Bob Balfe comp
Notre Dame -2.5 over Hawaii
Notre Dame is lucky that they even made it to a bowl game and their is no team in the nation that is feeling the heat more than the Irish. This team did not go to a bowl last year and has lost 9 straight bowl games. This game is not a big ranked bowl game, but means more than a BCS Bowl Game to the Irish. This is an absolute must win for head coach Charlie Weis and a lot of the staff. Hawaii is not the same team without coach June Jones and their offense does not light it up like the offense we are used to seeing. Last year Hawaii made a BCS game and got blown out by Georgia. Notre Dame still have superior athletes and should get a much needed bowl win tonight. Take the Irish.
Notre Dame -2.5 over Hawaii
Notre Dame is lucky that they even made it to a bowl game and their is no team in the nation that is feeling the heat more than the Irish. This team did not go to a bowl last year and has lost 9 straight bowl games. This game is not a big ranked bowl game, but means more than a BCS Bowl Game to the Irish. This is an absolute must win for head coach Charlie Weis and a lot of the staff. Hawaii is not the same team without coach June Jones and their offense does not light it up like the offense we are used to seeing. Last year Hawaii made a BCS game and got blown out by Georgia. Notre Dame still have superior athletes and should get a much needed bowl win tonight. Take the Irish.
Rob Crowne comp
Notre Dame -2 vs Hawaii
They call this game the Hawaii Bowl, and one of the teams is Hawaii, which may, if you are clever, tell you a little something about the Home edge. My proprietary information sources tell me that very, very few students will be jumping in their cars and driving from South Bend to the Aloha Stadium (don't you wish you had great informatioin sources like me?)
Hawaii will have the crowd. Under normal circumstances, Hawaii's edge would be huge. Nothing serves as a vacation reward for a season job well done than a trip to the land of the Lei. In the old days, the coach would make sure to provide plenty of pretty young wahini's to hand out those lei's to the visitors, and make sure they got little sleep and plenty sunburned. The politically correct do-gooders ruined the times of wahini leis, and the good old days are no more.
Further, 6-6 ND has nothing to be rewarded for this year, and the coaching staff is not in a rewarding mood. Notre Dame has been in the Islands long enough to adjust for the time difference. Crowd or nor crowd, ND is the better team, and they will be trying to salvage something to be proud about this season. Take Notre Dame -2 in the Bowl of the 50 percenters.
Notre Dame -2 vs Hawaii
They call this game the Hawaii Bowl, and one of the teams is Hawaii, which may, if you are clever, tell you a little something about the Home edge. My proprietary information sources tell me that very, very few students will be jumping in their cars and driving from South Bend to the Aloha Stadium (don't you wish you had great informatioin sources like me?)
Hawaii will have the crowd. Under normal circumstances, Hawaii's edge would be huge. Nothing serves as a vacation reward for a season job well done than a trip to the land of the Lei. In the old days, the coach would make sure to provide plenty of pretty young wahini's to hand out those lei's to the visitors, and make sure they got little sleep and plenty sunburned. The politically correct do-gooders ruined the times of wahini leis, and the good old days are no more.
Further, 6-6 ND has nothing to be rewarded for this year, and the coaching staff is not in a rewarding mood. Notre Dame has been in the Islands long enough to adjust for the time difference. Crowd or nor crowd, ND is the better team, and they will be trying to salvage something to be proud about this season. Take Notre Dame -2 in the Bowl of the 50 percenters.
THE SPORTS ADVISORS
Notre Dame (6-6 SU and ATS) vs. Hawaii (7-6, 7-5 ATS) (at Honolulu)
After failing to qualify for the postseason last year, Notre Dame returns to bowl action, but it arrives in Honolulu having dropped four of five and now will face the Warriors on their home field at Aloha Stadium.
The Fighting Irish became bowl eligible with a 27-21 win over Navy as a four-point favorite back on Nov. 15 and then proceeded to lose its final two games, falling 24-23 at home to Syracuse as a huge 19½-point chalk and getting blown out at USC 38-3 as a 33 ½-point road ‘dog the following week. In its finale, Notre Dame was outgained 449-91 by the Trojans and managed just 41 passing yards and four first downs.
The Irish haven’t won a bowl game since the Cotton Bowl following the 1993 season, losing nine postseason games since then while going 1-8 ATS, including seven straight non covers. In fact, Notre Dame’s has dropped its last five bowl appearances by 14 points or more.
Hawaii won three of four down the stretch (3-1 ATS) to qualify for its third straight bowl game. The Warriors finished with a three-game homestand, crushing Idaho (49-17) and Washington State (24-10) before dropping a 29-24 decision to Cincinnati on Dec. 6, but they cashed as a 7½-point favorite against the Big East champion Bearcats. Junior QB Greg Alexander threw for 1,142 yards and nine TDs in the final four games to put Hawaii in this game.
After an undefeated regular season in 2007, Hawaii was awarded a berth in the BCS Sugar Bowl, but the Warriors got walloped 41-10 as a nine-point underdog to end its perfect season. The Warriors are 3-1 SU in the Hawaii Bowl, including 2-0 SU and ATS in the last two, most recently pounding Arizona State 41-24 as an 8½-point chalk in the 2006 Hawaii Bowl.
These two teams last met in 1997 with Notre Dame edging Hawaii 23-22 but coming nowhere near covering as a 28-point favorite.
Both teams have similar offenses, with the Irish averaging 22.7 points, 344.8 total yards and 113.4 rushing yards per game, while Hawaii nets 25 points, 344.8 total yards and 99.2 rushing yards per outing. However, over their last three games, the Irish have mustered just 17.7 points and 254.3 total yards per game, while the Warriors put up 32.3 points and 351 yards per contest.
