The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will try to cover the spread at Joyce Center on Friday when they get a visit from the Niagara Purple Eagles in NCAA basketball action.

The Fighting Irish currently sports a 11-1 record overall in NCAAB action, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 5-4 ATS. The Purple Eagles are 5-6 and 1-5-1 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Fighting Irish produce a 5-1 OVER/UNDER record on the season, while the Purple Eagles have gone 0-3-1 against the number.



View Niagara vs Notre Dame Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to side with Notre Dame in this one found them as 16-point favorites earlier in the day. Watch for line moves and updates at Sportsbook before gametime.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Fighting Irish - Purple Eagles odds would favor the Fighting Irish if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Notre Dame is rated No. 73 in the current Odds Shark poll, while Niagara is at No. 238. Mathematical models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 87-69 win for the Fighting Irish.



How They Match Up:
In the paint, the rebound battle will feature Notre Dame's No. 69-rated squad against Niagara's No. 157-rated roster. And in long-range shooting, Notre Dame rates No. 90 in the country with 7 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 72 nationally with 7.5 per match.

Defensively, Niagara features the nation's No. 295-rated defense on the road, allowing 78.2 points per game. Notre Dame, meanwhile, comes in at No. 124 nationally in scoring at home.

Niagara was a 68-58 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Vermont. The Purple Eagles got a terrific 25-point effort from Antoine Mason as Niagara defeated Vermont 68-58 on Sunday at Gallagher Center.

Notre Dame won its last outing, an 85-57 result against Kennesaw State on December 19. The battle between the Fighting Irish and Owls didn’t turn out to be much of a battle at all as Kennesaw State was handed an 85-57 defeat on Wednesday at Joyce Center.


Niagara Purple Eagles Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Marist are 7-3
After playing Vermont are 1-0
After a win are 3-7

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Trends:
When playing on Friday are 8-2
Before playing Seton Hall are 10-0
After playing Kennesaw State are 0-1
After a win are 9-1

A few Purple Eagles at Fighting Irish trends to consider:
Niagara is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Niagara is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Notre Dame is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Notre Dame is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


Next up:
Niagara home to Marist, Thursday, January 3
Notre Dame home to Seton Hall, Saturday, January 5