Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Connecticut Huskies, Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, CT
Saturday, March 5, 2011, 2:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN
Opening Line: UConn -2.5
Current Line: UConn -3
Opening Total: 138
Current Total: 139
Money Line: UConn -155 / Notre Dame +135

The eighth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (24-5, 13-4 Big East) still have a shot at the top seed in the conference tournament, but it is a difficult one considering they must beat the 16th-ranked Connecticut Huskies (21-8, 9-8) on the road Saturday and have #4 Pitt lose at home to #19 Villanova.  The Fighting Irish have made tough shots most of the season en route to securing at least the #2 seed, but this could be the toughest considering the opponent and occasion.

The Huskies (-3) will be honoring their seniors along with junior Kemba Walker, who is their leading scorer and expected to earn his degree this summer.  Walker ranks second in the Big East in scoring at 22.8 points per game but has struggled at times with his shooting down the stretch.  Case in point, he made 8 of 23 shots in a 65-56 loss at West Virginia on Wednesday.

Regardless, Walker has still averaged 40 minutes of action in the last six games, including 43 in a 74-67 overtime loss at home to Marquette on February 24.  One could definitely argue that he is tiring due to all of the heavy minutes he has played, but UConn continues to ride him and his scoring ability because there are not many other options.

Alex Oriakhi and Jeremy Lamb each average almost 10 points per game for the Huskies, but neither has consistently scored enough to give Walker a break.  Oriakhi has scored more than 10 points just three times in the last 11 games while Lamb has totaled over eight points only once in six games.  The team is 3-3 straight-up and against the spread in its last six games after dropping three of four.

Notre Dame has not had that same problem lately due to the emergence of Tim Abromaitis, who has scored in double figures in seven of the last eight games.  Abromaitis has been able to take pressure off of leading scorer Ben Hansbrough by averaging nearly 27 points in the last three games.  He has been especially deadly from beyond the 3-point arc, sinking 17 of 29 during that stretch.

Hansbrough has also played extremely well in leading the Irish this season, failing to score in double figures just twice in 29 games.  He totaled 30 points and 10 assists in a 93-72 rout of Villanova on Monday, tying Abromaitis for game-high scoring honors.  Hansbrough also scored a game-high 21 points in a 73-70 win over Connecticut at home back on January 4.  However, the Huskies have won the last seven home meetings with Notre Dame along with four of the past six overall, both SU and ATS.

Now that you have read this Big East college basketball betting preview featuring UConn & Notre Dame, check out the NCAA basketball odds on this and all the games to compare the best lines at multiple sportsbooks.