Tag: Bankers Life Fieldhouse

Big Game Boomer: Notre Dame biggest college brand in…Illinois?

Not sure we agree with this.

It’s no secret that a large portion of Notre Dame’s fan base is in the Chicago area. That’s reflected by the fact that every writer on this site is based there. But is that reflective of the state of Illinois as a whole?

Big Game Boomer, a top college sports list and graph aficionado on social media, has been mentioned on here many times before. His latest entry as of this writing is a U.S. map that lists the biggest college brand by state. Notre Dame is listed for Illinois and the only school not located in the state it represents:

Inevitably, someone asked about this, and he was quick to respond:

And when asked why Indiana doesn’t have Notre Dame, he said this:

The first event I covered on location for this site was the now-defunct Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis. Even though the Irish were the designated home team, the crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse was heavily for the Hoosiers. So the statement about the Hoosiers owning the Hoosier State is not wrong.

Still, as nice as it is to see Notre Dame represented on this map, it’s hard to call it the best college brand in the Land of Lincoln. Sure, Northern Illinois is too small for consideration, and everyone is distancing themselves from Northwestern right now, but what about Illinois? While the Illini football program has done little to help the brand lately, it’s a little unfair to discount those fans.

Anyone who lives in Illinois knows that the further south you go, the more you’ll find people who don’t care for Chicago. I won’t go into the reasons for that here, but this is one case where Chicago probably shouldn’t represent the whole state.

Illini fans reign supreme throughout Illinois, and one merely needs to travel throughout to find them. They are proud, and they are passionate about their team. Many of them still are mourning the loss of Chief Illiniwek as an official university symbol.

So as nice as it is to have Notre Dame as Illinois’ representative on this map, it really should be a school from Illinois. And Illini fans probably are most deserving to represent the state. After all, Chicago is a pro sports town first, so it should not be taken into account when making a map like this. Consider the rest of the state please next time, Big Game Boomer.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Notre Dame was Butler’s first opponent inside Hinkle Fieldhouse

The historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Butler’s campus turned 93 years old Sunday. What does this possibly have to do with Notre Dame?

The historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Butler’s campus turned 93 years old Sunday. What does this possibly have to do with Notre Dame? Well, somebody had to be Butler’s first opponent in the building, and it just so happened to be the Irish, then the defending national champions. In a final score that would have been seen as a defensive struggle even at that time, the Irish suffered a 21-13 loss in overtime.

Notre Dame has an all-time record of 28-17 at Hinkle Fieldhouse, although it hasn’t played there since 1995. In fact, the Irish and Bulldogs only have met on two occasions in the years since: The 2006 NIT Season Tip-Off at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Although the programs take part in the annual Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis, they never play each other so that Indiana and Purdue can save their matchup or matchups for the Big Ten season. Hopefully, this in-state rivalry can be revived to some degree in the not-too-distant future as there is a lot of potential here.

Notre Dame Readies for Purdue in Annual Crossroads Classic

The Crossroads Classic has become an item for my bucket list. I won’t be able to cross it off this year, but the games must go on.

The Crossroads Classic has become an item for my bucket list. I won’t be able to cross it off this year, but the games must go on. What better way to celebrate the holidays in the Hoosier State by watching four of the most prominent colleges in the state compete in the sports it’s known for? This year, Notre Dame has drawn Purdue as its opponent, and Indiana will face Butler in the other game.

This is the 10th season of the event at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and the Irish are looking to right the ship both with this season (2-3) and this event (4-5). Though they have a nice weapon leading ACC scorer Prentiss Hubb (19.4 points a game), they need more contributions from a bench that has provided very few early in the season. That could change now that Trey Wertz is in the rotation, and would help if Nikola Djogo, the only other substitute to log substantial minutes thus far, got something going. Otherwise, the starters could get burned out quickly, even if Mike Brey says they’ve been conditioned to play many minutes a game.

Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and best bets.

