We are almost 30 years removed from the infamous Catholics vs. Convicts game played between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Miami Hurricanes. It’s only fitting that both programs are back in the national spotlight after a prolonged dip and College GameDay will be in south Florida for the meeting between these two teams this season. The winner controls its own destiny for a spot in the College Football Playoff, while the loser is effectively out of national title contention.
This matchup in Week 11 of the regular season will take place on Saturday, November 11, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. This game will be broadcast on ABC.
College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Notre Dame -3
Miami +3
Over/Under 57.5
Odds Analysis
The Irish opened up as a 2.5-point favorite in this one and the line didn’t take long to move to an even three points. Miami was one of the few teams that Notre Dame defeated in its disastrous 4-8 season in 2016 and the Hurricanes are out for revenge.
Notre Dame has been extremely impressive all year long. Other than a one-point loss to No. 1 Georgia, the Irish have dominated their opponents. Notre Dame’s lowest margin of victory all year long was 11 points and that has led to a lot of covers. The Irish are 7-2 ATS on the year.
The Hurricanes seem to be this year’s team of destiny. Miami eeked out four straight wins against conference opponents, before laying the hammer to Virginia Tech last week. This team was lightly regarded because of the narrow victories prior to the win over the Hokies, but now they are a team that must be respected. Under has cashed in six straight Miami games.
Matchup to Watch
It’s all about the success of the ground game for Notre Dame. The Irish have a fantastic rushing attack, helmed by Josh Adams. Adams is starting to get some Heisman Trophy buzz and is currently averaging 8.7 yards per carry this season and has found the end zone nine times. He made mincemeat out of USC and North Carolina State’s defenses in back-to-back weeks, but only played in the first quarter against Wake Forest last game because of a lingering injury.
Adams is helped by his quarterback, a great runner in his own right. Brandon Wimbush is averaging 6.3 yards per carry and is the team’s second-leading rusher. His legs make him a deadly option in the red zone and he has crossed the goal line 13 times in just nine games. Overall, Notre Dame is averaging seven yards per carry this season and those two, as well as a phenomenal offensive line, make this team scary.
Wimbush got dinged up to against Wake Forest, but Brian Kelly has said that both players will play.
That’s great news because Miami can be beat on the ground. Bill Connelly’s advanced metrics on Football Study Hall have this as a middle of the pack run defense that has had some hard times stopping opponents on the ground.
Last Meeting
When these teams met last season, Notre Dame jumped out to an early 20-0 lead and looked to be in cruise control at home against Miami. Unfortunately for the Irish, the Hurricanes ripped off 27 straight points and took the lead midway through the fourth quarter thanks to a defensive touchdown. That meant the Irish had to scramble to come back and Josh Adams helped the team do just that.
Free ATS Pick
This is where Miami’s unbeaten streak comes to an end. I know I said the same thing last week when the Canes took on Virginia Tech, but playing such tough opponents in back-to-back weeks is too much to ask for a young Miami team. Notre Dame will gash Miami on the ground and cruise to a win.
College Football Odds: Notre Dame 34, Miami 14
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