College Hoops Picks: Connecticut Huskies at Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Preview

Connecticut (No. 3 AP, No. 3 Coaches, 6-1, 17-1) is in the midst of a fantastic season. They lost the season opener at home to Georgetown, but aside from that have been perfect. Some of their recent games have been closer than many would like, but the bottom line is that a win is a win, regardless of the point margin.

Notre Dame (No. 19 AP, No. 19 Coaches, 3-3, 12-5) has been on a slippery slope recently. After going 9-2 in non-conference play (with one of those losses coming to then-top ranked North Carolina), the Fighting Irish have let their guard down and gone 3-3 in Big East play. While their starting lineup is very strong, their lack of depth has been catching up with them recently—they couldn't keep up with Louisville in overtime and they looked tired and worn down against Syracuse.

The Irish are yet to lose at home this season, though. In fact, their home win streak is currently at 45 games, the longest in the country. If the Irish go down at all, don't expect it to be quietly. This should be a classic Big East battle.

Stats

	Record	Conf	ATS	RPI	SOS	PF	PA
Connecticut	17-1	6-1	6-7	6	20	79.3	62.6
Notre Dame	12-5	3-3	4-6	62	107	81.2	70.2

	FG%	D. FG%	3P%	D. 3P%	FT%	RPG	SPG	APG
Connecticut	49.6	38.7	38.0	32.7	69.4	42.4	6.3	16.0
Notre Dame	45.3	43.1	41.3	34.1	70.1	43.0	6.8	18.5

Prediction

Current Line: Pick

Connecticut has been on a roll while Notre Dame has been sliding. But the Huskies roll has come over weaker Big East opponents, and some of the games have been too close for comfort. The Irish have the longest home win streak going, and while all good things must eventually come to an end, I don't think it's going to happen Saturday.

Pick: Notre Dame

*All statistics for this article have come from StatSheet.com*

*This article is also featured on CFBPlace.com—and soon to be featured on CBBPlace.com*