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Seventh-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats face off against ninth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday afternoon. Cincinnati is coming off a bye last weekend but sits at 3-0 after a win versus Indiana in their previous game. As for the Irish, they are coming off a 41-13 win against Wisconsin. They remain a perfect 4-0 on the season. With that said, it's a good time to check out our college football odds series, which includes the Cincinnati-Notre Dame prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the odds:
College Football Odds: Cincinnati-Notre Dame Odds
Cincinnati: -2 (-110)
Notre Dame: +2 (-110)
Over: 50.5 (-105)
Under: 50.5 (-115)
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Why Cincinnati Could Cover the Spread
The Bearcats were off last week after improving to 3-0 by coming back from a 14-point deficit on the road to beat Indiana, 38-24. We will see if this bye week messes with the team's offensive rhythm when the Bearcats travel to Notre Dame stadium. So far this season, Cincinnati is averaging 43 points per game, ranking fifth in the nation. Opponents are averaging 19 points per game against the defense. Quarterback Desmond Ridder leads the team with seven touchdown passes on 748 passing yards. He has a 65% completion percentage and averages 9.1 yards per pass play. Running back, Jerome Ford has 300 yards in three games along with six touchdowns. The offense is pretty well-balanced, rushing the ball 50.76% of the time.
The Bearcats have the edge on the defensive side of the ball with the 31st best havoc rate in the nation. They are yielding just 4.3 yards per game to opponents and should have no issue attacking Notre Dame's weak offensive line. The running game has been non-existent for Notre Dame, and that presents a big problem for quarterback Jack Coan who injured his ankle and sat out late against Wisconsin last week. Coan has been sacked 19 times so far this season. The Bearcats are 4-1 against the spread in their last five non-conference games and 7-3 against the spread in their last ten overall.
Why Notre Dame Could Cover the Spread
The Fighting Irish have played some close games so far this season. They opened the year with a 41-38 win in overtime against Florida State and then had another tight game with a 32-29 score versus Toledo in Week 2. The offense is averaging 35.2 points per game and 366.2 yards per game. Quarterback Jack Coan has thrown nine touchdowns for 986 yards with a 60.6% completion rate through four games. The receiving core has been strong for the Fighting Irish. Tight end Michael Mayer has 24 receptions for 267 yards, and three touchdowns as wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. has 14 receptions for 230 yards and three touchdowns. The offense ranks 25th in passing yards per game with 286.2.
Defensively, Notre Dame is allowing 23.2 points per game 4.9 yards per play to opponents. The Irish have three wins against power-five teams. They come into play ranked in the top ten and have a 26-game winning streak at home. The Fighting Irish are 6-1 in their last seven games as a home underdog and 8-2 against the spread versus a team with a winning record.
Final Cincinnati-Notre Dame Prediction & Pick
This matchup will be Notre Dame's most challenging yet this season. The Bearcats have a veteran defense with excellent speed and an offense capable of exploding for big plays at any given moment. Cincinnati has had an extra week off to prepare for this matchup and will be ready to go in a hostile environment on the road. Expect the Bearcats to get to Notre Dame's quarterback early and force him to turn the ball over. Cincinnati will win by a field goal or more.
Final Cincinnati-Notre Dame Prediction & Pick: Cincinnati -2
