 rebounds last time out. “That really helped us,” commented Fighting Irish coach Mike Brey. He has lost both of his personal meetings with tonight’s opponent during his time as a head mentor at Delaware. Notre Dame is 5-10 ATS on a neutral court since 2010, something to consider when making your college basketball picks against the spread on Friday night.
The Fighting Irish own a plus-28 rebounding advantage through their first two games of the season, as they will play eight contests in 20 days. Notre Dame was picked to finish third in the Big East’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as it received one first-place vote. Cooley earned a spot on the preseason all-Big East team, as he averaged 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in league play a year ago.
Saint Joseph’s earned a 61-35 season-opening victory over the Yale Bulldogs as 14.5-point home favorites, as it returned all five starters from a squad that finished with a 20-14 record last year. The Hawks limited the Bulldogs to 25 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers in that affair. Center C.J. Aiken will need to be a major presence on the defensive end, as he was the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year a season ago. Saint Joseph’s is 10-2 ATS in November the last two-plus seasons, which is why I’m surprised about the number that’s available on the college basketball odds page.
The Hawks were one of nine teams in the nation to win at least 20 or more games in 2011-12 after losing 20 or more the previous season. Saint Joseph’s received votes in both national preseason polls, with Phil Martelli being the longest tenured head coach in the conference, entering his 18th season. Led by Aiken in the middle, the team set a school record with 244 blocked shots last year.
Sports bettors will likely back the Hawks due to their 16-8 ATS record in non-conference action, while the Fighting Irish are 5-13 ATS in the same situation.
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