Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Texas A&M Aggies Betting Pick & Prediction 8/31/24

ABC will be covering the season opener between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Texas A&M Aggies, set to kick off at 7:30 ET from Kyle Field in College Station. The Aggies are the slight -2.5 point favorites at home in what should be a closely contested matchup. The over/under line is currently at 46.5 points. This is the first game of the season for both teams.

NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH VS TEXAS A&M AGGIES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Notre Dame Fighting Irish +2.5

This game will be played at Kyle Field at 7:30 ET on Saturday, August 31st.

WHY BET THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH:

• We have the Notre Dame Fighting Irish winning this one by a score of 28 to 23
• Not only do we have the Notre Dame Fighting Irish winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +2.5
• Look for this game to go over the line of 46.5 points

Will The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Pick Up A Win On The Road?

Notre Dame enters the season ranked 7th in our pre-season power rankings after finishing with a 10-3 record last year. The Irish were 7-1 at home and 3-2 on the road. They were favored in 12 of their 13 games, going 9-3 as the favorite and 1-0 as the underdog.

Our power rankings give Notre Dame a 99.4% chance of being bowl-eligible and a 59.1% chance of making the college football playoff. Additionally, the Irish have a 10% chance of making it to the National Championship game.

Notre Dame’s offense was effective last season, averaging 39.2 points per game, which ranked 10th in the country. The Irish were also strong in the running game, averaging 186.4 rushing yards per game, which placed them 32nd nationally. Their passing game was also efficient, with a 65% completion percentage (22nd) and 9.2 yards per pass attempt, ranking 7th in college football. Last season, they threw for 246.5 yards per game, which placed them 45th in the country.

Heading into this season, Notre Dame has Riley Leonard at quarterback, who transferred from Duke after throwing for 1102 yards last season. Leonard has the 10th best odds to win the Heisman Trophy (+2066). The Irish also added Kris Mitchell at wide receiver, who recorded 1118 receiving yards last season. In the backfield, Jeremiyah Love returns after rushing for 385 yards last season, and they also added Jake Tafelski from Central Michigan.

Notre Dame’s defense was strong last season, allowing just 15.9 points per game, which ranked 6th in the nation. They were particularly tough against the pass, giving up only 157.3 yards per game through the air (15th). The Irish also excelled in pass defense, holding opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of just 59.9, the 3rd lowest figure in college football. Against the run, they finished 39th in the country, allowing 120.1 yards per game.

Will The Texas A&M Aggies Win At Home Over The Notre Dame Fighting Irish?

Texas A&M comes into the season ranked 14th in our pre-season power rankings after finishing 7-6 last year. The Aggies were strong at home, going 6-1, but struggled on the road, finishing just 1-5. They were favored in eight of their 13 games, posting a 5-3 record, while going 2-3 as the underdog.

This season, Texas A&M has an 84.6% chance of being bowl-eligible, with a 3.2% chance of winning the Southeastern Conference. The futures market places them at +1340 to win the Southeastern, giving them a 7% implied chance, and at +437 to make it to the Conference title game. Our projections also give them a 19% chance of making it to the Conference Championship.

Conner Weigman, who threw for 979 yards and eight touchdowns last season, is the 11th best odds to win the Heisman Trophy this season. Weigman will be looking to build on a season in which the Aggies ranked 23rd in scoring offense, putting up 33.3 points per game. Last season, Texas A&M’s passing attack averaged 270.8 yards per game, ranking 27th in the country, and their completion percentage of 64.5% was 25th nationally.

On the ground, the Aggies were 81st in rushing yards per game, with Amari Daniels returning after rushing for 532 yards last season. They also added E.J. Smith, who ran for 216 yards at Stanford and had 242 receiving yards. Jahdae Walker is the top returning receiver for Texas A&M, and they also brought in Jabre Barber, who had 994 receiving yards last season at Troy.

Opposing offenses found it tough to run the ball against Texas A&M last season, as the Aggies’ run defense ranked 23rd, allowing just 109.3 rushing yards per game. Overall, they gave up 22.1 points per game, placing them 29th in the nation. Their pass defense was a bit more average, ranking 60th in passing yards allowed. However, they did hold opposing quarterbacks to a 57% completion percentage (34th) and 84 passer rating (58th).