The College Football Playoff has arrived, bringing a highly anticipated in-state showdown between #10 Indiana (11-1) and #7 Notre Dame (11-1). Set in South Bend, this matchup pits the Hoosiers against the Fighting Irish, with Notre Dame looking to defend its home turf. With public money pouring in on Indiana, we analyze the best plays for this opening-round battle.
Indiana +7.5 (-110, DraftKings)
We finally have the opening games of the College Football Playoff upon us, and after a ton of arguing about who should and shouldn’t be in it, the games are set. Really guys, you don’t have to argue and scream into X feeds anymore, the board is set and it is what it is. There are many great matchups in this opening round, and one of them is the battle for the state of Indiana between the Hoosiers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend.
At first glance, this wager feels a little disgusting. The public is going to be all over the Hoosiers at this number, of this I am sure, and the early cash is also on them. Right now over at DraftKings, 68% of the early money is on Indiana to cover at +7.5. I rarely agree with the public, but I do think this number is a bit high, and I like getting a touchdown with Indiana.
As a Notre Dame fan, I’ve watched every one of our games this season from start to finish. Simply put, we have not played as well at home, specifically on offense. I don’t know exactly what it is, but QB Riley Leonard seems to be much more nervous throwing the ball at home. Our one loss all season came at home, that notorious game against Northern Illinois that was one of the most embarrassing losses in program history. We beat Miami OH 28-3 at home, failing to cover the spread in what was a disappointing result. The only team of substance that we played at home was Louisville, who we beat by exactly seven points.
However, 70% of the cash is on the Hoosiers moneyline, which is set at +225 at most places.
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