A struggling Notre Dame team should be no match for UCLA on their home floor in this Big East-Pac 10 interconference battle. Back the Bruins minus the points vs. the Irish.
Maybe a cross-country trip out of South Bend with an early start time is just what ailing Notre Dame needs right now. But I'll have to see it first before I believe. In the meantime, I will continue to fade an Irish squad that has lost and failed to cover in their last six games, all against tough Big East competition.
Traveling out of conference this late in the season isn't usually good for the road team, especially on a journey this far away. UCLA is playing extremely well. The Bruins should be poised to jump all over the struggling Irish knowing they sustained early non-league losses to Michigan and Texas and this is a rare chance to host a big-time non-league foe.
A loss would be an embarrassement for UCLA and Bruins coach Ben Howland knows it. The Irish don't match up well to the Bruins either. Their presses won't be effective against Darren Collision. The Bruins have by far the superior defense. They are much quicker than the Irish.
Notre Dame has failed to cover their last seven games versus teams with a winning record, while the Bruins are 9-3 against the number the past 12 times they have faced a team with a winning mark. This is a one-unit play for me.
Free Pick: UCLA -10½ (-110)