USC vs. Notre Dame Prediction Tonight: Expert Picks for College Football Week 8
My USC vs. Notre Dame prediction tonight projects the Trojans to keep it close in the last scheduled game between these two historic programs.
My college football picks fade Notre Dame as a 9.5-point betting favorite, with kickoff from Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Ind., set for 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock). Our college football predictions for Week 8 feature plays for all the biggest games tonight, including the following spread and Over/Under bets.
🏈 USC vs. Notre Dame prediction
College football picks for Week 8; odds subject to change.
👇️ See more SBR!
Want to make sure SBR shows up often in your Google search results and Discover feed? Simply click here and add Sportsbook Review as one of your "source preferences".
🆚 Who will win USC vs. Notre Dame tonight?
The market expects Notre Dame will win this game, as they’re sizable betting favorites, but I think USC is better than the market believes. Remember, this Notre Dame team dropped games to both Miami and Texas A&M to start the season. Their strong recent performances are encouraging, but this game should be closer than the market thinks. Don’t be surprised if USC pulls off the upset.
✅ Best USC vs. Notre Dame bet tonight
🗡️ USC +9.5 (-105) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
USC isn’t a perfect team, and there are some big names injured at the running back position, but they are far better than the betting odds would have you believe. While running backs are important, USC was able to get a whopping 158 yards on 18 carries from reserve King Miller – 8.8 yards per rush attempt – largely due to a dominant offensive line. USC nearly leads college football in offensive line yards per rush (3.7). With Notre Dame missing a key defensive tackle and already ranking well below average in defensive line yards per rush, the ground game should be an asset for USC.
Finding success on the ground will be crucial to take the pressure off young quarterback Jayden Maiava, who looks a fair bit better than Notre Dame’s CJ Carr. Maiava ranks second among all signal-callers in passing efficiency score (185.7) and third in passing yards per game (308.7). Meanwhile, Carr ranks a solid sixth (176) and 18th (270.3) in those metrics. The Fighting Irish probably have an advantage in the secondary, making Maiava’s life more difficult than Carr’s tonight, but I make the margin much closer than 9.5 points.
The market is overreacting to USC’s banged-up backfield. Buy the Trojans to cover the +9.5 for -105 (51.2%) at FanDuel to score a $9.52 profit on a $10 bet.
⚖️ USC vs. Notre Dame score prediction: USC 28 - Notre Dame 27
Track the latest college football scores for line movement and matchup info.
⬇️ Under 61.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐
Both sides of this matchup have some impressive assets in the ground game. USC has one of, if not the, best offensive lines at run blocking. Notre Dame may have the best running back tandem in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. The Irish rank 46th in rushing play percentage (54.7%) and 95th in seconds per play (27.5), so if they get out to an early lead, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the rushing attack grind down the clock and depress the scoring.
The same could be true if USC gets out to an early lead, too, however. Despite all of Maiava’s passing output, the Trojans are still 61st in rushing play percentage (53%). They play even slower than Notre Dame, too, as they rank 105th in seconds per play (28.2). The total for this contest opened at 53.5 during the offseason but has spiked to as high as 61.5 – let’s go Under that number for -110 (52.4%) at BetMGM to score a $9.09 profit on a $10 bet.
📊 USC vs. Notre Dame odds
Latest college football odds updated live in real time.
📺 How to watch USC vs. Notre Dame tonight
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 18
- Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Notre Dame Stadium (Notre Dame, Ind.)
- TV: NBC/Peacock
📈 College football betting insights
College football betting insights via BetMGM.
| Most bet games | Most bet Over/Unders | Most bet underdogs to win |
|---|---|---|
| LSU vs. Vanderbilt | Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (Under 58.5) | LSU +115 vs. Vanderbilt |
| Ole Miss vs. Georgia | Ole Miss vs. Georgia (Over 56.5) | Georgia Tech +100 vs. Duke |
| USC vs. Notre Dame | Ohio State vs. Wisconsin (Over 41.5) | Tennessee +260 vs. Alabama |
💡 College football expert picks: Week 8
- College football moneyline parlay Week 8
- College football upsets picks Week 8
- College football predictions for every top 25 game
- College football picks against the spread Week 8
- College football player props Week 8
- Heisman contender player props Week 8
- College football anytime touchdown scorer predictions Week 8
- College football Week 8 schedule: What to watch & best bets
- College football best bets Week 8
📃 Affiliate disclosure
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission.
Not intended for use in MA. Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
Related Articles
