Stanford vs. Notre Dame Prediction, Picks & Odds: Week 7
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish cannot afford any more slip-ups if they want to participate in the 12-team College Football Playoff, and the next step towards that goal is a home date with the Stanford Cardinal.
- Notre Dame is coming off a bye week
- The Cardinal have had success against the Fighting Irish as big underdogs in the past
- Stanford has four or fewer wins in each of the last five seasons
As part of our Week 7 college football predictions, our Stanford vs. Notre Dame prediction expects the Fighting Irish to be sluggish off a bye week and for the Cardinal to limit what Notre Dame does best.
Best Stanford vs. Notre Dame picks
College football picks based on the odds from our best college football betting sites. Odds subject to change.
- Against the spread pick: Stanford +23.5 (-105 via FanDuel) vs. Notre Dame ⭐⭐⭐
- My best bet: Elic Ayomanor Over 41.5 receiving yards (-115 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stanford vs. Notre Dame against the spread prediction: Week 7
Stanford to cover the spread: +23.5 (-105) ⭐⭐⭐
Stanford vs. Notre Dame opening odds:
- Visitor: Stanford +21.5 (-110 via BetMGM)
- Host: Notre Dame -21.5 (-110 via BetMGM)
Stanford is built to stop Notre Dame’s strength
Stanford’s defense ranks 12th in the country in stopping the run, allowing 88.2 yards per game. Conversely, the Cardinal allow the 13th-most passing yards per game (270.4).
Stanford has faced one ranked opponent this season, as Clemson’s Cade Klubnik torched it for four touchdowns. However, despite the Tigers’ red zone successes, Klubnik still completed less than half of his passes, and he and Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones combined to average just 228 passing yards over the last two weeks.
Notre Dame’s passing attack has been virtually non-existent this year, ranking in the bottom 20 in the country with 171.6 passing yards per game. Notre Dame beat writer Tyler Horka highlighted the statistic from PFF that Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard ranks 153rd out of 154 qualified quarterbacks in play-action percentage (11.2%). There is no creativity in Mike Denbrock’s passing attack thus far, making it difficult to cover this big number without explosive plays.
Stanford doesn’t beat itself
Stanford is a disciplined football team, averaging 4.8 penalties and 38.2 penalty yards per game. Both of those rank in the top 25 among FBS teams.
If the Cardinal could get some positive regression going in the red zone, they could be a dangerous opponent. They've converted just 71.4% of the time in the red zone, a bottom-15 rate.
Injuries are catching up to Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish were already without two starting offensive linemen lost to season-ending injuries (Ashton Craig and Charles Jagusah), and this will be their first game playing without sack leader Boubacar Traore, who is out for the season with a left knee injury. Traore also led the team in tackles for loss, which helps offset the potential absence of Stanford center Levi Rogers, who was seen in a walking boot last week.
Stanford playing Notre Dame tough would not be a new occurrence, as it has won three of the seven games it has been a double-digit road underdog in this series since 1990. A play on the Cardinal does buck the trend of Marcus Freeman’s teams going 6-1 ATS on extended rest, but many of Notre Dame’s players dealt with midterm exams last week, which likely put a wrench in the preparation for this game.
Our best sports betting apps are in unison with the 23.5-point spread, but FanDuel is the only shop where one can back the underdogs at less than the standard -110 juice. A winning $10 wager at FanDuel’s -105 odds would pay $19.52.
Best odds: -105 via FanDuel | Implied probability: 51.22%
New customers only. Deposit min. $5. Place first bet of $5+ and win $250 in Bonus Bets, if your bet wins. (within 72 hours).
Stanford vs. Notre Dame best bet
Our NEW college football player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your area!
Elic Ayomanor Over 41.5 receiving yards (-115) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
NFL scouts are likely drooling over this matchup of potential future first-round NFL draft picks as Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor will line up across from Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison often. Morrison had nine interceptions and 17 pass breakups over his first two seasons and already has four pass breakups so far this year.
Ayomanor is coming off a 62-catch and 1,013-receiving yard season last year. His highlight was a school-record 294-yard performance against Colorado, where he proved immune to elite cornerback matchups, as he totaled seven of 13 catches and two of his three touchdowns when being defended by Colorado’s Travis Hunter.
Ayomanor had seven catches for 58 yards against Notre Dame last year. There is nothing to suggest he cannot repeat that performance, especially since he averages 4.8 receptions and 63.4 yards per game this year, both good for top-100 marks among FBS receivers.
Caesars has the Over juiced slightly higher to -118, and DraftKings has steeper -125 odds for Ayomanor to record at least 40 receiving yards. Thus, I am taking advantage of the best price at bet365, where a $10 winning wager would net $8.70 in profits.
Best odds: -115 via bet365 | Implied probability: 53.49%
*Deposit required. Mobile app only. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Stanford vs. Notre Dame odds
See all of this week's college football odds and NCAAF scores.
Stanford vs. Notre Dame game info
- When: Saturday, Oct. 12
- Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Ind.
- How to watch: NBC
- Weather: 68 degrees, 60% chance of precipitation, wind 8 mph SE
- Favorite: Notre Dame -23.5 (-110 via BetMGM)
College football betting odds pages
Here are our best college football betting sites:
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission
Related pages
- Best Sports Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)
Related Articles
