There weren't many teams in the nation more impressive than the Notre Dame Fighting Irish last week.
They've got a sneakily tough test against a battle-tested Virginia Cavaliers outfit this Saturday at Scott Stadium though, and live bettors need to be aware that this isn't going to be a walk in the park even though the Golden Domers are laying nearly two touchdowns.
WHEN THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH HAVE THE BALL
Notre Dame might have put up 527 yards and 38 points last week against Texas, but the offense wasn't quite as impressive as all of that sounds from our standpoint.
The rushing game was really more a matter of quantity than quality. Josh Adams had a 25-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, but if you take that single run away, what was left was a team which had 189 yards on a whopping 51 carries, an average of just 3.7 yards per rush.
Live bettors need to be aware that the Fighting Irish are going to continually run the ball in this game, but they're going to let Malik Zaire take some shots, too. He only needed 22 passing attempts and 19 completions to rack up 313 yards against Texas, and if that's the way this one plays out again, the UVA defense which was torched by true freshman Josh Rosen in his first ever collegiate game last week, could be in a bit of trouble.
William Fuller can really stretch the field, and when he is split out by himself, you know that danger could be waiting around the corner for live bettors banking on the under.
WHEN THE VIRGINIA CAVALIERS HAVE THE BALL
Notre Dame's defense was awesome last week, but it's going to be hard to replicate that in this game. Not everyone is going to amass just 163 yards against the Golden Domers, nor are they going to hold teams to just 2-of-13 on third down conversions week in and week out.
Don't get us wrong; the Virginia offense is nothing special. This team couldn't get anything going on the ground against UCLA last week, and Matt Johns is never going to be an elite level quarterback.
The Cavaliers though, should put some points on the board. Taquan Mizzell is too good of an athlete, and the Hoos use him all over the field. Notre Dame's defense could have a really good day, but Virginia at home is going to be a sneaky choice in live betting, particularly if it is starting to keep this game close.
It only takes one Mizzell run or reception to really set Scott Stadium ablaze, and that's when road teams which are favored get in trouble in live betting all the time in college football.
TREND TO TRACK
Not only has Notre Dame steamed up to -13 in this game from the -10 opener, but the total has come down a whopping four points as well to 47.5.
The total in this one is going to be tough to handicap. Virginia has played six of its last seven games under the total. Notre Dame has played six of its last seven to the over. Both teams did go under last week, albeit by just one score in each game though, and that's probably why this total has come crashing down over the course of the last few days.
BookMaker opened the spread for this Saturday game before anyone else on the internet. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish opened at -10 alongside a total of 51.5. In-game spreads, totals, moneylines and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here, and start wagering today! The battle between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Virginia Cavaliers will kick off Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Scott Stadium. The contest will be broadcast nationally on ABC.
