Notre Dame takes on Xavier in an all-Catholic 7-vs-10 matchup Friday night in the South Regional.
And regular March Madness bettors know that Xavier has been by far the most profitable tournament team over the past decade, going 15-2-1 ATS in 18 games.
The Irish, who earned an at-large bid by finishing a strong third in the Big East, are favored by 2.5 points over the Musketeers, who earned their Big Dance invite by winning the Atlantic 10 tournament.
Greensboro Coliseum is the location for this game, which makes it a neutral-site matchup.
The Fighting Irish currently sports a 22-11 record overall in NCAAB action, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 12-15 ATS. The Musketeers are 21-12 and 10-18-3 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Fighting Irish produce a 9-18 OVER/UNDER record on the season, while the Musketeers have gone 17-14 against the number.
View Xavier vs Notre Dame Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had the Fighting Irish installed as 2.5-point favorites in this particular matchup. The total was sitting around 126 Wednesday at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
It's a betting matchup between the No. 60-rated Fighting Irish and the No. 45-ranked Musketeers, according to the latest pro hoops power rankings here at Odds Shark. Prediction formulas run on this game indicate a possible 72-70 result in favor of the Fighting Irish.
How They Match Up:
In the paint, the rebound battle will feature Notre Dame's No. 201-rated squad against Xavier's No. 74-rated roster. And in long-range shooting, Notre Dame rates No. 139 in the country with 6.4 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 298 nationally with 4.9 per match.
Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Xavier owns the country's No. 238-rated mark, allowing 72.3 points per game on the highway. Notre Dame, on the other hand, rates No. 125 in scoring at home.
Xavier was a 67-56 loser in their most recent outing at home against St. Bonaventure. They failed to cover the 4-point spread as favorites. Tu Holloway scored 17 points in a futile effort to lead the Musketeers to a win (they lost 67-56 to St. Bonaventure at Boardwalk Hall on Sunday).
Last time out for Notre Dame, they were a 64-50 loser as they battled Louisville at home. They failed to cover in the match as a 3.5-point underdog. The Fighting Irish endured a 64-50 loss at the hands of the Cardinals on Friday, despite a 12-point effort from Eric Atkins at Madison Square Garden.
Xavier Musketeers Trends:
When playing on Friday are 7-3
After playing St. Bonaventure are 8-2
After a loss are 7-3
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Trends:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
After playing Louisville are 7-2
After a loss are 6-4
A few Musketeers at Fighting Irish trends to consider:
Notre Dame is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Notre Dame's last 6 games
Notre Dame is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
