Purdue vs Notre Dame Football Odds & Picks

Written September 24, 2009 by Hector Garza

The Fighting Irish face off against another Big Ten 10 team in the Boilermakers this Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Notre Dame is the favorite by 7 points according to the college football lines, and if Purdue can play as well as Michigan and Michigan St. have, then they’ve got a good chance of pulling off an upset. The over/under is set at 60 points, and the game will be played in West Lafayette, Indiana and aired on ESPN.

Jimmy Clausen has had a breakout year in the first 3 games of the season, throwing 9 td’s for 951 yards. After a tough loss at Michigan, he rebounded nicely against Mich. State throwing for 300 yards and 2 td’s. He is completing a whopping 68.1% of his passes against some quality opponents. A key contributor, WR Michael Floyd, looks to be out for the season after breaking his collar bone. That leaves WR Golden Tate, (19 catches, 301 yards, 3 td’s) to pick up the slack. Armando Allen has been a force for the ground game, garnering 326 yards and 3 td’s in 3 games.

After the first week shutout of Nevada, the defense has struggled against Michigan (38 pts) and Michigan State (30 pts). They’ll need to shore up the run stopping, as they’re currently giving up almost 5 yards per rush. The standout on the defense has been SS Kyle McCarthy, who’s had 3 interceptions and 27 tackles. They’ll be looking to force the turnovers, as Purdue QB Joey Elliott has thrown 5 interceptions already this year. DE John Ryan will also be looking to add to his sack total this year. If you are looking for the best place to bet college football this season, be sure BetUS is at the top of your list. Sign up for a new account now and deposit $500 or more to get a $500 match bonus added to your account.

Purdue has one of the best running games in the country with RB Ralph Bolden leading the charge. This year he’s amassed 421 yards and 4 td’s. ND is susceptible to the pass, as seen last week when they gave up 354 yards to Michigan State. Elliott will no doubt be looking for his top playmaker Keith Smith, who has 17 receptions for 222 yards in 3 games. If they can limit the turnovers (3 lost fumbles last week), the Boilermakers will test the Irish on both sides of the ball.

The main contributor to their 1-2 record is the defense, as they have given up a whopping 32.3 ppg and almost 435 ypg. The biggest holes are against the run, as opponents have gained 181 ypg!! Containing Armando Allen will be their first priority, as last week they gave up 281 yards rushing against Northern Illinois. One plus is that the defense has recorded 7 takeaways.

The Notre Dame offense is more efficient and more potent, but both defenses leave something to be desired. Purdue has the home field advantage, and if they can win the takeaway battle this game could turn into a shoot out. I think Purdue will have to play a lot of man to man to take away the run game of Notre Dame, which means Jimmy Clausen will be able to pick apart the secondary. The Irish have the potential to run away with this win and make a statement.

Garza’s Pick: take Notre Dame -7

Be sure to pick up all of your NCAA football picks this season with the expert handicappers at Betfirms. There’s just no other place where you can find more expert football picks.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

No comments yet, but your thoughts are welcome!

Comments

Got something to say?