NCAAF Week 7 Betting – Notre Dame Fighting Irish at North Carolina Tar Heels
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS), who are bidding to achieve a national ranking one year after their disastrous 2007 season, will line up against a team that is already in the rankings, the North Carolina Tar Heels (4-1 SU, 3-1 ATS) in NCAA college football action that is set to begin at 3:30 PM ET at Kenan Stadium (natural turf) in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Saturday, October 11
BetUS NCAA Football Betting Odds: NORTH CAROLINA -8.5, Total 47
Here are some of the NCAA college football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* ND has covered five of its last seven games
* ND has won six of its last seven games SU
* ND has played 12 of its last 18 games UNDER the total
* ND has lost six of its last eight road games SU
* ND has played its last five road games UNDER the total
* NC has won five of its last six games SU
* NC has won four of its last five home games SU
Butch Davis’ rebuilding job at North Carolina is moving along quite well, it seems. The Tar Heels, after decisively beating Connecticut last week, have climbed into the polls, occupying the #22 position in the Associated Press Top 25. And what’s impressive is that this has been done without the services of starting quarterback T.J. Yates, who went out with injury before the game with Miami.
Of course, Charlie Weis is beaming, because his Fighting Irish has already had a better season than they did last year. And Weis, who created a phony quarterback “competition” in fall practice in 2007 before eventually handing the job over to inevitable first-stringer Jimmy Clausen, is naturally taking credit for Clausen’s progress. Indeed, the soph has thrown for over 600 yards in the last two games, and
Notre Dame is still not running the ball all that well. Averaging 3.3 yards a carry and under 104 yards a game (ranking them 105th in Division I), they are missing a critical element in being able to compete in the road, which is the ground attack that can chew up clock. When you think about it, the better wins for ND this year, over Michigan and Purdue, were achieved at Notre Dame Stadium, and the lone road game produced the big downer against Michigan State.
Cameron Sexton may not look pretty all the time, but he has a good arm, and he has led the Tar Heels to consecutive victories against Miami and U-Conn, and he’s done it without having to be overly dependent on Brandon Tate (just 79 yards receiving in last two). Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s own Tate – Golden Tate, that is – has been okay in the last two (eight catches for 94 yards) but not scintillating, as defenses are learning to key on him.
Clausen will be challenged, as North Carolina leads the nation with 12 interceptions. Let’s lay the points with the Heels, the 8.5-point favorite in the BetUS college football betting odds.
