Notre Dame Pittsburgh Betting – Notre Dame Should Feast On Weak Pittsburgh Pass Defense

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish might be 1-2, but the Pittsburgh Panthers should provide a get-well tonic this weekend in the Steel City.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Pittsburgh Panthers - Saturday, September 24

Sports betting line: Notre Dame -6.5

Why Notre Dame Will Win

The community of MLB baseball betting experts would find it hard to disagree with the notion that Notre Dame can pitch pretty well. The only question is, “Can the Irish throw strikes in the red zone and other key game-defining situations?” Notre Dame is one of the better 1-2 teams in the United States. After turning the ball over multiple times in the red zone, the Irish lost games to both South Florida and Michigan despite outgaining both teams by considerable margins. The change at quarterback to Tommy Rees from Dayne Crist has solidified and steadied the offense; after winning at home against Michigan State, the Irish have a great chance to gain momentum. 

Notre Dame’s offense hasn’t struggled to move the ball in 2011; the team has only struggled to hold on to the pigskin at crunch time. The Irish have been plagued by turnovers in the red zone that, if avoided, would have easily left the boys from South Bend at 3-0 and perhaps a BCS title game hopeful. Nevertheless, Rees has settled into the quarterback role, and receivers Michael Floyd and Theo Riddick are becoming more polished playmakers. The Irish front seven has played well all year, with perhaps the exception of the final quarter at Michigan, and will be tough for the Pitt offensive line to handle.

Pitt currently sits 119th out of 120 teams in pass defense. That’s bad news with an offense like Notre Dame’s coming to town. Rees should have plenty of time to throw and Floyd and Riddick are a complete mismatch for the Panthers’ secondary. Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri will face more pressure than he has faced all year in a game where the Panthers will have to score to keep up. That’s not a recipe for success in Pittsburgh. The Irish just need to figure out the turnover bug, and they should be in very good shape.
Why Pittsburgh Will Win

If you want to be adventurous with your sports bet in this game, take Pittsburgh. The Panthers aren’t favored and they shouldn’t be. However, the sport has seen more dramatic upsets over the years. Moreover, Pittsburgh beat Notre Dame the last time these teams played at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh didn’t have a problem gaining a 27-10 lead over Iowa. The Panthers couldn’t finish. If Notre Dame gives Pittsburgh a few turnovers in the first half, the home team could make some noise and upset the Irish. Ray Graham is the kind of running back who can build and lead and then preserve it for Pittsburgh. Notre Dame does not want to play from behind in this game.

Who Will Win

Notre Dame throws the ball really well. Pittsburgh can’t stop the pass. Don’t make this betting proposition any more complicated than it needs to be.
College Football Betting Pick: Notre Dame -6.5