A boatload of injuries spoiled what otherwise was a great season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They aren't being given a heck of a lot of a chance against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl, but this could end up being one of the more entertaining of the 40 bowl games this year.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Notre Dame Fighting Irish +6.5
Ohio State Buckeyes -6.5
Over/Under 54
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Buckeyes are garnering over 65 percent of the bets in this game as of the publication of this article, yet the line isn't moving at all. Notre Dame opened up at -6.5 and has held right there every step of the way in the Fiesta Bowl.
The total too, has been relatively stagnant. We've seen the number jump a tick from 54 to 54.5, but this is right around where the final total will surely go off the board.
WHEN THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH HAVE THE BALL
C.J. Prosise is still up in the air for this game with an ankle problem. He's an elite runner when he's out there and healthy, but it isn't like Notre Dame hasn't managed without him. Josh Adams has been an adequate fill-in posting games of at least 140 yards against Stanford, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh.
Still, this game is going to come down to DeShone Kizer. He's a tough man to back, knowing that he was the third quarterback on this roster coming into the Spring before Everett Golson transferred to Florida State, but after Malik Zaire suffered a season-ending injury, Kizer was the only option Brian Kelly had to turn to.
Thus far, Kizer has done alright, rushing for 504 yards and nine scores to complement his 2,596 passing yards and 19 TDs. Kizer throws a really nice deep ball, but there are times where his accuracy isn't the best.
The key man for live bettors is Will Fuller. He's the best receiver on the team, and though he only had 56 catches, they went for 1,145 yards and 13 TDs. With Fuller out there, a big play is always waiting to happen, and we can't imagine a situation where he doesn't have at least 2-3 plays in this one that completely change the flow of live betting.
WHEN THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES HAVE THE BALL
Ezekiel Elliott says he's going to the NFL when this game is said and done with, and we can't blame him. He's disgruntled about his lack of getting the ball in big games, and we aren't sure that Urban Meyer is going to acquiesce to his wants or not in what will probably be his final collegiate game.
Let's not forget that the tricks could come out of the bag as well. Last year, Ohio State didn't need a lot of tricky plays to overcome having Cardale Jones playing quarterback, but Notre Dame can't forget that all three of Jones, J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller can throw the ball all over the yard if given the chance.
Notre Dame's defense is really tough to run on between the tackles, which is why Elliott might not have anywhere near the games he did last year when the Buckeyes blew through the College Football Playoff. That's why Michael Thomas and the rest of these Ohio State receivers have to take advantage of their opportunities.
There will be chances to make big plays for sure. If OSU takes advantage of those, it will be a good wager in live betting. If not though, Notre Dame bettors could be the beneficiaries with the Golden Domers lined as big underdogs in this game.
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet. Click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The war between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio State Buckeyes will take place Friday, January 1, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. ET at University of Phoenix Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.