Defensively, Notre Dame yields 22.2 points and 327.5 total yards per game (142.7 rushing ypg), while Hawaii surrenders 27.3 points and 351.8 total yards per game (148 rushing ypg).
In addition to their 0-7 ATS drought in bowl games, the Irish are 15-25-1 ATS in their last 41 overall, going 1-4 ATS down the stretch this season. Meanwhile, the Warriors are 1-5 ATS in their last six non-conference games, but they are on positive pointspread streaks of 7-2 overall, 5-2 in December contests and 4-0 as an underdog.
Notre Dame is on “under” runs of 4-1-1 overall, 15-7-1 in non-conference games and 4-0 after a straight-up loss. Hawaii has stayed below the total in seven of its last nine non-conference games, eight of its last 11 after a straight-up loss and nine of its last 12 on artificial turf.
ATS ADVANTAGE: HAWAII and UNDER
Notre Dame (6-6 SU and ATS) vs. Hawaii (7-6, 7-5 ATS) (at Honolulu)
After failing to qualify for the postseason last year, Notre Dame returns to bowl action, but it arrives in Honolulu having dropped four of five and now will face the Warriors on their home field at Aloha Stadium.
The Fighting Irish became bowl eligible with a 27-21 win over Navy as a four-point favorite back on Nov. 15 and then proceeded to lose its final two games, falling 24-23 at home to Syracuse as a huge 19½-point chalk and getting blown out at USC 38-3 as a 33 ½-point road ‘dog the following week. In its finale, Notre Dame was outgained 449-91 by the Trojans and managed just 41 passing yards and four first downs.
The Irish haven’t won a bowl game since the Cotton Bowl following the 1993 season, losing nine postseason games since then while going 1-8 ATS, including seven straight non covers. In fact, Notre Dame’s has dropped its last five bowl appearances by 14 points or more.
Hawaii won three of four down the stretch (3-1 ATS) to qualify for its third straight bowl game. The Warriors finished with a three-game homestand, crushing Idaho (49-17) and Washington State (24-10) before dropping a 29-24 decision to Cincinnati on Dec. 6, but they cashed as a 7½-point favorite against the Big East champion Bearcats. Junior QB Greg Alexander threw for 1,142 yards and nine TDs in the final four games to put Hawaii in this game.
After an undefeated regular season in 2007, Hawaii was awarded a berth in the BCS Sugar Bowl, but the Warriors got walloped 41-10 as a nine-point underdog to end its perfect season. The Warriors are 3-1 SU in the Hawaii Bowl, including 2-0 SU and ATS in the last two, most recently pounding Arizona State 41-24 as an 8½-point chalk in the 2006 Hawaii Bowl.
These two teams last met in 1997 with Notre Dame edging Hawaii 23-22 but coming nowhere near covering as a 28-point favorite.
Both teams have similar offenses, with the Irish averaging 22.7 points, 344.8 total yards and 113.4 rushing yards per game, while Hawaii nets 25 points, 344.8 total yards and 99.2 rushing yards per outing. However, over their last three games, the Irish have mustered just 17.7 points and 254.3 total yards per game, while the Warriors put up 32.3 points and 351 yards per contest.
Defensively, Notre Dame yields 22.2 points and 327.5 total yards per game (142.7 rushing ypg), while Hawaii surrenders 27.3 points and 351.8 total yards per game (148 rushing ypg).
In addition to their 0-7 ATS drought in bowl games, the Irish are 15-25-1 ATS in their last 41 overall, going 1-4 ATS down the stretch this season. Meanwhile, the Warriors are 1-5 ATS in their last six non-conference games, but they are on positive pointspread streaks of 7-2 overall, 5-2 in December contests and 4-0 as an underdog.
Notre Dame is on “under” runs of 4-1-1 overall, 15-7-1 in non-conference games and 4-0 after a straight-up loss. Hawaii has stayed below the total in seven of its last nine non-conference games, eight of its last 11 after a straight-up loss and nine of its last 12 on artificial turf.
ATS ADVANTAGE: HAWAII and UNDER
arty::drink:
Johnny Guild
Wednesday, December 24th
Hawaii Warriors (7-6) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-6)
Site: Aloha Stadium - Honolulu, Hawaii
Home Record: Hawaii 5-2; Notre Dame 4-2
Road Record: Hawaii 2-4; Notre Dame 2-4
Series Record: Notre Dame (2-0)
Last Meeting: November 29, 1997 (Notre Dame, 23-22 at Hawaii)
Notre Dame is the better team, but their offense performance as of late has struggle. In addition they are just 2-4 straight-up and 3-3 against the spread away from home this season and have been unsuccessful in Bowl battles, dropping its last nine, 1-8 ATS. However, if the Fighting Irish offense plays sound, the Warriors' defense could have problems, especially against the run. Go easy! I believe Hawaii has the edge with home-field advantage and Notre Dame disastrous past bowl records.
Hawaii +2
Wednesday, December 24th
Hawaii Warriors (7-6) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-6)
Site: Aloha Stadium - Honolulu, Hawaii
Home Record: Hawaii 5-2; Notre Dame 4-2
Road Record: Hawaii 2-4; Notre Dame 2-4
Series Record: Notre Dame (2-0)
Last Meeting: November 29, 1997 (Notre Dame, 23-22 at Hawaii)
Notre Dame is the better team, but their offense performance as of late has struggle. In addition they are just 2-4 straight-up and 3-3 against the spread away from home this season and have been unsuccessful in Bowl battles, dropping its last nine, 1-8 ATS. However, if the Fighting Irish offense plays sound, the Warriors' defense could have problems, especially against the run. Go easy! I believe Hawaii has the edge with home-field advantage and Notre Dame disastrous past bowl records.
Hawaii +2
