Virginia’s perfect season is still alive after surviving a tough North Carolina State side Monday night. Preserving that unblemished record won’t be that easy, though, as standing in their way this coming Saturday are the Notre Dame Fighting Irish who are playing some excellent basketball as well, having won all of their last 11 games.
Read on below for a preview of this titanic showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between Iowa State and West Virginia here.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]Virginia Cavaliers vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Preview
Where: Purcell Pavilion, Notre Dame
When: Saturday, January 10, 2015, 6:00 PM ET
Line: Virginia Cavaliers vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia’s unbeaten record is still intact after beating North Carolina State 61-51 on Wednesday night. The Cavaliers are now 14-0 to start the season and their win against the Wolfpack was their 19th consecutive victory at home.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]After two-straight disappointing defensive performances against Davidson and Miami, the Cavaliers rediscovered the form that made them one of the best defensive teams in the nation today. The Cavaliers held the Wolfpack scoreless for six minutes in the second half to help Virginia take control of the game for good.
The Cavaliers have been phenomenal on the defensive end this season, allowing an average of just 50.6 points per game, second-best in the entire NCAA. After allowing a season-high shooting percentage against Davidson (48.2%) and squandering a huge lead against Miami (18 points), the pressure was on coach Tony Bennett to bring the Cavaliers’ defensive intensity back.
He managed to do just that as the Cavaliers limited the Wolfpack to just 20-of-53 shooting from the field for a measly 37.7 percent clip. That’s doesn’t mean, however, that Virginia’s defense is perfect. There’s still room for improvement, particularly with their perimeter defense, which has been a problem for the Cavaliers in the last three games.
The Cavaliers have allowed a total of 29 three-point shots in their last three games. The Wolfpack were unstoppable from beyond the arc, especially in the first half where they buried seven of their 12 three-point attempts.
If they bring the same kind of effort against Notre Dame this coming Friday, then they will be in big trouble. The Fighting Irish have been spectacular from beyond the arc this season, making 40.6 percent of their three-point attempts, sixth-best in the entire NCAA.
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Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame’s strong start to the season continued on Monday with a nerve-wracking 71-70 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels. It was the Fighting Irish’s 11th consecutive victory and their 15th win in their last 16 games.
Zach Auguste was the hero for Notre Dame, scoring 18 points including the go-ahead basket with 1:07 remaining that helped seal the win for the Fighting Irish. The victory boosted Notre Dame’s record in the ACC to a perfect 3-0 slate, the first time they have done so in league play.
For a change, it was Notre Dame’s defense that took center stage in this game. They limited the Tar Heels to just 1-of-14 shooting in the final seven minutes as they put the clamps on the North Carolina shooters. That enabled Notre Dame to escape with the victory despite also struggling from the field down the stretch.
The Fighting Irish were particularly impressive with their defense inside the shaded area. They held the Tar Heels to just 30 points on 15-of-34 shooting inside the paint. That’s way below North Carolina’s average of 38.9 points in paint per game, fourth-most among major conference teams.
With that said, the real catalyst behind Notre Dame’s hot start is their excellent play on the offensive end. The Fighting Irish are third in the nation in scoring this season, averaging 85.0 points per game.
Notre Dame’s opponents have had a hard time dealing with the Fighting Irish’s unorthodox four-guard lineup this season. Jerian Grant has been unstoppable, averaging 17.3 points and 6.3 assists per game. Zach Auguste and Demetrius Jackson have improved this season as well, averaging 14.9 and 14.3 points per game respectively.
The key to this whole system is Pat Connaughton. The 6-foot-5 senior plays power forward for the side but he has held his own against his much taller counterparts. He proved that in the game against North Carolina in which he scored 16 points and grabbed nine boards. Connaughton will need to be at his best, though, against a Virginia side that is 27th in the entire NCAA in the rebounding department, averaging 40.0 boards per game.
Writer’s Prediction
Notre Dame wins, 64-55.
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