The Indiana Pacers (39-25) host the Boston Celtics (42-21) Tuesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for a 7 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze the Pacers-Celtics odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Celtics at Pacers: Key injuries

Celtics

  • SG Jaylen Brown (hamstring) out
  • C Robert Williams III (back) probable

Pacers

  • SF Doug McDermott (toe) doubtful
  • PG Malcolm Brogdon (quadriceps) out
  • SG Victor Oladipo (knee) questionable
  • SG Jeremy Lamb (knee) out

Celtics at Pacers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 1 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Pacers 107, Celtics 102

Moneyline (ML)

The PACERS (+125) have been on a roll since the All-Star break, going 7-2, including an impressive road victory over the Dallas Mavericks in their last game, Sunday. The Celtics (-154) have been on the struggle bus since the break with a 4-5 record and dropping a few games in heartbreaking fashion. Two of Boston’s losses came in overtime and in their last game, against the Oklahoma City Thunder, they gave up a double-digit lead to lose at home, 105-104. Indiana picked up a 122-117 victory against Boston in the first head-to-head meeting, despite a 44-point effort from Celtics PG Kemba Walker.

The reason why the Celtics could lose despite an impressive Walker performance is it appears Jayson Tatum is Boston’s most impactful player—as he goes, the Celtics go. Tatum averages 23.4 points per game this year and when he scores 24 or more points the Celtics are 28-5 this season; however, Tatum hasn’t scored more than 22 points in nine career games against the Pacers and he scored only 16 points in the first Celtics-Pacers game. Indiana is second in the NBA (behind Boston) in opposing small forwards points per game and given its previous success against Tatum, I like PACERS (+125).

New to sports betting? Bet $100 on the Pacers (+125) to earn a profit of $125 if they beat the Celtics.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Generally, I’d stick with the moneyline wager here and not bother taking just 3.5 points however they could come into play in this game. Boston (-3.5, -106) has been great against the spread this season both overall (38-23-2 ATS) and on the road (20-10-1) but not very good in games projected to be close.

The PACERS (+3.5, -115) are the play with a little insurance in the event of a loss. Each team has narrow point differentials since the All-Star break. Indiana is outscoring opponents 106.8-105.6 and Boston’s nine post-All-Star games have an average outcome of 112.3-110.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Over has cashed in six of the last eight Celtics-Pacers games because they are generally lower projected totals from bookmakers. Rightfully so, these teams both rank in the top-10 in opponent PPG, field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage, defensive rating and opponent effective FG%. The first meeting went well Over but that included a 29-point performance from Brogdon (who won’t be playing) and a healthy Brown, who’s a great two-way player. Expect this game to be lower scoring and the UNDER 214.5 (-110) to cash.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Charlotte Hornets at Indiana Pacers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Charlotte Hornets at Indiana Pacers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and best bets.

The Charlotte Hornets (19-37) visit the Crossroads of America Tuesday to play the Indiana Pacers (33-24) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Hornets-Pacers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Hornets at Pacers: Key injuries

Pacers

  • SG Jeremy Lamb (knee) out
  • SG Victor Oladipo (back) questionable

Hornets at Pacers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 11:25 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Pacers 109, Hornets 95

Moneyline (ML)

Both teams are looking to bounce back from embarrassing losses in their last games. Indiana (-589) lost 127-81 in Toronto Sunday and Charlotte (+425) took a 29-point beating from the Nets in Brooklyn Saturday. The losses ended a three-game winning streak for the Hornets and a two-game win streak for the Pacers.

If Indiana was not coming off its most humiliating loss of the year, maybe you could argue they’d overlook a bad Charlotte team. I expect them to take their anger out on the Hornets, making an upset very unlikely and Pacers are a no-go because of the lack of value. 

PASS ON THE MONEYLINE.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Pacers have won four of their last five games—both outright and against the spread—against the Hornets. Also, the Hornets are 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings and 1-6 ATS in the last seven meetings in Indiana.

Charlotte struggles on the road against good teams; the Hornets are 3-8 ATS in road games versus teams above .500. Neither team has scored much lately (more on that in a second), but on the season the Pacers have the third-highest shooting percentage in the NBA and the Hornets are ranked 25th in opponent field-goal percentage 

BET PACERS -10.5 (-110).

