It is a clash of undefeated teams in Week 7 as Notre Dame hits the road to face off with BYU. It is time to continue the NCAA Football odds series with a Notre Dame-BYU prediction and pick.
Notre Dame comes into the game at 6-0 on the year. They opened up the season with a win over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, 41-13. They would then head home to beat Rice 51-0 and then Michigan State 27-10. The Irish would hit the road for the first time in Week 4, defeating Purdue 49-10. The closest game of the year came in their fifth game, visiting North Carolina. UNC took an early 7-0 lead, but Notre Dame would lead 21-14 at the end o the first half. North Carolina returned the opening kickoff of the second half to make it a 20-21 game, but the Irish would put up the next 17 points. North Carolina scored again, but Notre Dame won 37-26. Last time out, Notre Dame dominated Stanford on the way to a 58-7 victory.
Meanwhile, BYU is also undefeated with a 5-0 record. The Cougars opened with a 63-7 win over BYU before hosting Arizona in Week 2. It was a tight first half, with Arizona scoring late and taking the 17-14 lead going into the break. Kyler Kasper would bring in two touchdown passes in the second half from Bear Bachmeier while the defense shut down Arizona on the way to a 28-17 win. BYU would then hit the road with a 41-23 win over Colorado State before a bye week. After the bye, BYU took a 17-10 win over TCU on the road, before beating Iowa State 24-10 at home last Friday.
Notre Dame and BYU have faced just nine times overall. Notre Dame has seven wins, but two of them have been vacated. Meanwhile, BYU has just two wins. Notre Dame has won four straight in the series, with BYU last winning in 2004. The last time these two faced was in 2022 in Las Vegas, as Notre Dame won 28-20.
Notre Dame vs. BYU Odds
Notre Dame: -10.5 (-110)
BYU: +10.5 (-110)
Over: 46.5 (-112)
Under: 46.5 (-108)
Watch Notre Dame-BYU LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)Notre Dame vs. BYU Key Injuries
Notre Dame- LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (Probable), CB Leonard Moore (Questionable), DT Jason Onye (Questionable), S Brauntae Johnson (Out), CB Chaz Smith (Out)
BYU- S Raider Damuni (Questionable), CB Cannon DeVries (Questionable), LB Isaah Glasker (Questionable), DE Siale Esera (Questionable), RB LJ Martiin (Out), OL Andrew Gentry (Out)
Notre Dame vs. BYU Betting Trends
-The Irish are 4-2 against the spread this year, but just 1-1 on the road.
– Notre Dame has been a three-touchdown-or-more favorite in every game this year.
– The over has hit in four of six games for Notre Dame, including three straight and both times when Notre Dame was on the road.
– BYU is 5-0 against the spread this year, including 3-0 at home.
– BYU has not been an underdog yet this year.
– The under has hit in three of five games this year for BYU, while hitting in two of three games at home this year.
Article Continues BelowKeys to Notre Dame vs. BYU matchup
Notre Dame is one of the best offensive units in the nation. They are second in points per game while sitting 19th in yards per game. They have been great on the ground this year, and they need to keep the trio of running backs going in this one. Jonaz Walton leads the way with 409 yards and two scores, while Nolan James Jr. has run for 335 yards and five touchdowns. Further, Aneyas Williams has 294 yards and four touchdowns this year. BYU has been great on third downs this year at getting to the quarterback, so getting the running game going will protect CJ Carr. Carr has been great this year, with 1,378 yards and 16 touchdowns this year, while also having just one interception. Further, he has run in three touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the defense has to shut down the running attack of BYU. LJ Martin is out for the game for BYU, and with it, his 344 yards and three touchdowns are gone from the lineup. Still, quarterback Bear Bachmeier has been great on the ground this year. He has run for 239 yards for four scores. Meanwhile, Journee Tonga and Preston Rex both have over 100 yards this year and two touchdowns. If the Notre Dame defense can force Bachmeier into passing situations, they will be able to slow him down and take the win in this one.
For BYU, with LJ Martin out of the lineup, this game will depend on Bachmeier. He has been great with Martin out of the lineup. Bachmeier has run for 175 yards in the last two games with two touchdowns. Further, he has stellar weapons to hit in the receiving game. Legend Glasker has brought in 19 receptions for 378 yards and three touchdowns, while Kyler Kasper has 178 yards and three scores this year. BYU is not a high-scoring offense, but efficient. They are just 59th in points per game, but eighth in yards per play and 22nd in third-down conversion. If they can keep that up, they will have a chance against Notre Dame.
While the offense for BYU has been average, the defense has been stellar. They are ninth in opponent points per game and tenth in opponent yards per game. They have been great against the run this year, sitting tenth in opponent rushing yards per game. The best case for the BYU defense is to force Notre Dame into obvious passing situations on third down. Notre Dame is under 45 percent on third downs this year and has struggled on third and long. Linebackers Cade Uluave and Jake Clifton will need to have big games to slow down the run game of Notre Dame in this one.
Notre Dame vs. BYU Prediction and Pick
Notre Dame opened as a 9.5-point favorite on the road, but it has crossed over the ten-point marker. The biggest issue for BYU in this game is overcoming Martin being out of the lineup. Still, they have solid depth in the running back room, and Bear Bachmeier can also run well. They have to keep the run game going because against the Notre Dame defense, if they become one-dimensional, it will be difficult to score. Meanwhile, Notre Dame will be dealing with both altitude and a tough road environment. The Irish have yet to play in a difficult road environment. In the most difficult road environment they have faced, at North Carolina, they struggled somewhat. That could happen here again against a tough defense. BYU will cover while the total stays low.
Final Notre Dame vs. BYU Prediction and Pick: BYU +10.5 (-110) and Under 46.5 (-108)