Indiana vs. Notre Dame Odds
| Indiana Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -115 | 133.5 -110o / -110u | -200 |
| Notre Dame Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -105 | 133.5 -110o / -110u | +170 |
Notre Dame and Indiana square off in Indianapolis on Saturday in the final edition of the Crossroads Classic. This is a matchup between the program I grew up rooting for in ND and my alma mater in IU.
Both teams entered the 21-22 season with some buzz for various reasons. Mike Woodson took over the reigns in Bloomington, and Woodson inherited a very capable roster, led by preseason All-American, Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The Hoosiers have gotten off to a pretty solid start thus far this year. Indiana's two losses both came on the road, by two to Syracuse in double overtime and by five in Madison in a game the Hoosiers let slip away.
While none of the eight wins have come against elite opponents, Woodson's team is taking care of business, something a lot of Power 5 programs cannot say.
For Mike Brey and the Fighting Irish, the talk in the offseason was about getting back to the NCAA Tournament. Brey has acknowledged that the last three seasons have not been up to standard. With a veteran group back, this season is very important for Notre Dame.
The Irish have gotten off to a sluggish start, including blowing a game to Texas A&M and losing by double digits to Boston College. Last Saturday, however, ND upset Kentucky at home, in a game where the Irish really competed defensively.
Indiana Hoosiers
The Woodson era is off and running, and Indiana fans have got to be pretty pleased with what they have seen thus far.
Indiana has home wins over St. John's and Nebraska and it has handled every mid-major that has visited Assembly Hall with relative ease.
The problems have come for the Hoosiers when they have hit the road. Indiana got down 16 points early to Syracuse, before storming back in the second half and having several chances to win the game late.
It was the opposite scenario against Wisconsin. IU led by 17 at the intermission and then, could only muster two points in the final six minutes, allowing the Badgers to capture a game they had no business winning.
Woodson will be looking for his team to put together a complete, 40-minute outing in this neutral battle against Notre Dame.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame had its back against the wall last Saturday against Kentucky, and the Irish finally delivered in a big spot.
The senior class led by Prentiss Hubb, Dane Goodwin, Cormac Ryan and Nate Laszewski have often times come up short in big moments throughout their careers, so maybe getting over the hump against the Wildcats will lead to something.
It wasn't just the veterans who helped make the upset possible, however.
Freshman guard Blake Wesley has really burst onto the scene in his last three-to-five games. Wesley went for 24 on 9-of-12 shooting at Illinois, and against Kentucky, he hit the game-winning jump shot with just under 30 seconds remaining.
Wesley's rise has been much-needed, as Hubb continues to be in a huge funk. The point guard is currently shooting just 29% from the field and has the worst assist-turnover ratio of his career through eight games.
Brey chose to keep him on the bench in crunch time against Kentucky, and the decision paid off.
For Notre Dame to be a tournament team this season, it needs Hubb to re-find his form and help Wesley, Ryan, Goodwin and the rest of the ND backcourt.
Indiana vs. Notre Dame Betting Pick
These two teams face off every other year in this event and it feels like every matchup comes down to the wire.
Indiana has won the last three, and all were tight games where the Hoosiers trailed at various points late in the second half.
In this year's matchup, I think there is some real value on Notre Dame catching the points. Wesley has emerged as one of the most explosive freshmen in the country and he gives the Irish a playmaking guard that they have not had the past few seasons.
Notre Dame found some momentum last week in defeating Kentucky and I think you'll see Brey's team come out fired up and looking to build off of that.
Jackson-Davis will certainly be the best interior player in this game and he should have a big afternoon. I think Brey will let Jackson-Davis get his, as they focus on guarding the arc and limiting the Hoosiers to one shot per trip.
Although Ryan and Laszewski have struggled thus far from distance, both are capable shooters that should get some clean looks on the other end for the Irish.
I'm playing Notre Dame +4 and would also endorse the Irish on the money line.
