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Both Notre Dame & Michigan come off impressive opening week wins, and each will be looking to keep the momentum going when they go head-to-head on Saturday at the "Big House" in Ann Arbor. The game should make for great TV, and hence great betting action. The Irish are a 3-point favorite at Sportsbook.com and will be looking to buck a prolific underdog covering trend in the series.
If adversity builds character, then Rich Rodriguez and Charley Weis are two men well-versed in character issues to sell their respective teams on. No coach in America is looking forward to game day more than Rich Rod, as controversy follows him around like a shadow. Rodriguez primarily stayed with Tate Forcier as his quarterback last week against Western Michigan and the results were impressive in Michigan's 31-7 victory. The offense showed more continuity than at any time last year. The Wolverines were also nastier on defense with coordinator Greg Robinson in charge of that side of the ball. Nevertheless, he installed a new 3-4 concept, which means a learning curve for a team that is 14-21-1 ATS at the Big House since 2004.
Notre Dame gave a stunning performance at home against a pretty good Nevada club, winning 35-0. Weis' Fighting Irish will take this act on the road for the first time in 2009. Offensively, Notre Dame is expected to be score points all season with junior Jimmy Clausen in command, throwing to a receiver contingent as good as any in the country. On the opposite side of the ball, from an athletic perspective, this is best defense in South Bend in years. The Irish are just 3-6 SU and 2-7 ATS in their last nine road openers though.
This is one of those crazy college football series', with the underdog 12-2 ATS, which has included five upsets in last seven meetings. How Forcier handles the Irish onslaught of pressure will go a long way in determining outcome. If he can make big plays, the Wolverines have a shot, if not, Notre Dame should win. In watching both teams, the most striking aspect is RichRod's team should be where Weis' squad is next season. Michigan is 0-7 ATS after playing a game at home, the Fighting Irish are 10-1 UNDER in road games over the last three seasons.
The StatFox Power Line says that Michigan should actually be favored by 1. IS the wrong team favored? If so, take advantage by putting down an ATS or Money Line wager on the home dogs at Sportsbook.com.
