Notre Dame vs. DePaul Pick
How will No. 14 Notre Dame look when it opens the season with a road game against DePaul today at 4PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Notre Dame is the favorite on the road, as the Fighting Irish are getting odds of -9 points against DePaul. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 150.5 points. Today’s game takes place from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois and the contest will air live on FS1.
Notre Dame is coming off a 26-10 record last season which landed the Irish 14th in the final AP poll. The team lost four players from that roster, including forward V.J. Beachem, who averaged 14.5 points per game. However, the team returns plenty of talent, led by forward Bonzie Colson, who averaged 17.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game a year ago. Matt Farrell is also back after averaging 14.1 points and 5.4 assists per game in 2016-17.
DePaul is coming off a 9-23 record in the 2016-17 season in which it went just 2-16 in the Big East. The Blue Demons had mass departures from the team as eight players graduated or transferred. DePaul was able to add grad transfer Marin Maric from Northern Illinois. He averaged 14.4 points and 8.4 rebounds last season for the Huskies. He will join guards Eli Cain and Billy Garrett Jr. Those two combined for over 30 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists per game.
Notre Dame has won nine straight meetings with DePaul, but the Blue Demons have covered the spread in three of the last five meetings. I think DePaul shows some improvement this season, but the Blue Demons are in over their heads against Notre Dame. The Irish have a lot of experience back on the floor so the team shouldn’t need much time to gel on the floor. DePaul is working in a new center and coming off a down year, so I think the improvements for them will be slow going. The public betting is behind the Irish in a big way and I am with them.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: NOTRE DAME -9