Notre Dame vs. No. 16 Pittsburgh(-1) Point Spread Preview

Pittsburgh (24-7, 16-10-1 ATS) closed out the season with a strong push, winning eight of its last nine games, including three straight heading into the Big East tournament. The Panthers have enjoyed a strong push on college basketball odds, too; they've covered five of their past seven games against the spread.

Offensively, Pittsburgh averages just 68.8 points per game. Guard Ashton Gibbs tops the score sheet with 16.2 points per game on the year. In fact, Pittsburgh relies very heavily on its guards, as Brad Wannamaker (12.0 PPG) and Jermaine Dixon (10.7 PPG) are also averaging double figures. Gilbert Brown is the only forward doing so at 10.7 per outing. Defense is where Pittsburgh makes its bread and butter. The Panthers are allowing a paltry 61.7 points to opponents while also coming up with five steals per night.

Notre Dame (22-10, 15-10-1 ATS) is enjoying a nice little hot streak itself after racking up five consecutive wins. The most recent triumph was a 68-56 win over Seton Hall in the Big East tournament. Better yet, the Fighting Irish have played like a championship contender on sportsbook odds; they've gone 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games, including a six-game winning streak.

Luke Harangody was a beast for the Irish against Seton Hall, racking up a double-double with 20 points and 10 boards. Harangody led Notre Dame this season with 23.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Guard Tory Jackson chipped in with 13 points and six assists. Forward Tim Abromaitis will also be counted on for offense; he finished second on Notre Dame in scoring at 16.9 points per game but managed just nine against Seton Hall. Overall, the Irish have a very solid offense that puts out 77.6 points per outing. Defensively, there's a little to be desired, as they're allowing 70.1 per game.

Notre Dame crushed Pittsburgh 68-53 in the one game they met this year. Haragody missed much of the game with a bone bruise on his knee, but Abromaitis stepped up with 17 points in the win. Pittsburgh, however, has a 7-3 record straight up in its last 10 games with the Irish. The series is tied 5-5 against the spread. The total-126.5 at 5Dimes.com-has gone over in two of the past three meetings.

Game Prediction

They beat Pittsburgh 12 days ago at home by 15 and are only 5 points away from being on a 10 game win streak. Take the Fighting Irish +2 at Bodog.