The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have made the Elite Eight in back-to-back years, and their hunt to get back there begins on Thursday when they face off with Princeton in the Round of 64. Sportsbooks opened the Irish as 6.5-point chalk with a total of 133.5.
- Notre Dame is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games against teams with winning records.
- Princeton is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games as an underdog of 7.0 or more.
- The total has gone UNDER in six of Notre Dame's last seven games.
The Ivy League champion Tigers have won a ridiculous 19 straight and have not lost since December 20. With a win in this game, Princeton can match the program’s longest winning streak in school history. This is the Tigers’ first NCAA tournament appearance since 2011.
Making the tournament is old hat for Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. In Brey’s 17 seasons, the Irish have made 12 appearances in the big dance. Notre Dame’s six-foot-five power forward Bonzie Colson has played bigger than his frame this season, as he led the conference in double-doubles for points and rebounds with 18 to land a spot on the all-ACC first team.
The OVER has been the hot bet in Princeton’s games lately, as each of the past five has eclipsed the closing total.
Princeton Tigers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish bring a 25-9 record (18-9-1 ATS) to this tilt against the 23-6 Tigers, who are 13-10 ATS. Those OVER/UNDER betting have witnessed Notre Dame go 14-14 so far and the Princeton Tigers go 10-13.
The Power Rankings at Odds Shark show No. 8-rated Princeton Tigers taking on the No. 36-rated Notre Dame Fighting Irish in this contest.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits Notre Dame's No. 58-ranked offense, averaging 78 PPG, against a Tigers defense that ranks No. 10 at 61.48 PPG. The Fighting Irish field goal percentage has averaged 46.09% so far, more than the Tigers marksmen have achieved on the year, 45.21% per game.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Tigers grabbed a 71-59 win over the Bulldogs on Sunday, behind a 23-point effort from Myles Stephens at Palestra.
Bonzie Colson scored 29 points for Notre Dame on Saturday, but the Blue Devils managed a 75-69 victory over the Fighting Irish at Barclays Center.
