The Notre Dame Fighting Irish head to Raleigh, North Carolina to face NC State. It is time to continue our College Football odds series with a Notre Dame-NC State prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

The Irish enter the game 2-0 after two dominating wins to start the year. First, it was the 42-3 win over Navy, in which the Irish dominated on defense and Sam Hartman looked impressive in his first start. Then it was a win over Tennessee State. Hartman and the starting offense gave the Irish a 35-3 lead going into the half, and then Steve Angeli took over for Notre Dame. He would throw two more touchdown passes in the second half, while the defense added a score to win 56-3. The defense has been impressive this year. For the first two games, the defense has scored six points, while also only surrendering six points overall.

NC State took a win over UCONN in their first game, but it was not as dominating. After giving UCONN the lead in the first quarter, the Wolfpack struck back with a nine-play 66-yard drive capped off by a Brennan Armstrong touchdown. Still, they would extend the lead to just 10-7 at the end of the second quarter as they hit. field goal as the half ended. In the third, the Wolfpack had a 91-yard drive, capped by a Delbert Mimms III one-yard run for a touchdown.

The Wolfpack gave the score right back. After the kickoff, Victor Rosa would score on a 71-yard run to make it a three-point game again. After a solid kick true on the next kickoff, Armstong would lead a four-play drive ending in an eight-yard run for the quarterback's second rushing touchdown of the game, and from there the defense would hold on to the 24-14 lead. While the defense and special teams played well, they will be missing a key part in this game. Rakiem Ashford will be out after leaving the field on a stretcher in the win over UCONN.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Notre Dame-NC State Odds

Notre Dame: -7.5 (-105)

NC State: +7.5 (-115)

Over: 50.5 (-104)

Under: 50.5 (-118)

How to Watch Notre Dame vs. NC State

TV: ABC

Stream: ESPN App

Time: noon ET/ 9:00 AM PT

*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Notre Dame Will Cover The Spread

Sam Hartman is exactly what Notre Dame was hoping for when he transferred there. While he has not faced the best competition, he has been nearly perfect. In two games so far he is 33-41 for 445 yards and six touchdowns. Of the eight incompletions, one was a dropped ball and another was batted at the line. That means he only misfired on six balls in two games, while also completing three big-time throws as defined by PFF. The offensive line has helped him out as well. In 44 dropbacks this year, he has only been pressured eight times, and he got the ball off in five of them. Meanwhile, he was able to scramble for positive yardage in the other three.

It has not just been the quarterback play, but the wide receivers have been solid as well. Jayden Thomas has caught all eight targets thrown his way so far this year. That has led to him having 125 yards, good for 15.6 yards per reception. Thomas has also scored this year. While the numbers look impressive to start, seeing the yards after catch is even better. His average depth of 8.6 yards past the line of scrimmage, but he is averaging 7.8 yards after the catch per reception, nearly doubling his yardage on each catch.

The defense has been solid as well this year for the Irish. Teams are a combined 8-28 in converting third downs against the Irish so far this year. Jack Kiser has been a big part of that for the Irish. This year he has ten tackles and made the assist on another two. He had missed just one tackle this year and has gotten one hit on the quarterback this year. The big thing is he has seven stops in two games for offensive failures.

Why NC State Will Cover The Spread

If NC State is going to come away with a win at home against the Irish, it has to start with Brennan Armstrong. He was solid on the ground in the first game. He ran for 96 yards on 19 attempts with two scored in the game. While that was good, his passing has left something to be desired. Armstong was just 17-26 passing against UCONN for 155 yards, and no touchdowns. He did not throw any turnover-worthy passes, which is positive, but he needs some help. First, it has to start with the offensive line. In 37 dropbacks, Armstrong was pressured 14 times. He was sacked just once and used his legs to scramble ten times for positive yardage while getting the ball off three times.

The offensive line did not help the running game either. Jordan Houston was the top back for NC State. He ran 13 times for 57 yards in the game. Still, he was consistently hit in the backfield and had to make something out of nothing. Houston did that well, forcing five missed tackles, and having 54 yards after first contact. Delbert Mimms had to do the same. With 20 yards on eight attempts with a score, Mimms had an average depth of first contact behind the line of scrimmage. He ran for 22 yards after first contact, while also causing five missed tackles.

Armstong also needs help from his wide receivers. In the game with UCONN, wide receivers dropped four on-target passes. Jalen Coit, one of the backup wide receivers, dropped both targets sent his way. There was some good though. Kevin Concepcion out of the slot was solid. He was the most target receiver in the UCONN game and caught four of the five balls thrown his way. He had 36 yards on the game with 24 of those coming after the catch.

Final Notre Dame-NC State Prediction & Pick

Notre Dame's offense has been amazing, and while the defense was good for NC State against UCONN, it may not be enough. NC State did cover wonderfully against UCONN but struggled heavily in the run game. That could lead to a big game for Audric Estimne who already has run for 211 yards and two touchdowns this year. Meanwhile, NC State missed four tackles in the running game, and UCONN had over a 50 percent success rate in the run against them. Expect a big game for Estimne.

Further, the offensive line issues for NC State are a major concern. The defensive line for Notre Dame has been solid. They have already generated 28 quarterback pressures in two games, with three sacks and 11 hits on the quarterback. If Brennan Armstrong cannot be perfect in escaping pressure, it will be a long day for him. With that, Notre Dame is going to cover easily. Take the Irish and lay the points.

Final Notre Dame-NC State Prediction & Pick: Notre Dame +7.5 (-105)