The red-hot, 12th-seeded Princeton Tigers will look to extend their winning ways while pulling off the upset over the fifth-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish when they square off in their West Region opener on Thursday.
Now, let’s find out if the Tigers can get the huge upset or cover the NCAA basketball spread against the Irish.
Where: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Network
NCAAB Odds: Notre Dame -7
While Princeton averages a modest 72.1 points per game to rank 200th nationally in scoring, the Tigers are even better defensively in limiting the opposition to just 61.5 points per game to rank a stupendous 10th in points allowed nationally. Princeton is also well-balanced with four players that average double figures in scoring and a fifth that contributes 9.5 points per game. “The way we’re playing right now, I think it’s hard to stop us,”said senior forward Steven Cook Cook said. “If we keep playing consistent on the offensive and the defensive end… we can be trouble.”
“We have a whole new season to go,” forward Bonzie Colson said after unleashing a 29-point, nine-rebound performance on the Blue Devils. “We have an opportunity to cut down some nets and we’re staying together and we’re excited about what we have upcoming for us. You’ve got to move on quick. It’s the nature of the game.”
The 6-foot-5 Colson (17.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg) led the ACC in scoring and rebounding double-doubles with 18 while finishing third for ACC Player of the Year honors. Notre Dame also has three other double-digit scorers and averages a healthy 78.0 points per game (67th) while limiting the opposition to 69.2 points per game defensively to rank 99th in points allowed.
While the Irish have lost two of their last four games, they’ve also gone 8-2 SU over their last 10 and have only suffered losses against nationally-ranked Louisville and Duke along the way. While Notre Dame allows almost seven points per game more than the Tigers, they also outscore their Ivy League opponents by almost six points per game offensively. More importantly, Notre Dame will have the best player on the court by far in superstar swingman Bonzie Colson.
The Irish are 4-1 ATS in their last five and 6-4 ATS over their last 10 and I believe they will win and narrowly cover the spread against a Princeton team that has gone 5-4-1 ATS over their L/10 games but just doesn’t have the same kind of elite talent as the Irish.
Here’s A Closer Look At The Tigers Vs Fighting Irish Lines, Betting Pick & TV Info
When: Thursday, March 16, 2017 at 12:15 PM ETWhere: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Network
NCAAB Odds: Notre Dame -7
Why Bet The Princeton Tigers Odds at +7
There are plenty of good reasons to bet on the Princeton Tigers (12-10-1 ATS) as a 7-point underdog starting with the fact that the’re insanely hot right now and ride an incendiary 19-game winning streak into this matchup.While Princeton averages a modest 72.1 points per game to rank 200th nationally in scoring, the Tigers are even better defensively in limiting the opposition to just 61.5 points per game to rank a stupendous 10th in points allowed nationally. Princeton is also well-balanced with four players that average double figures in scoring and a fifth that contributes 9.5 points per game. “The way we’re playing right now, I think it’s hard to stop us,”said senior forward Steven Cook Cook said. “If we keep playing consistent on the offensive and the defensive end… we can be trouble.”
Why Bet The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Odds at -7
I like the Fighting Irish (18-9-1 ATS) as a 7-point favorite in this affair for a handful of reasons, starting with the fact that I believe they’re going to play with plenty of excitement even after falling to Duke 75-69 in the ACC tournament title game this past Saturday.“We have a whole new season to go,” forward Bonzie Colson said after unleashing a 29-point, nine-rebound performance on the Blue Devils. “We have an opportunity to cut down some nets and we’re staying together and we’re excited about what we have upcoming for us. You’ve got to move on quick. It’s the nature of the game.”
The 6-foot-5 Colson (17.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg) led the ACC in scoring and rebounding double-doubles with 18 while finishing third for ACC Player of the Year honors. Notre Dame also has three other double-digit scorers and averages a healthy 78.0 points per game (67th) while limiting the opposition to 69.2 points per game defensively to rank 99th in points allowed.
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
While Princeton has had a fantastic campaign in winning the Ivy League regular season and inaugural conference tournament title, I’m really high on Notre Dame right now and their resume of ACC conference wins says they could beat any team in the country on any given day.While the Irish have lost two of their last four games, they’ve also gone 8-2 SU over their last 10 and have only suffered losses against nationally-ranked Louisville and Duke along the way. While Notre Dame allows almost seven points per game more than the Tigers, they also outscore their Ivy League opponents by almost six points per game offensively. More importantly, Notre Dame will have the best player on the court by far in superstar swingman Bonzie Colson.
The Irish are 4-1 ATS in their last five and 6-4 ATS over their last 10 and I believe they will win and narrowly cover the spread against a Princeton team that has gone 5-4-1 ATS over their L/10 games but just doesn’t have the same kind of elite talent as the Irish.
