Miami (13-1, 4-0 ACC) takes on Notre Dame (8-6, 0-2 ACC) in South Bend, IN, this afternoon. Both teams are on an impressive run, with the Hurricanes having won seven straight road games to start the season while Notre Dame has lost four of its last five.
These two teams are ranked in the top half of their respective conferences, so this game should be a great one. The Hurricanes are a 2.5-point favorite and the over/under total for this matchup sits at 144.5.
Miami Hurricanes vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Miami Hurricanes are coming off a huge 66-64 win over Virginia on Friday, and will look to keep their streak of winning at home going against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a key ACC game. The Hurricanes have won seven of their last eight and are currently atop the conference standings by a margin of 5.3 points.
Miami has an extremely talented offense and are averaging a lot of points per game this season with a 13th-highest Adjusted Offensive Efficiency in the country at 114.1. Their scoring is fueled by a great defense, which has held Quadrant 1 foes to a lower percentage than any other team in the nation this year.
Notre Dame is coming off a big 59-43 victory over Jacksonville on Tuesday that ended a three-game losing streak for the Irish. The Irish benefited from a strong performance from Paul Atkinson Jr. and other top-tier players including Prentiss Hubb, Dane Goodwin and Cormac Ryan.
Although Notre Dame has only beaten one Quadrant 1 opponent this season, they have had success against Quad 2 teams as well. The Irish have a veteran lineup that is able to do a lot of the little things right and are also fouling at the third-lowest rate in the nation.
In addition, the Irish have a very strong front court that is led by Cierre Wood and Theo Riddick. The duo has a combined 144.5 rushing yards and have scored four times this season.
The Irish are averaging just over 60 points per game this season. This is the lowest they have averaged since the 2012-13 season when they were averaging just under 57 points per game.
Over/Under Totals
The Miami Hurricanes look to extend their winning streak against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish when they meet in an ACC college basketball matchup on Friday. The 14th-ranked Hurricanes won their first conference game of the season last week, beating Virginia 66-64. They are a strong 12-1 straight up and 7-6 against the spread on the road this year.
The Under is a solid choice for this one because these teams have been relatively efficient with the ball so far. Both teams are averaging 19 seconds per possession against each other and neither team has turned over the ball too much.
Notre Dame entered the holiday break on a three-game losing streak, but they were able to get a win against Jacksonville in their first game back. That win gave them some much needed confidence going into a tough matchup with the Hurricanes on Friday.
Miami comes into this matchup with a 9-0 record at home. The Canes have been able to win games behind a highly efficient offense that has shot 48.1% from the floor (46th in the nation).
However, the Over is a better bet against a Notre Dame defense that is giving up an average of 64.3 points per game (33rd in the country). While Miami has allowed a few extra points on the scoreboard in their two home games this season, they haven’t been able to pull away against mediocre opponents.
While Miami has covered five of its last seven games, Notre Dame has struggled to cover the spread and save for their last game against Jacksonville, is 3-10 ATS this season. They are just 2-2 in their last five games against ranked teams.
Head-to-Head Record
Miami and Notre Dame are two of the top teams in college basketball right now. Both are tied for first place in the ACC, and both have won over a pair of top-five opponents this season.
In the head-to-head record for this matchup, Miami has a slight advantage in wins and losses. They have a 17-6 record, while the Irish have a 16-5 mark.
While the ‘Canes are a solid team, they lack some of the athleticism and length that the Irish bring to the table. This will prove to be a tough game for the Hurricanes.
This is a good opportunity for the Irish to get some revenge on the ‘Canes. It also gives them a chance to take the lead in the ACC.
The Hurricanes have been hot of late, winning a pair of road games against top-five opponents and knocking off the Duke Blue Devils in Durham last week. They are currently tied for first place in the ACC at 8-2 and will be looking to continue their impressive run against the Fighting Irish.
UM is coming off a win at Georgia Tech and has not lost a game since the defeat to Florida State on January 22. They have won their last three games and come into this one off of a five-day break.
On the other hand, the Irish are coming off a win over Jacksonville, which ended a three-game losing streak. They are a well-rounded team that plays good defense and has a strong shooting attack.
Prediction
Miami has a chance to increase its winning streak to nine games when it plays Notre Dame on Friday afternoon. The Hurricanes are 12-1 overall and 3-0 in the ACC and enter this game as 2.5-point favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook.
The Hurricanes are a team that does not settle for outside shots and they lead the ACC in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency with a top-fifteen scoring average. They have been led by Isaiah Wong who is averaging 17.2 points per game and is also averaging a career-high 5.8 rebounds.
Offensively, Miami is averaging 71.4 points on 45.3% shooting from the field and is averaging 7.7 three-pointers on 36.5% shooting from beyond the arc. The Hurricanes also have a strong free-throw shooting percentage, as they are ranked ninth in the country in that area with 79.7% from the charity stripe.
Notre Dame is 8-5 on the season and 0-2 in ACC play. They snapped a three-game losing streak with a 59-43 victory over Jacksonville in their most recent game. The Fighting Irish were led by Marcus Hammond who had 15 points and a pair of rebounds.
Freshman JJ Starling is off to a great start in his collegiate career as he is averaging 13.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He is averaging a double-double in each of his last five games and will be a key player for the Fighting Irish in this matchup.
This is a good defensive team and they should be able to take care of the ball in this one. They are averaging 65.4 possessions per game and are 240th in opponent field goal percentage.