Michigan Wolverines vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Prediction Pick Point Spread Odds Line Week 4 09/22/2012

The Michigan Wolverines and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish meet in Week 4 College Football action on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.

Game time is 7:30 pm ET on NBC.

NCAAF Picks opened with the Irish as a 6-point favorite but bets on the Wolverines have ND at -5.5 and -5 at some sportsbooks. Moneyline betting odds have Notre Dame as a -220 favorite and Michigan a +180 underdog. The over/under total is at 51.

Michigan was a 63-13 winner against the Massachusetts Minutemen, covering as a 45.5-point home favorite, while Notre Dame knocked off then-No. 10 Michigan State Spartans 20-3 on the road, cashing as a 5.5-point underdog.

Michigan (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) has won 2 straight games while Notre Dame (3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) has opened the season with 3 straight wins.

Head to head, Michigan is 5-1 SU in the last 6 meetings. The total has gone over in 5 of the last 6 meetings at Notre Dame.

College Football Betting trends show that Michigan is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games overall. The total has gone under in 4 of the Spartans’ last 5 games on the road.

Notre Dame is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home. The total has gone under in 11 of Notre Dame’s last 14 games at home, and in 5 of its last 6 overall.

The Michigan Wolverines vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish free NCAAF betting prediction is available right now to all callers to Lester’s courtesy line by dialing 1-800-293-0127.

Florida State Seminoles VS Notre Dame Fighting Irish Champs Sports Bowl

Florida State Seminoles VS Notre Dame Fighting Irish Champs Sports Bowl Free Pick: I just happen to think the Florida State Seminoles are a very good football team – a team that probably played below what they should have done because they were slowed in the beginning of the year with injuries to their leader and quarterback, E.J. Manuel. When it comes right down to it, FSU finished the season 6-1 over their last 7 games, beating bowlers Florida and North Carolina State. While neither team is a dominant squad, the fact is that FSU played well in just about every game they played all year long. There were no stinkers. They lost by a point to Virginia late in the year, and they didn’t play well that game, but it was hardly a stinker. Losses to Oklahoma, Clemson, and Wake Forest were by 10, 5, and 5 respectively. They were in every game down to the last quarter.

The Irish finished the year with 8 wins in their last 10 games, beating 4 bowl teams in the process including Michigan State. They even played alright against Stanford, though they struggled to score against a Cardinal defense that had given up lots of points.

FSU’s very athletic defense should give the Irish trouble, and since Notre Dame comes in with a question as to which quarterback will get which snaps (Hendrix or Rees) I just don’t see siding with Notre Dame in a close game. I’ll take the Seminoles.

Florida State Seminoles (-3) VS. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Tigers @ Gamecocks, Fighting Irish @ Cardinal, Bruins @ Trojans

Clemson Tigers (+4) @ South Carolina Gamecocks
One of the top 3 teams in the SEC probably beats the best team in the ACC 9 out of 10 times. But could this be that once? I think so. I think the Clemson Tigers laid such a large goose egg last weekend that they couldn’t possibly do anything but play their best football against South Carolina. I know the Gamecocks have a very good defense, but I think Clemson has the talent to put up some points on even the best of defenses.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Stanford Cardinal (-7)
I think the Cardinal are losing a little too much credit here after a tough loss to Oregon. This is still a very good football team, consistent, powerful up front, and one hell of a quarterback. I know Notre Dame has some talent, but I just don’t see them playing with Stanford for 4 quarters.

UCLA Bruins @ USC Trojans (-14)
It’s amazing how much this game means to the Bruins. From all the news about UCLA getting their coach fired, playing terrible, basically a non-existent team all season long – you’d think they were 0-12. Little does the rest of the world know that UCLA can clinch a spot in the PAC 12 Championship Game with a win over USC on Saturday. Not bad for a Bruin team with no offense, defense, or head coach job security. USC basically has nothing to play for – they ousted the Ducks last week, coming off that huge win with no post-season games available to them because of sanctions – all they have is this last game against lowly UCLA. That’s all fine and dandy, and maybe that does get the Trojans playing a little sloppy – but this team is super talented, playing great football, and waaayyy batter than the Bruins. I expect a slapping of baby blue face on southern California.