Over/Under (O/U)

Over their past 10 games, both teams have been among the NBA’s worst on offense. Charlotte ranks last in points per game and field-goal percentage and 28th in 3-point percentage over that period. Indiana ranks 28th in PPG, 29th in 3-point percentage and 27th in offensive rating in the same time span. Plus, the Under has been trending lately for both sides. Charlotte has an 0-4 Over/Under record in its last four games and the Under has cashed in three of the last four Indiana games.

TAKE UNDER 208.5 (-106).

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and best bets.

The Milwaukee Bucks (46-7) look to hand the Indiana Pacers (31-23) their seventh straight loss Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze the Bucks-Pacers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Bucks at Pacers: Key injuries

Bucks

  • SG Kyle Korver (back) out
  • SF Giannis Antetokounmpo (personal) out 
  • PG George Hill (hamstring) out

Bucks at Pacers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11:25 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Bucks 111, Pacers 107

Moneyline (ML)

The first thing the casual NBA bettor will note about this game will be the absence of Giannis from the Bucks’ (-115) lineup. He’s going to miss his second straight game because of the birth of his son. Hopefully, the second thing someone notices is how the Bucks haven’t missed a beat without Giannis. Milwaukee is 5-0 outright and against the spread, with a plus-16.8 margin of victory, in games without the Greek Freak.

The Bucks have been stomping teams this whole season and there are very few opportunities to bet against them. Milwaukee has won 14 of its last 15 games with 13 of those victories coming by more than double digits. Also, Pacers (-106) SG Victor Oladipo hasn’t shaken off the rust since returning from the quadriceps injury that kept him out close to a year. In his six games back, Oladipo is averaging 10.8 points per game on a .295 field-goal percentage and .231 3-point rate. 

TAKE THE BUCKS (-115).

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Let’s play it safe and PASS on the spread in favor of our money line bet. We aren’t going to try and outthink the room by backing Indiana (+1.5, -115) against a Giannis-less Bucks (-1.5, -106). Since the line is so small, there are some against the spread trends we can use when handicapping Bucks-Pacers.

In their last four meetings, the Bucks are 4-0 straight up and ATS in the last four meetings with three of their wins coming by 18 or more points. Indiana failed to score more than 100 points in all of those games. The Bucks are 15-9 ATS on the road and the Pacers are 13-14-1 ATS at home this season. 

Over/Under (O/U)

No Giannis should mean fewer points for the Bucks so expect their defense to kick into gear. Bucks’ opponents have the worst shooting percentage in the NBA and Milwaukee allows the seventh-fewest points per game. Eight of the last nine Bucks-Pacers games went Under the total and their combined Over/Under record for division games is 9-13. Furthermore, the Bucks have a 10-13-1 O/U record on the road and the Pacers have a 1-2 O/U record as a home dog.

BET UNDER 222.5 (-110).

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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New Orleans Pelicans at Indiana Pacers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s New Orleans Pelicans at Indiana Pacers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and best bets.

The New Orleans Pelicans (21-31) visit the Hoosier State to play the Indiana Pacers (31-21) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse at 7:30 p.m. ET. We analyze Pelicans-Pacers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Pelicans at Pacers: Key injuries

Pelicans

  • SF Brandon Ingram (ankle) questionable
  • SF Darius Miller (Achilles) out
  • SG Kenrich Williams (back) out

Pacers

  • SF Doug McDermott (elbow) questionable
  • SG Victor Oladipo (rest) out
  • SF T.J. Warren (concussion) questionable
  • PF T.J. Leaf (illness) questionable

Pelicans at Pacers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 12:40 p..m. ET.

Prediction

Pelicans 118, Pacers 113

Moneyline (ML)

Monitor the injury report in Pelicans-Pacers because, like all NBA regular-season games, it’s crucial in this matchup. The Pacers (-175) could be without their starting and backup small forwards in Warren and McDermott, and the Pelicans (+145) could be without their leading scorer and starting small forward in Ingram, as well. The Pacers give up the fewest points per game to small forwards so if Ingram goes and the Pacers’ small forwards don’t, look for him to exploit whatever replacement comes in.

