How and what to watch for No. 22 Ohio State vs. Notre Dame

Among some of the most intriguing matchups in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge this week, the No. 22 Ohio State Buckeyes will travel on the road to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend.

Ohio State comes in undefeated through three games, though the Buckeyes have not been tested yet against opponents Illinois State, UMass Lowell and Morehead State, all double-digit victories. So far, junior forward Justice Sueing leads the Buckeyes, averaging 15 points per game in addition to 5.7 rebounds. Duane Washington Jr. is averaging 14.7 points, and E.J. Little is putting up 14.3 points per game along with six rebounds.

Notre Dame checks in with a 1-1 record so far with a 80-70 road loss to Michigan State to start the season, followed by a 78-70 home win over Detroit Mercy on Sunday as the Fighting Irish have dealt with multiple coronavirus cancellations so far this season. Prentiss Hubb is leading the team averaging 20.5 points and five rebounds through two games, and Nate Laszewski is off to a good start with 14 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch Ohio State vs. Notre Dame on Tuesday, December 8th at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, or you can watch via WatchESPN with a cable or streaming service login.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Ohio State (-5.5) vs. Notre Dame
Point Total: 141
Money line: Ohio State (-240) vs. Notre Dame (+195)

Betting Splits Against Spread

Ohio State: (75% of action, 78% of bets)
Notre Dame: (25% of action, 22% of bets)

• Ohio State is 6-2 against the spread in its last eight games, while Notre Dame is 2-5 ATS in its last seven.
• The total went over in eight of Ohio State’s last 12 games, while Notre Dame unders cashed in four of its last five.
• Ohio State is 4-11 against the spread in its last 15 road games, and Notre Dame is 7-1 straight up in its last eight home games.

The Best Bet

While we’re dealing with statistics and trends that date back to last season, Notre Dame has recently been good at home while the Buckeyes struggle to cover spreads as the road team. I think that’s what we’ll be seeing in this one with Notre Dame as the home underdogs. The Irish were beaten much worse than the score ended up against Michigan State, so hopefully that was a teaching moment from Mike Brey to this Notre Dame team. The Irish may not win this game, but I have confidence they will keep this one close.

Pick: Notre Dame +5.5

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