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It’s an all-ACC showdown right out of the gate of the 2021 college football season for both the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Florida State Seminole. These two programs are all set to lock horns in a must-watch showdown in Tallahassee this coming Sunday. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our college football odds series, which includes the Notre Dame-Florida State prediction and pick below.
These two teams have met last season, with the Fighting Irish scoring a decisive win. Could that be the same result this time around? Or, will the Seminoles start their season with an inspired victory?
Here’s how the bookmakers have set the lines for this Notre Dame-Florida State showdown.
College Football Odds: Notre Dame-Florida State Odds
Notre Dame Fighting Irish -7.5 (-110)
Florida State Seminoles +7.5 (-110)
Over 56.0 (-110)
Under 56.0 (-110)
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Why Notre Dame Could Cover The Spread
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Brian Kelly has so much to look forward to this season. Although the Fighting Irish saw Ian Book make a jump to the NFL, they should remain stable at the quarterback position, as they have Jack Coan to take over the starting gig under center. Formerly with the Wisconsin Badgers, Coan has the experience to handle a big game like this on the road. The graduate transfer QB appeared in 22 games from 2017 to 2019 for the Badgers and amassed 3,278 passing yards and 23 touchdowns.
Considering how weak Florida State’s pass rush a season ago, Coan can expect to emerge from this game mostly unscathed. The Seminoles were last in the ACC in 2020 in sacks with only 10.0 quarterback takedowns. Conversely, Notre Dame’s offensive line allowed just 2.08 sacks per game, the fourth-best in the conference. But it’s the running backs who should be the biggest threat to Florida State’s defense. Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree are both back, which means they will get another shot at torching the ‘Noles on the ground. In Notre Dame’s 42-26 win over Florida State last year, Williams and Tyree combined for 288 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries.
Why Florida State Could Cover The Spread
Although Notre Dame does seem to have stability under center with Coan, the Seminoles would rather go up against the former Badgers quarterback than Book. Coan does not have the legs of Book, who picked up 58 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries against Florida State in 2020. Coan even has negative career rushing yards (-11) in his college career. Even behind Notre Dame’s offensive line, there’s only so much Coan could do when he gets forced out of the pocket. Florida State’s defense also gets a boost from a pair of transfers in Jermaine Johnson II (Georgia) and r Marcus Cushnie (Alabama A&M).
Like the Fighting Irish, Florida State will be rolling the red carpet for a transfer QB this season, with former UFC star McKenzie Milton getting the keys to Florida State’s passing attack. Milton has just recovered from a devastating knee injury he sustained in 2018, and it remains to be seen whether he can get back to his top form. If he does, Florida State’s offense will certainly have a much more optimistic outlook for its offense that struggled to move the chains in 2020.
Final Notre Dame-Florida State Prediction & Pick
The Seminoles have a bunch of transfers. With so many new parts, I’m doubting if this team is cohesive enough, especially on defense, to stop Notre Dame’s attack, particularly on the ground. Take the Fighting Irish to win on the road and cover the spread by at least 10 points.
FINAL NOTRE DAME-FLORIDA STATE PICK: Notre Dame -7.5 (-110)
