Week 13 of the college football slate gives us an interesting battle between Army and Notre Dame. Get our full betting preview below, which includes a best bet! Good luck, folks!
Even with Army being undefeated, oddsmakers are NOT expecting a tight game at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night. The line opened at Notre Dame -17, but sharp action has pushed that line down to Notre -14. People are lining up in droves to bet on the Black Knights.
There hasn't been a ton of interest in this game total. The number opened up at 45 on Sunday afternoon and that's where most online sportsbooks still have it priced. There are a couple of prominent shops in the market that are dealing 45.5 or even 46, so search for those if you're interested in betting on the Under!
Army has a perfect 9-0 record this season, mainly thanks to their elite running game. The Black Knights average 6.1 yards per carry, which ranks an impressive 3rd in the nation. QB Bryson Daily has run for 1,062 yards and has been responsible for 28 touchdowns so far.
The biggest surprise for Army this year has been the huge improvements they've made on the defensive side of the ball. They rank 5th in yards per rush allowed and 10th in yards per pass allowed. Casey Larkin and Jaydan Mayes have both picked off 3 passes for the Black Knights.
The main issue with Army has been their soft schedule, as they've played just the 137th toughest schedule, according to Sagarin. This is the first time all season that Army has played a rank opponent, so take that for what it's worth.
After a shocking loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2, this Notre Dame squad has been on a mission. They've blown out every opponent on their schedule, with the exception of Louisville (who they beat by a TD).
The Fighting Irish must get past Army and then USC on November 30th in order to gain a playoff berth. Riley Leonard was the perfect guy for Marcus Freeman to bring in over the summer. The former Duke star has thrown for 12 touchdowns and found paydirt 13 times with his legs.
Jeremiyah Love has been a force to be reckoned with on the ground, as he's ran for 720 yards and 12 TDs. Army's defensive metrics look great, but they could have their hands full with Love and this massive Notre Dame O-line.
I personally played Notre Dame -15.5 on Monday morning, so I obviously like the current number of -14 even more. While a lot of folks are worried about ND facing this Army option, I am not concerned.
The Fighting Irish see the option at least once a year because of their annual matchup against Navy. Their defense is more than capable of keeping Daily under wraps in this game. Notre Dame will have a huge size advantage in the trenches, so let's lay this number with confidence.
Prediction: Notre Dame 30 - Army 10