South Florida vs. Notre Dame Odds
SOUTH BEND, IN (The Spread) – No. 16 Notre Dame has high hopes for the 2011 College Football Season and the season starts on Saturday against South Florida at 3:30PM ET.
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Notre Dame was 8-5 last season in Brian Kelly’s first year and they Irish were 7-4-2 against the spread. South Florida was 8-5 in 2010 and 6-7 against the spread. This is the first meeting between these two teams.
Trends show that Notre Dame is just 1-4-1 against the spread in its last 6 games against the Big East and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games in September. South Florida is 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.
Oddsmakers have made Notre Dame an 11.5-point favorite for Saturday’s game with the Bulls. The over/under point total has been set at 47. (View Matchup)
Opening odds had the Irish as a 7-point favorite. The spread has slowly climbed since that time and has now peaked at 11.5. The over/under total opened at 46.5 points and quickly moved up to 47 and hasn’t changed since.
Notre Dame had three losses last season come by four points or less. The Irish are seeking their first 10-win season since 2006 and they have 19 starters back this season, including quarterback Dayne Crist, who threw for 2,033 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore. His top target is also back in Michael Floyd, who caught 70 passes for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns. Notre Dame averaged 253 passing yards per game and 26.3 points per game in 2010.
South Florida had three losses last season come by seven points or less as the Bulls averaged just 24 points per game but allowed only 20 points per contest. The Bulls were strong against the pass, allowing just 192 passing yards per game. USF also returns three starters in the secondary this season. On offense, quarterback B.J. Daniels is back for his junior season. Daniels threw for 1,685 yards and 11 touchdowns with 13 interceptions last season while rushing for 259 yards and five scores.
In terms of Injuries, Notre Dame has a pair of backup tight ends that may not play due to different injuries, but the Irish are pretty healthy. Daniels is listed as probable for the game because of a hamstring injury.
Over 7,800 Public Bets have been placed on this game and Notre Dame is getting 53% of the wagers with a spread of -11.5 against South Florida on Saturday.
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