Notre Dame football score predictions: Irish vs. Virginia national picks
After Notre Dame won four-straight games (and six of its last seven) by at least three scores, the national experts have seen enough to project a fifth against Virginia.
The Irish host the Cavaliers at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in South Bend, and most believe they’ll not only win, but cover the 23-point spread. Here are the national picks for Notre Dame vs. Virginia.
NBC Sports: Notre Dame -23
“Naturally I would advocate for a Riley Leonard rushing over in this game. He finished with 70 in his last game and has had seven games with 50 or more rushing yards. It’s hard to tell exactly how high the books make his rushing total, but I’d imagine it’s close to 55.5 yards. That’s a number I’d, at the very least, consider. I can’t say what I would take without the exact number.
“Let’s talk about the spread, at least. Notre Dame is 6-2-1 against the spread this year. They have an average margin of victory of 27.2 and are +11.5 to the average spread. This Notre Dame team is special. Defensively, they are exceptional. They are in the top five in defensive success rate and EPA margin.
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“I don’t see how Virginia move the ball effectively. Take the Fighting Irish.” — Brad Thomas
Source: Virginia vs. Notre Dame prediction: Odds, expert picks, QB matchup, betting trends, and stats
USA TODAY Sports
- Scooby Axson: Fighting Irish
- Jordan Mendoza: Fighting Irish
- Paul Myerberg: Fighting Irish
- Erick Smith: Fighting Irish
- Eddie Timanus: Fighting Irish
- Dan Wolken: Fighting Irish
Source: College football Week 12 expert picks for every Top 25 game include SEC showdowns
Athlon Sports
Steven Lassan: Fighting Irish
Kyle Wood: Fighting Irish
Thomas Neumann: Fighting Irish
Source: College Football Picks: Expert Predictions for Every Game in Week 12
The Sporting News: Notre Dame 42, Virginia 17
“The Irish are steam-rolling through opponents, and they have outscored four ACC opponents by a combined total of 163-47 this season. Virginia snapped a three-game losing streak against Pitt last week, but they might struggle to move the football against an Irish defense that has forced 11 turnovers and allowed just 260 yards per game in its last four wins. The Irish are 2-2 ATS when favored by 20 points or more, and they are 4-0 ATS against ACC opponents.” — Bill Bender
Bleacher Report: Notre Dame 38, Virginia 13
“Last weekend’s upset of Pitt suggests a confident Virginia team is headed to South Bend. Notre Dame, however, has surrendered more than 16 points just once all season; UVA is averaging a modest 26.0. Anything but a comfortable ND victory would be unexpected.” — David Kenyon
Source: College Football 2024 Predictions: Tennessee vs. Georgia, Oregon vs. Wisconsin & More
