#4 Michigan to Host Third Matchup Vs #20 Notre Dame Friday

• Michigan and Notre Dame will meet on the ice for the third time this season, Michigan won the first game 5-1 while Notre Dame took the second 3-2.
• Michigan comes into the game as the third best offense in NCAA hockey, averaging exactly four goals per game.
• Notre Dame boasts a much more impressive defense than Michigan, ranked 22 against Michigan’s bottom-20 defense, but also a much worse offense.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Michigan Wolverines will host the third and fourth matchups against Notre Dame on Friday and Saturday for the season finale. These two met previously in November, splitting that series one to one.

Despite the gap in ranking, these two teams have played each other closely for nearly the entirety of their century-long rivalry. As such, legal betting sites have listed the following odds for the game’s money line, puck line, and total.

#4 Michigan vs #20 Notre Dame Odds

• Money Line: Michigan (-225) vs Notre Dame (+170)
• Puck Line (Spread): Michigan -1.5 (+115)
• Total: 6.0

Michigan’s Power Play Will be the Difference

One thing that was very apparent from the first two meetings between these teams is that their rivalry gets chippy. Over the last two games between the Wolverines and Fighting Irish, there have been a massive 14 total power plays, with Michigan claiming six and scoring on three.

On the season, Michigan’s power play has been quite deadly, being tied for the seventh-most goals in the nation while Notre Dame is ranked just 36th out of 60 total teams. The Wolverines will surely look to score on their various chances behind contributors like Mackie Samoskevich, who has scored in each of the last two games on the PP.

This is especially true due to Notre Dame’s weak penalty kill, as they have the fourth lowest PK%, meaning Michigan will look to score early and often against a unit that has shown their inability to fend off power play opportunities.

A slight worry for Michigan is their poor scoring defense, as they allow over three goals per game, 44th in the NCAA. However, this is offset by Notre Dame’s atrocious 52nd ranked scoring offense. ND’s struggles were on display in both games, as they managed to go just 2/8 on power plays and were outscored seven to four despite their narrow overtime win.

While the Michigan money line does not present much value at -225 odds, a particularly interesting bet would be the Michigan puck line of -1.5, which they have covered in four out of their last five wins against ND. With legal sportsbooks giving the puck line +115 odds, the profit potential is much higher for the Wolverines to win by two or more.

Minor Trends to Know

• The 6.0 total has gone under in four out of five most recent matchups, with the outlier being a push
• Notre Dame has won six of the last 10 matchups
• Michigan has won three out of the last five games at home.