The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to face the Virginia Cavaliers this weekend. Check out our college football odds series, which includes our Notre Dame-Virginia prediction, odds, and pick.

Notre Dame, with only one loss this season, is still in the College Football Playoff hunt, but the Irish are on the periphery of that battle. Notre Dame has not looked impressive in most of its wins this season. The Irish need a style-points victory, a blowout, if they want to begin to gain ground. They obviously need a bunch of teams to lose in order to have any shot, and their odds for making the playoff are extremely slim. Yet, they can't be fully eliminated at this point — not in a crazy season which promises more plot twists over the next four weeks. Keep that in mind if you are calibrating your Notre Dame-Virginia pick.

The Virginia Cavaliers will face the Pittsburgh Panthers one week after this game against Notre Dame. That contest against Pitt will shape the ACC Coastal Division race. The winner has a very good chance of winning the division title and playing Wake Forest or North Carolina State in the ACC Championship Game. Virginia obviously wants to beat a high-profile team such as Notre Dame, but the ACC race is the team's ultimate goal this season. This relates to a key question attached to this game, which we will address below.

Here’s how the bookmakers have set the Notre Dame-Virginia odds:

College Football odds: Notre Dame-Virginia Odds

Notre Dame: -5.5 (-114)

Virginia: +5.5 (-106)

Over: 64.5 (-110)

Under: 64.5 (-110)

*Watch College Football Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)

Why Notre Dame Could Cover the Spread

The big reason Notre Dame could cover the spread is the same reason Notre Dame is favored by five and a half points: Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong is a game-time decision. Armstrong has had a fantastic year. He is in the running for the ACC Player of the Year Award. Armstrong has thrown for more than 3,500 yards this season and could easily reach 4,000 yards for 2021. He has completed 64 percent of his passes and has thrown 27 touchdown passes. If he cannot play, Virginia is in huge trouble. Even if he does play, his health is well below 100 percent. If you are making a Notre Dame-Virginia prediction, this detail matters more than anything else.

Why Virginia Could Cover the Spread

The Cavaliers need Brennan Armstrong to play in this game. If he does, Virginia has a real shot at winning. Notre Dame has played razor-close games for much of the year, and it trailed Virginia Tech for most of the game before rallying late. Virginia appears to be a better team than Virginia Tech, so if the Notre Dame-Virginia Tech game is any indication, Virginia is in a good position versus the Irish if Armstrong can play with few to no physical impairments or limitations. Armstrong makes the UVA offense sing, and Notre Dame would have a very tough time keeping pace in a pure track meet. Notre Dame quarterbacks Jack Coan, Tyler Buchner, and Drew Pyne have all struggled to varying degrees for the Irish this season.

Final Notre Dame-Virginia Prediction & Pick

The Brennan Armstrong situation is something to monitor. If he doesn't play, you can go all-in on Notre Dame. If he plays, you shouldn't necessarily pick Virginia, but you should wait a quarter and then consider a live in-game play.

Final Notre Dame-Virginia Pick: Notre Dame -5.5