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The No. 10 seed Indiana Hoosiers head to South Bend to take on the No. 7 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish for round one of the College Football Playoff! Below we will continue our college football odds series with an Indiana-Notre Dame prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Indiana-Notre Dame Last Game – Matchup History
These two teams have not played since 1991. Notre Dame won that game 49-27.
Overall Series: Notre Dame leads the all-time series 23-5-1.
Here are the Indiana-Notre Dame College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Indiana-Notre Dame State Odds
Indiana: +7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +230
Notre Dame: -7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -285
Over: 51.5 (-105)
Under: 51.5 (-115)
How to Watch Indiana-Notre Dame
Time: 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT
TV: ABC
*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Indiana Could Cover The Spread/Win
Indiana had an awesome first season under head coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers went from a 3-9 team to 11-1 with a chance to compete for the National Championship. One massive difference from last year to this year is their offensive play. The Hoosiers played just two games in which they scored under 31 points this season. In fact, they led the Big Ten with 43.3 points per game. That number is also second in the nation. If Indiana can play a good offensive game, they will have a great chance to win this game.
The best part of their offense is the ground game. They averaged 173.6 points per game, and scored 37 total touchdowns. Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton are the two main running backs and they have combined for 22 touchdowns on the year. With that, they have averaged over 5.0 yards per carry. Kurtis Rourke has been great in the pass game this season, but everything will feed off their ability to run. If their running backs can get going, Indiana will be able to cover.
Indiana was able to play some very solid defense this season, as well. They allowed just 14.7 points per game on the season, which ranks sixth in the nation. Along with that, the Hoosiers allowed the second-fewest yards per game, and the fewest rush yards in the nation. Notre Dame was absolutely dominant on the ground this season, so Indiana will have their work cut out for them. If the Hoosiers can contain the run Friday night, they will have a fantastic chance to cover the spread.
Why Notre Dame Could Cover The Spread/Win
Notre Dame has had yet another solid season. They were 11-1 with the one loss coming in week two against Northern Illinois. Since that loss, Notre Dame has averaged 44.1 points per game. That includes scoring 49 or more points six times. The Fighting Irish have been dominant on offense since that loss, and they need that to continue Friday night.
Offensively, the Fighting Irish averaged 39.8 points per game, which is third-best in the nation. As mentioned, their running game is mainly to thank. They scored the fifth-most rushing touchdowns this season, and averaged the 10th-most rushing yards per game in the nation. More impressively, their 6.3 yards per carry ranks third in the nation. If Jeremiyah Love and Riley Leonard can get going on the ground, Notre Dame will dominate.
Defense is where Notre Dame needs to shine. They allowed the eighth-fewest yards per game on the season while giving up the third-fewest points. Notre Dame does a great job in the pass defense. They had 17 interceptions on the season, which is tied for fourth-most in the nation. Their secondary makes it very hard for receivers to create separation, and Notre Dame has to make that the case Friday. If they can make Indiana a one dimensional team, they will win.
Final Indiana-Notre Dame Prediction & Pick
This is going to be one of the better games of the first round of the College Football Playoff. Indiana has been a great team, but I do not think they are going to make a run. I like Notre Dame to win, but I do think it will be close. I will take Indiana to cover the spread.
Final Indiana-Notre Dame Prediction & Pick: Indiana +7.5 (-110)
