Notre Dame made it to the championship game of the conference tournament before falling to Duke, showing its offensive prowess in the contest. Princeton rolled to the Ivy League championship and hasn’t lost a game in months.
However, this is a big step up in competition and the Tigers will be underdogs, although the spread is close enough that an upset isn’t out of the question.
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College Basketball Odds
Notre Dame enters this game as a 7-point favorite, so it is expected to win and advance, but the dreaded 5-12 matchup always has its share of upsets, and a solid performance from Princeton could make this one interesting.
The Fighting Irish is 25-9 straight up and 18-9-1 against the spread. Notre Dame has played in seven neutral site games on the season and covered in four of them. The Fighting Irish is 11-5-1 against the spread as the favorite.
Princeton is 23-6 straight up and 13-10 against the spread. The Tigers have played in three neutral site games this season and have covered in two of them. Princeton has only been the underdog three times on the year and has failed to cover in any of them.
Player to Watch
Benzie Colson -- The Notre Dame big man was terrific in the ACC tournament and will be a tough cover for Princeton. He is averaging 17.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals per contest.
Colson is shooting 52.3 percent from the field and Princeton hasn’t seen very many players in the post with his type of skill. Colson had 29 points and nine rebounds last time out in a loss to Duke in the conference championship game.
Notre Dame is a solid three-point shooting team, and Colson’s talent down low draws a lot of attention, which helps them get open looks.
Key Stat
19. That’s the number of wins in a row Princeton has reeled off, as it went undefeated in conference play and also did well near the end of the non-conference. The elite overall record is why Princeton is one of the top seeds among the smaller conference entrants.
Princeton has been tested a few times during this streak, knocking off Bucknell, Harvard and Columbia by two points or fewer. However, the Tigers have also had their fair share of blowout victories.
While this has been a dominant streak, the lack of top-notch competition is the concern. Princeton played BYU and California in the non-conference and lost both games, leading to questions as to whether it can hang against high-major opponents.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Princeton waltzed through the Ivy League, but has to shoot very efficiently to stick around in this one. The Fighting Irish is playing well, giving Duke a tough game in the ACC tournament championship game.
Some believed Notre Dame should have been seeded higher, and it will try to prove those people right in this one. The 5-12 matchups always give pause and the spread is in the single digits, meaning a few fortunate bounces could help Princeton stay close or even spring the upset.
However, that’s not going to happen in this one. Notre Dame is playing well and should win this game pretty easily to move on in the Big Dance.
College Basketball Odds: Notre Dame 75, Princeton 65
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