NCAA Predictions for Week 8 2011 College Football Matchups

Maryland Terrapins @ Florida State Seminoles (-17)
The Terrapins have put together some nice games here and there, but they’ve put together some stinkers too. I expect this to be the latter. As I said in my newsletter, I’m taking the Florida State team on a good day to cover this spread.

Tennessee Volunteers (+29.5) @ Alabama Crimson Tide
The Volunteers can put up some points, they’ve done it against good defenses before, and I think they throw up a couple touchdowns against the studly Crimson Tide defense. I don’t think they have a chance to win, but the points should be covered if they can put together a couple scoring drives. If there’s any weakness to the Crimson Tide it’s that they don’t throw the ball amazingly and their defensive secondary isn’t as awesome as the rest of their group. I don’t think it will be close, but 34-13 wouldn’t surprise me.

USC Trojans @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-8.5)
The Trojans have been alright, but there’s a reason they are 8.5 point dogs at Notre Dame, they just aren’t an elite program right now and it shows. They don’t run the ball really well, and they don’t have the consistency offensively because of that. They have some talent on the outside but they are a little dinged up and might not be able to make those big plays for QB Matt Barkley. Notre Dame plays fast and they are getting consistent offensively. USC’s defense isn’t a good group, allowing lots of points to mediocre teams. I see the Irish taking full advantage of that.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Pittsburgh Panthers Free Football Pick

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Pittsburgh Panthers Free Football Pick: The Irish clobbered Michigan State as their team speed finally showed up on the scoreboard. Despite being a little red-faced son of a (gun), Brian Kelly is a very good coach that has always gotten his kids to play at a very high level. They really have looked the part of a good team in each of their first three games, at least for much of each game. They are very talented at key positions, they can run the football, and they have game-breakers in the passing game Defensively, I think they play too fast for Pittsburgh – thought the Panthers have come together well to start the season.

I just think Notre Dame is the much more talented team.

The one thing giving me jitters is how Tulsa came in and beat Notre Dame last season in South Bend. How is that relevant, you ask? Well, new Pitt coach Todd Graham is in his first year with the Panthers, after coaching Tulsa last season. Graham surely has better personnel at Pitt than he did at Tulsa, but are the Panthers ready to take full advantage of his schemes? We’ll see. I like Notre Dame to win one similar to last week’s win over Michigan State – after the first two weeks (0-2) I said that they looked like a team that could pull it together and have a good season – they are starting to prove me right.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-6.5) @ Pittsburgh Panthers

Michigan State Spartans @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish Prediction

The Irish could be 2-0 heading into this week if it weren’t for some old fashioned egg-shaped-ball-bounces. Sometimes you just can’t predict where that little sucker is going to bounce! They have played very fast the first couple weeks, and Brian Kelly has my respect as a coach that really knows how to get his kids playing the right way. He seems a little bit too much of a firecracker for me, but I know he gets the kids to do what he wants. One of these weeks it’ll all come together, I just happen to think that week is now.

Michigan State Spartans @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-4.5)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Michigan Wolverines College Football Pick

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Michigan Wolverines College Football Pick: I don’t think Michgan is great, but I like their head coach and I expect them to play well this season – better than the last few. I think Notre Dame is habitually overrated and I’m not the biggest fan of old red face, Brian Kelly. Michigan has better athletes and one of the most dynamic college football players in the country in Denard Robinson. He didn’t have a great game in Week 1, but you can bet hill have his shoelaces untied and ready to go against Notre Dame in the Big House.

I think the Fighting Irish have a better chance with Tommy Rees at quarterback, the kid just knows how to win, but I just flat out think the Wolverines are the better team. Brady Hoke has them playing sound football, taking what they get, and not taking too many chances.

I’m not writing off Notre Dame by any means – they played fast in Week 1, and while that didn’t translate, it eventually will. I just think Michigan gets them in Week 2.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Michigan Wolverines (+3.5)

Celebrities Pick their March Madness Favorites

By Scott Matthews

March Madness, properly known as the NCAA Tournament, is officially upon us, and if you’ve given up all hope of picking the best bracket, why not do what everyone else seems to be doing these days, and that’s listen to what the celebrities have to say.

I don’t necessarily agree with that philosophy, but I’m willing to listen to what they have to say.

The Syracuse Orange, who are at 25-1 to win the NCAA Basketball Championship, have a lot of backers. When Sports Illustrated asked 19 celebrities who they think will win it all in the Big Dance, Heidi Klum, model and host of Project Runway, was just one of several celebs favoring the Orange.

