Navy-Notre Dame prediction, odds, pick, how to watch College Football
It is the first game of the 2023 College Football season as Navy and Notre Dame face off in Dublin, Ireland. It is time to continue our College Football odds series with a Navy-Notre Dame prediction, pick, and how to watch.
2022 was a disappointing season for Navy Football. They started a season with a loss to FCS Delaware and then Memphis. The first win of the season came in double-overtime at East Carolina, before a loss to Air Force in a Commander-in-Chief's trophy game. They would get their second win of the year against Tulsa in game number five, and the third win would come at the end of October. It was another overtime game as they took the win over Temple. After a close loss to Notre Dame, falling 35-32, they would upset UCF in their second to last game. Then in the Army-Navy game, they would go to double overtime, this time falling to Army. They would fire Ken Niumatalolo at the end of the season, but hopes are for a bowl game this year, as their win total is set at 5.5 wins.
For Notre Dame, they will be going into Marcus Freeman's second season. The first one was a 9-4 season, including a bowl win over South Carolina in the Gator Bowl. Last year started slowly, as Notre Dame fell to Ohio State, and then at home to Marshall. They would rebound to win their next three but then stumble again against Stanford. Overall, they would take out three ranked opponents on the year, BYU, Syracuse, and Clemson, but would show they were not quite ready to compete at the top levels, with losses to Ohio State and USC. Hopes are for another step forward this year, but with a win total of just 8.5 wins, with even money to both sides, some skepticism can happen.
Here are the Navy-Notre Dame College Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Navy-Notre Dame Odds
Navy: +20.5 (-105)
Notre Dame: -20.5 (-115)
Over: 48.5 (-110)
Under: 48.5 (-110)
How to Watch Navy vs. Notre Dame
TV: NBC
Stream: NBCSports
Time: 2:30 PM ET/ 11:30 AM PT
*Watch College Football games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Navy Could Cover The Spread
Brian Newberry will be taking over as the head coach of the Midshipmen. Navy struggled on defense before Newberry showed up as the defensive coordinator. He was able to improve the defense by six points per game, while they sat third last year in rushing yards. This defense was the best part of the squad last year. They were the best in the AAC at third downs stops, while sitting second in the conference in sacks. They bring in a defensive backfield that has a lot of talent and experience. Rayuan Lane is a great tackler who can get to the line of scrimmage with ease while stopping the big play. Meanwhile, Mbiti Williams is a quality corner who is quick. If he can cause a few more turnovers this year, it will improve an already quality defense.
With a new offense coming in, the Navy should be passing more, but still have a more run-focused offense. Tai Lavati was the starter last year before his season ended with a knee injury. Last year he threw for 787 yards and five touchdowns before going out. He is also a quality runner who ran for 309 yards and five touchdowns. Blake Horvath has not seen snaps before, but the sophomore is expected to get time in this game. Horvath is the better passer of the two, and if the Navy wants to air the ball out more, it will be Horvath seeing more time.
He could be throwing to Jayden Umbarger this year. Last year he showed some flashes of making big plays. He went for 225 yards and two scores last year. Most of them were in big plays. He has a 26-yard reception against SMU and a 27-yarder against Air Force. Meanwhile, he had two receptions for 93 yards against Houston, including a 41-yard touchdown. If he can make some big plays in this one, it could be a tighter game.
Why The Notre Dame Could Cover The Spread
For Notre Dame, it is all about Sam Hartman coming in. Last year he threw for 3,701 yards and 28 touchdowns for Wake Forest, and that was after a 4,228 yard and 39 touchdown campaign in 2021. Hartman will be an upgrade from Tyler Bucher and Drew Pyne. Gerad Parker takes over as the offensive coordinator, and it looks like he may be willing to throw the ball a little more.
Hartman will not have Michael Mayer as a target as he is off to the NFL, but he will have Jayden Thomas. Thomas is a large tight end who can get downfield. He has a knack for getting open and will be a nice red-zone target as well. Still, there is worry about the wide receiver core for the Irish. Hartman had some top-flight wideouts at Wake Forest, but may not have that here. Deion Colzie and Tobias Merriweather will be looking to step up and fill a major need this year for the offense.
If the receivers cannot get going, Audric Estime will be getting lots of carries. He is a quality running back who can keep the chains moving for this offense. Last year, he ran for 920 yards, while also scoring 11 times. He also had some production in the receiving game, coming away with a touchdown and a 135-yard receiving.
One defense, They should be better this year. The Irish allowed over 300 yards per game and 23 points per game last year. Javonte Jean-Baptiste will be looking to come in from Ohio State and replace Isaiah Foskey. Meanwhile, Benjamin Morrison is back. He picked off six passes last year and could be a huge playmaker for the Irish in this one. The rest of the defensive backs come in with plenty of experience and are solid tacklers. They should limit big plays and allow the Irish to build a lead in this one.
Final Navy-Notre Dame Prediction & Pick
Notre Dame is going to win this game, but it is highly doubtful they pull out the full playbooks for Hartman in this one. With that, expect them to run the ball a lot. Meanwhile, the Navy will be trying out its new offense with an already solid defense. They will make a few big plays in this one. There should be enough points to hit the over, but this game will be closer than expected. Notre Dame will be more conservative, while the Navy will be going to show the world they are better. Expect Blake Horvath to hit a big play while the defense keeps it close for the Midshipmen.
Final Navy-Notre Dame Prediction & Pick: Navy +20.5 (-115) and Over 48.5 (-110)
