Free NCAAF Pick: Fighting Irish vs. Boilermakers Odds
Looking for Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Purdue Boilermakers Free NCAA picks & NCAA odds? NCAAF betting sees the Fighting Irish taking on the Boilermakers on 9/26 at Ross-Ade Stadium, in West Lafayette, IN. This free NCAA football pick is based on matchup analysis and documented handicapping data tracked by CappersPicks since 2004, with a focus on identifying the strongest betting angle for this Fighting Irish Boilermakers matchup.
2026 NCAAF Handicapping – Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Purdue Boilermakers
(3-0) Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Purdue Boilermakers (1-2)
Date: Sep 26, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM ET
Venue: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, IN
NCAAF Moneyline Odds: Fighting Irish -7150 | Boilermakers +1668 (Bet Now!)
Today’s NCAAF Spread Betting Odds: Fighting Irish -28 | Boilermakers +28
NCAAF Football Gambling Total: O/U: 57.5
Here’s why I’m backing a Notre Dame ATS bet below in my Fighting Irish Boilermakers free pick & gambling prediction for this matchup.
Fighting Irish vs. Boilermakers Gameday
No. 3 Notre Dame heads to Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette for another chapter of its in-state rivalry with Purdue. Kickoff is set for 2:00 PM ET on Saturday, September 26, 2026, with the game streaming on Peacock.
The Fighting Irish are 3-0 after beating Michigan State 27-10. Notre Dame opened the season with a 41-13 win over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field and followed that with a 52-0 shutout of Rice.
Notre Dame brings the ranking, but Purdue brings a passing attack capable of making this interesting.
Purdue is 1-2 and has dropped consecutive games after opening with a 44-19 win over Indiana State. The Boilermakers lost 38-36 in double overtime to Wake Forest before falling 52-38 at UCLA.
Notre Dame has won the last three meetings, including a 56-30 victory in South Bend last season.
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The Shillelagh Trophy is back on the line, and Purdue gets its first shot at Notre Dame inside Ross-Ade since the Irish rolled to a 66-7 win there in 2024.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Purdue Boilermakers Odds & Last 5
Notre Dame is a four-touchdown road favorite, with the spread sitting around -28 after opening closer to -27.5. The Fighting Irish are massive moneyline favorites, while the total is sitting around 57.5.
Notre Dame has scored 120 points while allowing only 23 through three games. The Irish have won all three by at least 17 points, including a 52-0 shutout of Rice.
Purdue’s games have been considerably more adventurous.
The Boilermakers have scored 118 points, but they’ve allowed 109. After losing a 38-36 double-overtime game to Wake Forest, Purdue went to UCLA and surrendered 52 points despite putting up 38 of its own.
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Boilermakers Stats
Purdue’s passing game has done plenty of heavy lifting through three weeks. The Boilermakers have thrown for 1,100 yards, with Ryan Browne producing three consecutive 300-yard performances to open the season.
Browne has completed 74 of 101 passes for 1,024 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception.
He set a career high for passing yards for the third straight week against UCLA, completing 19 of 30 attempts for 378 yards and three touchdowns. Xavier Townsend and Asaad Waseem both topped 100 receiving yards in the loss.
Fame Ijeboi gives Purdue some balance out of the backfield with 248 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
The bigger problem has been stopping people. Purdue has surrendered 109 points through three games, including 90 over its two-game losing streak.
Fighting Irish Stats
Notre Dame has started 3-0 by beating Wisconsin, Rice and Michigan State by a combined 120-23. The Irish have been particularly stingy over the last two games, allowing only 10 total points.
CJ Carr has thrown for 726 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions.
Nolan James Jr. leads Notre Dame with 169 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including 121 yards and a score against Michigan State. Aneyas Williams has added 144 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Notre Dame hasn’t needed offensive fireworks every week because its defense keeps shortening the assignment.
Micah Gilbert leads the receiving corps with 251 yards and a touchdown.
Notre Dame has also forced eight turnovers through three games, including three interceptions and five fumble recoveries. That becomes a particularly nasty combination when the Irish offense isn’t giving the ball away through the air.
Fighting Irish vs. Boilermakers QB Matchup
Ryan Browne has been Purdue’s offensive engine, completing 74 of 101 passes for 1,024 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. He has topped 300 yards in every game, including 378 yards and three scores at UCLA.
Browne has already attempted 101 passes, so Purdue has shown no hesitation about putting games in his hands.
CJ Carr has faced a lighter passing workload for Notre Dame.
The Irish starter has thrown for 726 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions through three games. He finished with 234 yards against Michigan State and also added a rushing touchdown in the 27-10 victory.
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Noah Grubbs has handled the limited backup work behind Carr, while Evans Chuba has seen a handful of passing opportunities behind Browne.
Browne owns the bigger raw passing numbers, but Carr has been operating from the far more comfortable game script.
Purdue may need another big afternoon from Browne if its defense continues giving up points at its current rate.
Notre Dame hasn’t needed Carr to chase games yet.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Purdue Boilermakers bottom line: Purdue’s passing attack gives the Boilermakers a legitimate weapon at home, but Notre Dame arrives with the defensive edge, a clean quarterback and enough offensive balance to make Purdue’s margin for error extremely small.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Purdue Boilermakers Football Betting Trends
- Notre Dame is 21-1 straight-up in their last 22 games after a win.
- Plus, the Fighting Irish are 23-2 straight-up in their last 25 games as favorites.
- Notre Dame has a 15-6 record against the spread in their last 21 games after a win.
- Purdue has gone over the total in their last 5 games with totals of 50 or more.
- Additionally, the Boilermakers are 4-0 over/under in their last 4 games after a loss.
- Purdue is 3-0 over/under in their last 3 home games.
Fighting Irish Boilermakers Free Pick: Notre Dame -28
Here is my Fighting Irish Boilermakers free pick: I’m laying the points with Notre Dame -28. Purdue can throw the football, but asking that offense to keep pace with the Irish for four quarters is a different assignment.
Notre Dame has allowed only 23 points through three games and hasn’t surrendered more than 13 in any of them. Purdue, meanwhile, has given up 90 points over its last two games.
Purdue can move the ball, but eventually somebody has to stop Notre Dame from scoring.
The Boilermakers just allowed 52 at UCLA after giving up 38 to Wake Forest at home. That’s a rough defensive trend when the next visitor is unbeaten and ranked third in the country.
Ryan Browne gives Purdue enough passing ability to make me respect the offense, but Notre Dame has too many advantages on the other side of the ball. If the Irish dictate the game up front, four touchdowns becomes a number they can clear.
Take Notre Dame -28.
Today’s NCAAF Free Pick
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Purdue Boilermakers on X
Back home 🔜 pic.twitter.com/hQKegvXjk2
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) September 22, 2026
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