New Orleans is playing much better than Indiana recently. The Pels won four out of their last six games and are slowly creeping back into the Western Conference playoff hunt—just five games back of the 8-seed Memphis Grizzlies. The Pacers have lost four consecutive games and have dropped to the 6-seed in the East.

BET on the PELICANS +145 on the money line. New to sports betting? Bet $50 on Pelicans to earn a profit of $72.50 if they win outright.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Pelicans are 9-5-2 against the spread with a rest advantage. Indiana has lost four straight ATS in back-to-backs and is 5-7 ATS on the season, with a minus-4.8 average margin of victory when having a rest disadvantage.  Also, the Pelicans are 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings. Ultimately, this is as simple as PELICANS +3.5 (-106) as an insurance play for our money line wager. 

Over/Under (O/U)

TAKE OVER 225.5 (-110), the trends say so. The Pelicans and Pacers’ combined Over/Under record is 57-46-1 and the Over has cashed in the previous two Pelicans-Pacers games. The Over is 12-2 in the Pelicans’ last 14 games following an ATS win and the Over is 4-0 in the Pacers’ last four games following a straight-up loss. Indiana’s Over/Under record with a rest disadvantage is 7-4-1 with a plus-7 average over the projected total. New Orleans has a 12-4 O/U record with a rest advantage.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Notre Dame Basketball: Ready for Indiana in Crossroads Classic

Indiana is known for basketball like Wisconsin is known for dairy, so the Crossroads Classic that’s been held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse every year since 2011 always feels like an early Christmas present for local hoops fans. Notre Dame (8-3) has …

Indiana is known for basketball like Wisconsin is known for dairy, so the Crossroads Classic that’s been held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse every year since 2011 always feels like an early Christmas present for local hoops fans. Notre Dame (8-3) has split its first eight appearances, and this year, it faces Indiana (10-1), which came back to beat the Irish in overtime when these teams last met in the event in 2017. The Hoosiers have won three of the teams’ four Crossroads Classic meetings.

The Irish have been hot from 3-point range, making 35 3s over their past two games, a school record for that span. No Notre Dame team ever had made at least 15 3-pointers in back-to-back games until last week.

Dane Goodwin has been superb off the bench in the first half, scoring 16 in that frame against Detroit Mercy, followed by 14 in the win over UCLA, which was Mike Brey’s 800th career game.

Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Boston Celtics (17-5) and Indiana Pacers (15-9) will tussle at Bankers Life Fieldhouse Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Celtics-Pacers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

Celtics at Pacers: Key injuries

Celtics: SG Romeo Langford (ankle) and C Robert Williams (hip) are each listed as out, while PG Marcus Smart (eye) is a question mark due to an eye issue.

Pacers: PF JaKarr Sampson (back) is questionable, while SG Victor Oladipo (knee) is about seven to 10 days away from a potential return.

Celtics at Pacers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 8 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Celtics 115, Pacers 102

Moneyline (ML)

The CELTICS (+100) are a great play on the moneyline if you don’t want to worry about any points. They’re a pick ’em on the ML, making them quite attractive for a moderate bet.

New to sports betting? Every $10 wagered on a Celtics win would profit $10 with an outright victory.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The CELTICS (+2.5, –125) will cost a little bit of juice if you want some insurance in the form of a bucket and change. Know this: The Celtics are 6-2 ATS in their past eight trips to Indianapolis, and 4-0-1 ATS in the past five meetings in this series. So, they’re quite the attractive play over the favored Pacers (-2.5, +105).

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 211.5 (+105) is worth a small-unit play, as these games tend to be about offense. The Over is 5-2 in the past seven meetings between these two. Yes, the Under is the dominant trend for both teams lately, but a decent bet on the Celtics coupled with an Over play is the way to go. I like the C’s straight up more than the Over, however.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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