“Syracuse! I think Orange is the hot color right now and I love Otto, their mascot,” Klum said.

Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban, who should know how to pick a winner judging by how well his Mavs are doing in the NBA this season, is also a fan of the Orange.

“They played in the toughest conference and I think match up well with the other top seeds and the rest of their bracket,” Cuban said.

For what it’s worth (quite possibly nothing) Kara DioGuardi, the singer/songwriter who was an American Idol Judge and now serves as executive vice president of talent development at Warner Bros. Records, likes Syracuse, as well.

And that’s not all, as far as Orange backers (do these people actually watch College Basketball?). Model Brooklyn Decker (wife of tennis star Andy Roddick) also has Syracuse making it to the Final Four.

Then there’s Patrick Dempsey, the actor known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd (“McDreamy”) on the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, and for film roles in Sweet Home Alabama, Enchanted and Made of Honor.

“I’m picking Georgia Tech,” said Dempsey, currently the co-owner of IndyCar Series team Vision Racing and Dempsey Racing, “because my Mazda Dempsey Racing teammate Joe Foster went there!”

Ok, right.

Actually, forget the celebrities. Didn’t you take the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, after all, that was as good a reason as any.

Scott Matthews is a highly respected handicapper with more than 20 years experience picking winners in College Basketball. Check out his free daily picks at www.smpicks.com or by calling toll-free at 1-888-777-5104.

Louisville Cardinals @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish Big East Tournament Pick

Louisville Cardinals @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish Big East Tournament Pick: This game is getting played at Madison Square Garden in New York, so I’m not looking at any sort of home court advantage for either of these teams. The Cardinals ran through Marquette like the Golden Eagles were one of those paper banners that football teams destroy coming out of halftime. It was easy. 81-56 was the final score, and the first half was close (Louisville was up 5 going into the 2nd half) but Marquette couldn’t hang, and the Cardinals outscored them by 20 in the 2nd. Louisville hit 13 threes and won the rebound war, and blocked 4 more shots than Marquette. Louisville’s length and speed was too much.

Notre Dame destroyed Cincinnati 89-51 despite being just a 2 point favorite. They were up 10 at half, and outscored the Bearcats 49-21 in the 2nd half – and maybe it wasn’t that close. Like the Cardinals, the Irish were hot from 3pt land and basically did everything better than Cinci.

A crazy statistic with these two teams. Since 2006, these schools have played 7 times – 4 of those games have gone to overtime. Notre Dame is 6-1 ATS in those 7 games, but Louisville has won 4 times. This is a battle every time these two teams step foot on the floor, and I’m pretty excited to see what happens on Friday Night.

Earlier this year, Notre Dame won in overtime. The Irish have been the best team in the Big East over the last half of the season, winning 12 of their last 13 games counting Thursday’s victory over Cincinnati. I think they end up taking down Louisville in this game. The line is going to be tight (currently not up at any books I can find) so the winner will most likely cover the spread. The Irish just play too smart, and they seem like a team built for tournament play. Good luck! Cardinals 74 – Irish 80.

Louisville Cardinals @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Connecticut Huskies Point Spread Pick

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Connecticut Huskies Point Spread Pick: The Irish of Notre Dame go to Connecticut to play the Huskies. It’s another big time battle in the Big East, and while it might not mean much for the Big East tournament – because just about every game is a tough one, it might go a long way in making some momentum for the victor heading into the post season. Notre Dame has been really good, and even on the road, you have to give them your full attention.

The Irish have surprised a lot of people this year, but that seems a little bit silly considering how well they played late last year without Luke Harangody in the line-up. They just play really smart basketball, buy into whatever their coach wants them to do against a specific opponent – then win the game if it’s there for the taking.

The Huskies have been up and down, but still have produced a nice 21-8 season thus far. They lost by three at home last time they played Notre Dame. They’ve also gone 1-3 over their last 4 games.

The Irish have been too consistent, and the Huskies have depended way too much on Kemba Walker having a great game. UConn could certainly pull this one out, Notre Dame is far from unbeatable – but it almost completely depends on Kemba playing out of his mind, and I think Notre Dame plays too smart to let that happen. I like the Irish.

#7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+3) @ #16 Connecticut Huskies (3/5) (ESPN)

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