NBC College Football Game of the Week Pick: Temple vs. Notre Dame
By Drew Sharper
SOUTH BEND, IN (The Spread) – No. 14 Notre Dame will hope to make a statement when it hosts Temple at 3:30PM ET on NBC, live from Notre Dame Stadium.
Notre Dame went 12-0 in the 2012 regular season and the Fighting Irish were 7-6 against the spread last year. Temple was just 4-7 last season, both straight up and against the spread. This is the first meeting between the two programs.
Odds: The oddsmakers from Bovada.lv have Notre Dame as the heavy favorite at home, as the Fighting Irish have odds of -30 points against Temple. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 52.5 points.
Line Movement: The opening odds for this game had Notre Dame as a 28-point favorite. The spread was never lower than that and is currently at its peak with the Irish favored by 30. The over/under total opened at a low of 51 points. It hit a peak of 53 before currently settling at 52.5.
Public Betting: Of the wagers that have been placed on this game, 60% are going on Temple with a point spread of +30 against Notre Dame. Be sure to click on the public betting link to get the latest odds and betting percentages.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL FREE PICK: Take Temple. According to latest college football trends, the Fighting Irish are 1-4 against the spread in their last five home games, while the Owls are 5-0-1 against the number in their last six games in August and 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games versus Independents. This is entirely too much points given the uncertainty at quarterback for Notre Dame. Tommy Rees was good in spurts a year ago but he doesn’t have the same mobility or creativity as exiled quarterback Everett Golson. The Fighting Irish played down to their competition several times last year, including in a 20-17 victory over Purdue, a 17-14 win over BYU, and a 29-26 triple-overtime victory versus PITT. Look for Temple to keep this one close.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 FREE PICK: TEMPLE +30