The Irish have struggled in their first go around in the new look ACC. They currently sit at 2-4 and have lost four of their last five, with the lone win being a seven point victory over Virginia Tech which saw them struggle significantly in the second half.
They played Florida State tough on the road Tuesday and now follow that up with a trip to Winston-Salem to deal with the Demon Deacons. The Irish shot 57% down in Tallahassee, but their defense was deplorable and the overall result not good enough.
The Irish are a skilled group, but they often lack toughness and defensive tenacity, which has directly led to several of their losses. This game with Wake is interesting because Jeff Bzdelik’s club is both young and athletic. All of Wake Forest’s losses have come against competition which was more athletic than them, and that will not be the case here.
Notre Dame is a sharp shooting club with tremendous offensive efficiency. They do not turn it over and pass as well as perhaps any club in America. But the Demon deacons counter with the 13th best 3P field goal percentage defense in all the land. They do not overplay the ball and are excellent at staying in front of defenders.
This spread opens at 1.5 and that is a discounted number. I had this spread closer to 2.5/3 and the number is now inching toward that fire as it currently sits at 2. You have to respect what Notre Dame is offensively, but this sort of match-up does not benefit them. This team has legitimate depth issues since losing Jerian Grant to suspension.
That loss also took away a key playmaker who had the ability to drive the ball and create for others. While Notre Dame still has plenty of scorers, Eric Atkins is their only real ball-handler. Pat Connaughton can also get it up the floor, but neither are great penetrators.
I don’t foresee the Irish continuing their hot shooting given the fact that both Atkins and Connaughton played 40 minutes each on Tuesday. This came after the pair logged a combined 73 minutes last Sunday in the VT game.
Wake is much deeper and also has versatility at the forward position which will help them match up here. This is a tough draw for ND and if you can get Wake at a number close to PK, it’s worth the investment
Wake Forest -1.5
