Miami Hurricanes Get Surprise Odds For Matchup Against Notre Dame

The Miami Hurricanes are the No. 1 team in college football in the eyes of the voters. 

When it comes to the gambling websites, however, it's a bit different. 

The odds were released for Saturday's game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, Ind. According to Hard Rock Bet, the Hurricanes are a 4.5 underdog in the matchup. 

This should come as a surprise and it shouldn't. 

Despite the top ranking, the Hurricanes have shown some flaws this season. Their play on defense has been one of the issues. On Saturday, they gave up 407 yards in the 38-35 victory against the North Carolina Tar Heels. They were assisted by a late fumble recovery and the Tar Heels being twice called for a penalty on two onside kicks to avoid the upset. 

Despite their dominance on offense, the Hurricanes have given up at least 20 points in three games. They struggled in a 33-20 victory against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in September. They then needed two overtimes to defeat the Florida State Seminoles in a 45-43 shootout. The Seminoles, who were a failed Hail Mary attempt from stealing a victory, amassed 433 yards. 

Even though the Hurricanes defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers by 29 points, they still allowed 403 yards. At some point, they need to show they can at least come up with stops should the high-powered offense have an off night. 

The offense, led by quarterback Darian Mensah, receiver Malachi Toney and running back Mark Fletcher, has carried UM all season. Mensah and Toney are both Heisman candidates while Fletcher just set the school record for most career touchdowns with 38. That is saying a lot considering the amount of talent that has come through Coral Gables over the years. 

Even though they are favored, the Fighting Irish have struggled the last two games. They had difficulty early on against the Navy Midshipmen before pulling away for a 35-13 victory on Saturday. Two weeks before, Notre Dame was upset by the BYU Cougars of the Big 12 conference. That loss now looks even worse after the Cougars followed that win with a bad loss to the UCF Knights, who were blown out Friday by the Baylor Bears.  

Regardless, it doesn't matter who is favored in the Miami-Notre Dame game. It is the biggest matchup of the weekend. ESPN has already dubbed it as the home for the popular College Gameday show.