The Michigan State Spartans take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a nonconference college baseball showdown at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 8. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
Notre Dame is the favorite on the moneyline at -320, while Michigan State is +235 to pull off the upset. Notre Dame comes in as the favorite on the run line at -1.5 (+105), and Michigan State is +1.5 (-135) on the other side. The over/under sits at 12.5 total runs.
Here are my college baseball picks and Michigan State vs. Notre Dame predictions for Wednesday, April 8.
College Baseball Picks for Michigan State vs Notre Dame
- Michigan State vs Notre Dame Pick: Notre Dame -2.5 (-120)
My Michigan State vs Notre Dame best bet is on the Fighting Irish to cover the run line.
Michigan State vs Notre Dame Odds
| Michigan State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -135 | 12.5 +105o / -135u | +235 |
| Notre Dame Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +105 | 12.5 +105o / -135u | -320 |
Michigan State vs Notre Dame Prediction
After a scalding hot start, which included a sweep of Clemson and victories over the likes of Indiana and Duke, Notre Dame has gone ice cold.
The Fighting Irish come into this midweek matchup having lost six straight, being beaten up in the state of North Carolina by the Tar Heels and Wolfpack.
However, despite their most recent skid, they've still been swinging the bats well. On the season, the Fighting Irish hold a team wRC+ of 116 and a team batting average of .302.
The issue for Notre Dame has been finding arms not named Jack Radel who can get outs. But we should see everything come together against Michigan State on Wednesday night.
The Spartans are 10-19 on the season and have not shown much fight against upper-echelon teams. The argument could be made that their best two wins of the season came in the first two games of the year against a then-ranked Louisville team.
However, those victories look much less impressive now. The Cardinals have spiraled and now hold an RPI of 83, while the Fighting Irish are at 49, even while in a tailspin.
The biggest discrepancy between these programs comes at the plate. The Spartans have been poor offensively, holding a wRC+ of 77 and a team batting average of .242.
Their inability to punch back against better lineups like Notre Dame will only be amplified by the other areas in which they struggle.
On the mound, their staff hasn't missed many bats, boasting a team strikeout per nine rate of 7.3. That high number of balls in play has also exposed their defensive issues, as the Spartans average 1.15 errors per game.
With how well the Fighting Irish have been swinging it this season, we should see them reach double-digit runs tonight as they pull away, covering the run line and putting an emphatic end to their losing streak.
Pick: Notre Dame -2.5 (-120)
