Free NCAA Football Prediction: Buckeyes vs. Fighting Irish Odds
Looking for Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish free picks? College football betting sees the Buckeyes taking on the Fighting Irish on Saturday, September 3, 2022, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football game predictions like this Ohio State-Notre Dame free pick.
College Football Handicapping Analysis: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Ohio State Buckeyes (0-0) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-0)
Date: Saturday, September 3, 2022
Time: 7:30 pm EST
Venue: Ohio Stadium
NCAA Football ATS Spread Odds: Ohio State -15.5 / Notre Dame +15.5 (Bet Now!)
NCAA Football Moneyline Odds: Buckeyes -675 / Fighting Irish +450
NCAA Betting Total Odds: Total O/U 58.5
Ohio State looks to rebound after a relatively disappointing season, while the Irish and Ohio State alum, Marcus Freeman will be looking to upset the country’s #2 team on the road.
“I hate losing, Chavy. I hate it. I hate losing more than I even want to win. And there’s a difference” – Moneyball
Ohio State Buckeyes
It won’t surprise you to hear the Buckeyes are really, really good. Ohio State clocks in top 20 in the country in TARP, an overall measurement of transfers and returning production on an offense that led the country in scoring and total offense. SP+ also loves the Buckeyes, ranking them the #1 team in the country offensively.
Most notably, Heisman candidate CJ Stroud, superstar wideout Jaxson Smith-Njigba and powerful running back TreVeyon Henderson are all back in hopes of returning to the College Football Playoff. Marvin Harrison Jr and Emeka Egbuka will face the tall task of replacing two NFL draft picks in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson but I expect this offense to be just as explosive in 2022.
The big question here is, is the defense improved? Ohio State aggressively addressed this problem by hiring Oklahoma State DC, Jim Knowles. Under his watch, the Cowboys ranked top 10 in defensive success rate en route to a Big XII title appearance and a Fiesta Bowl win over this Notre Dame team.
Ohio State struggled last season against the run, and it remains a concern for me with lack of star power on the line and undersized linebackers in Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg. Michigan revealed the book on this team by man-handling the LOS and picking up key downs. The x-factor this season for the Buckeye defense will be EDGE Jack Sawyer. The Cowboys led the nation in sacks in 2021 and Knowles will look to copy that success in Columbus.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Marcus Freeman finds himself the man on campus after Brian Kelly’s sudden, yet unsurprising exit. He will have his hands full trying to stop the Buckeye offense in search of a marquee win.
Notre Dame will tab Tyler Buchner as their starter with the loss of Jack Coan but the star of this offense is All-American TE, Michael Mayer. Per usual, Notre Dame has a superb offensive line and returns all five starters from 2021. I will reference o-line continuity ad nauseam this season, because I truly believe it matters — especially in this bout. If Notre Dame can effectively run the ball, the Buckeyes might sweat before kickoff.
Defensively, the Irish will miss Kyle Hamilton deeply, especially as they welcome on new DC, Al Golden. Having a leader on the field is paramount, so they will have to work quickly to identify their captain. Notre Dame brings back Isaiah Foskey’s 11 sacks and most of the linebacking corps from a group that was top 10 in defensive pass explosiveness.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- Notre Dame is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
- Notre Dame is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
- Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
- Ohio State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
4* Free Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish NCAA Betting Final Analysis:
This line opened at 13.5 before ballooning all the way to 17.5 and then recalibrating to 15.5. Simply put, I can’t step in front of this moving train of an Ohio State team. Between the disappointment of last season, the second year of CJ Stroud, the addition of Jim Knowles and Marcus Freeman’s first game on the road as a Head Coach, I have to endorse the Buckeyes -15.5. Notre Dame bettors certainly have a case, but this Ohio State team might just hate losing even more than they want to win.
4* Free Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish NCAA Betting Pick: Ohio State -15.5
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