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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Check out our March Madness odds series, which includes our Notre Dame Rutgers prediction, odds, and pick.
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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish made the NCAA Tournament in 2017. The previous two years — 2015 and 2016 — Notre Dame had reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Coach Mike Brey had a thriving, prosperous program and had taken the Irish to a place they had rarely gone. Notre Dame made the Final Four only once, in 1978, so back-to-back Elite Eight seasons represented a tremendous accomplishment at a school known much more for football, women's hoops, and hockey than men's basketball.
It was therefore a surprise that the Fighting Irish went from a period of such pronounced prosperity to the depths of the next four seasons. Notre Dame didn't make the NCAA Tournament from 2018 through 2021, and the program bottomed out in each of the past two years. The grumbling surrounding Brey grew louder, and it was perfectly reasonable to think that Brey's two-decade tenure in South Bend had lost steam. The idea that the Irish needed a new leader and a fresh face was entirely logical. The bottom line for March Madness odds experts was that Brey needed to re-prove himself in 2022.
He definitely did.
The Irish made the NCAA Tournament based on a third-place finish in the ACC and a huge December win over Kentucky in nonconference play. The Irish would not have made the tournament had they not beaten the Wildcats, who are a No. 2 seed in this year's Big Dance. Notre Dame benefited from a comparatively weak ACC, but the Irish had to win a bunch of road games in the conference to build a resume which could withstand an ACC Tournament quarterfinal loss to Virginia Tech. It turns out the Irish did just enough. Now you get to make a Notre Dame Rutgers pick based on your evaluation of the Irish.
Rutgers entered the 2021 college basketball season without an NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991, although had the 2020 NCAA Tournament been held — it was canceled by the pandemic — Rutgers would have been in the field of 68 that year. It was a cruel blow to the Scarlet Knights after nearly three full decades of futility. Lesser coaches and lesser athletes would have lost faith. Rutgers regrouped and made the 2021 NCAA Tournament to end a 30-year drought. The Scarlet Knights struggled this season, being a target of opponents after making their big NCAA splash in 2021. Yet, once again, Rutgers kept the faith. The Scarlet Knights got better in the month of February after a rough two and a half months to start their campaign. They defended their home court and also got a very crucial road win at Wisconsin which — in retrospect — got them in the NCAA Tournament field. RU would not have made the field without that huge road conquest, something to note when making a Notre Dame Rutgers prediction.
Notre Dame and Rutgers both fought through adversity to make a very special NCAA Tournament appearance this year. The resilience of both teams is profound and equal. It sets up a fascinating First Four encounter in Dayton.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Notre Dame-Rutgers odds:
March Madness Odds: Notre Dame-Rutgers Odds
Notre Dame: -1 (-110)
Rutgers: +1 (-110)
Over: 131.5 (-110)
Under: 131.5 (-110)
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Why Notre Dame Could Cover the Spread
The Irish were torched by a red-hot Virginia Tech offense in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. Rutgers has nowhere near the offensive firepower of Virginia Tech. Notre Dame will be able to get defensive stops in this game.
Why Rutgers Could Cover the Spread
The Scarlet Knights can lock down Notre Dame's perimeter shooters, and the combination of Ron Harper Jr. and Geo Baker can get clutch buckets when needed.
Final Notre Dame-Rutgers Prediction & Pick
This is virtually a toss-up, but Rutgers is such a strong home team that Notre Dame probably has a slight edge playing on a neutral floor.
Final Notre Dame-Rutgers Pick: Notre Dame -1
