Navy at Notre Dame Week 12 College Football Odds & Preview

The Midshipmen of the Naval Academy head to South Bend to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday afternoon. Navy built a big lead against SMU last week but saw the Mustangs roar back to tie the game late. The Midshipmen kicked a field goal to win as time expired, 43-40 — in a game in which Navy (which runs the triple option) did not complete a single pass. Notre Dame went down to Miami and got absolutely destroyed, 41-8, a result that sent them down out of the CFP’s top four. Navy beat Notre Dame last year, 28-27, down in Jacksonville. Will Navy post another upset this year, or will Notre Dame right the ship and vent some frustration on the Midshipmen? Consider our college football odds preview on this matchup before you lock in your wager.

Navy at Notre Dame Week 12 College Football Odds & Preview

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When: Saturday, November 18, 2017, 3:30pm ET Where: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN TV: NBC Radio: 99.9 FM (Navy) / 890 AM (Notre Dame) Live Stream: NBC Sports College Football Odds: Notre Dame (-18)

Weather Forecast

• Chance of Rain: 4°C/40°F
• Humidity: 89%
• Precipitation: 49%
• Cloud Cover: 99%
• Wind: 21 mph NW
• Stadium Type: Open

Why should you bet on the Midshipmen?

Another interesting fact about Navy’s win over SMU was that the Midshipmen didn’t even have their starting quarterback, Zach Abey, at the helm. Abey has had trouble with injuries (and with fumbling the ball), so the team turned to slotback Malcolm Perry. He ran for 282 yards and four scores before leaving with an ankle injury. Backup quarterback Garret Lewis drove the team down the field late to get that winning field goal after two big runs from fullback Anthony Gargiulo. The triple option is a hard offense to defend against, and if the Irish aren’t ready, Navy could put up big numbers again. As you might expect, the defense is a question mark for Navy. They led SMU 34-11 at one point, but the Mustangs came back and tied the game at 40-40 in the fourth quarter. SMU threw the ball for 261 yards and two scores. On the season, Navy has permitted 244.3 yards per game, which has contributed to their struggles in their three losses. If Notre Dame can throw the ball down the field, they should be able to move the ball well against the Midshipmen.

Why should you put your money on the Fighting Irish?

If you watched the Notre Dame-Miami game, you might have thought that the Irish didn’t even make the flight down to South Florida. The Hurricanes led 27-0 at the half, with Trajan Bandy taking an interception 65 yards back to the house. Notre Dame didn’t get on the board at all until the last seconds of the third quarter. However, by then it was 34-8, and the hole the Irish were in was much too deep. Four turnovers, including a pair of picks from Brandon Wimbush, doomed the Notre Dame offense. On the ground, Miami obliterated the Notre Dame defense, running for 237 yards on the night. They didn’t have to pass much, which is one reason why they only threw for 137 yards. If you like Notre Dame here, you see them making the necessary adjustments to contain Navy’s offense. Navy runs an offense that only a few teams run, and so it can be a surprise to opposing defenses even if they have game planned for it all week long. This is a big point spread, so if you take Notre Dame, you see them using this game to make a statement — about last year’s upset loss to Navy and about last week’s embarrassment down in Miami.

Latest College Football Odds Trends

• Navy is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
• Navy is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
• The total has gone OVER in 6 of Navy’s last 7 games when playing Notre Dame
• Notre Dame is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
• Notre Dame is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
• The total has gone OVER in 8 of Notre Dame’s last 12 games

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I like what Notre Dame has done this year (for the most part). Navy does have a dominating offense, but the Irish have a much better defense than what SMU has. I see Notre Dame responding the right way after this tough loss and taking the game to Navy in the College Football Odds. I predict a final score of Notre Dame 38, Navy 16.