Saturday, March 18, 2017

KeyBank Center

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

The 5 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to KeyBank Center to play the 4 seed West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday, March 18, 2017 in the NCAA Tournament. The opening line for this game has West Virginia as 3 point favorites.

The Fighting Irish finished the regular season with an overall record of 23-8. They are 16-10 against the spread and their over/under record is 13-11. The Mountaineers ended the regular season with a record of 24-7. They have an over/under record of 15-11 and they are 13-17 against the spread.

Bonzie Colson comes into this contest averaging 17.5 points per game while playing 32 minutes per night so far this season for the Fighting Irish. He pulls down 10.1 rebounds per game and dishes out 1.6 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 52% while his free throw percentage is currently at 78%. V.J. Beachem averages 14.7 points per game in 34.1 minutes per contest this season. He averages 0.8 assists per contest and 4.1 rebounds per game for Notre Dame. His field goal percentage is 43% for the year while his free throw percentage is 83%.

Jevon Carter averages 13 points per game while playing 31.7 minutes per contest this year for the Mountaineers. He grabs 5 rebounds per game and has 3.9 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 44% and his free throw percentage currently is at 76%. Esa Ahmad averages 11.3 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 23.8 minutes per contest. He also averages 4.3 rebounds per contest and 1.8 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 48% and his free throw percentage is 66%.

Notre Dame averages 77.5 points per contest this season which ranks them 80th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 8.6 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team which has them ranked 93rd. Behind the arc they shoot 39% which is good for 38th in the country. They average 33.8 rebounds per game and 15.8 assists per game which ranks them 275th and 41st in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 351st with 9.4 per game. The Fighting Irish allow 68.9 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 91st in the nation. They also allow a 43% shooting percentage and a 33% average from behind the arc ranking them 135th and 96th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 35.5 rebounds a game which ranks 203rd and they give up 12.9 assists per contest which puts them in 147th place in the country. They force 12.7 turnovers per game which ranks them 139th in Division 1.

West Virginia averages 82.1 points per game this year which ranks them 20th in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 15.4 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team which has them sitting in the 99th spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 36% which is good for 118th in the nation. They average 37.5 rebounds per game and 16.7 assists per contest which ranks them 87th and 16th respectively. In the turnover department the Mountaineers rank 252nd with 12.3 per game. The Mountaineers allow 66.7 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 49th in the country. They also allow a 43% shooting percentage and a 35% average from behind the arc ranking them 109th and 198th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 34.6 rebounds a game which ranks 144th and they give up 12.1 assists per contest which puts them in 88th place in the nation. The Mountaineers force 20.3 turnovers per game which ranks them 351st in college basketball.

The Fighting Irish are 18th in the nation in offensive rating at 114. They assist on 57.8% of their shots, which ranks 56th in the country. In terms of pace they average 67.7 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 268th among D-1 teams. They are 54th in effective field goal percentage with 54%. As a team they are 48th in the country in true shooting percentage with 57% and they shoot 3 pointers on 40% of their shots. Notre Dame turns the ball over an average of 12.2 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 10.5% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 48.8% places them 262nd in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 27.3%.

The Mountaineers are 31st in the nation in offensive rating at 112.7. They assist on 57.5% of their shots, which ranks 63rd in the country. In terms of pace they average 71.6 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 79th among D-1 teams. They are 133rd in effective field goal percentage with 52%. As a team they are 142nd in the country in true shooting percentage with 55% and they shoot 3 pointers on 33% of their shots. West Virginia turns the ball over an average of 14.1 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 14.1% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 52% places them 95th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 37.7%.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Trends

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 16-10 against the spread

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 13-11 against the over/under

West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Trends

The West Virginia Mountaineers are 13-17 against the spread

The West Virginia Mountaineers are 15-11 against the over/under

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Injuries

03/17/17 G Rex Pflueger Head injured last game, probable Saturday vs. West Virginia

West Virginia Mountaineers Injuries

03/16/17 G Teyvon Myers Ankle "?" Saturday vs. Notre Dame

Tony's Pick: Take West Virginia -3

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