Irish put win streak on the line against dangerous Wildcats

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01/27/2007 - South Bend, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Undefeated at home this season, the 22nd-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish attempt to remain that way, as they host the Villanova Wildcats in Big East action from the Joyce Center this afternoon.

This is the second time in the last 10 days that these teams have faced off, with Villanova capturing the first meeting, 102-87. Since then, Jay Wright's squad has strung together two more victories, with impressive performances against Texas (76-69) and most recently, at Providence (82-73). The win over the Friars moved Villanova to 14-5 overall and 3-3 in league play.

The Irish are a half game better at 4-3 in Big East tilts, but Mike Brey's team is coming off a 71-68 loss at St. John's, the team's second loss in the last three games. Still, the Irish return home where they have won all 14 games this season and are enjoying a 16-game homecourt winning streak overall.

The Wildcats hold a 16-12 edge in the series with Notre Dame and have won the last three meetings.

Villanova's top player, Curt Sumpter has been nursing a bone bruise the last two games, but that hasn't stopped the team from winning. In fact, Jay Wright has utilized several other players, who have stepped up when needed lately. In the victory over Providence, freshman Scottie Reynolds erupted for a team-high 20 points to lead the way. Backcourt mate Mike Nardi was right behind with 19 points, while Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark tallied 13 and 11 points, respectively. Sumpter did play sparingly, coming off the bench for 16 minutes of work, finishing with seven points and four rebounds. On the season, Sumpter leads the team in both scoring (18.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg) and getting him healthy is a priority the rest of the way. Nardi (14.3 ppg) and Reynolds (12.2 ppg) are decent complements with their perimeter efforts. Nardi is shooting .381 from long range this year and paces the team with 51 three- pointers. The team as a whole is averaging a steady 77.5 ppg, on .456 shooting.

Notre Dame has plenty of scoring punch, as one of the top offensive teams in the nation at 83.3 ppg (seventh nationally). The team is shooting .479 from the floor and nearly 40 percent from behind the arc (.397). Russell Carter is one of the Big East's most exciting players, as he is draining 44.7 percent of his three-point shots (59-of-132), en route to a team-high 18.3 ppg. Several others are averaging double-digits in support, with Rob Kurz (14.2 ppg), Colin Falls (12.8 ppg) and Luke Harangody (11.1 ppg) all getting in the act as well. Carter erupted for a career-high 32 points, but it wasn't enough in a three- point setback to St. John's. Falls poured in 16 points in support, but Harangody was held to a season-low one point. The Irish shot .439 from the floor, but really struggled in the second half, converting a mere 9-of-30 attempts (.300).

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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