Cincinnati vs Notre Dame Odds, Spread and Picks
- No. 7 Cincinnati will meet No. 9 Notre Dame in South Bend at 2:30 ET Saturday
- This game has CFP implications for both as they have only played once before, in 1900, a 57-0 Notre Dame victory
- See the odds, preview and betting angle on the game below
No. 7 Cincinnati (3-0) will visit South Bend to meet No. 9 Notre Dame (4-0) at 2:30 ET Saturday on NBC in a showdown of top ten teams. The Bearcats, who are a road favorite, did not play last week and are one of six teams that will play Notre Dame after a bye this season.
Notre Dame had two interception returns for touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a 41-13 victory over No. 18 Wisconsin at Chicago’s Soldier Field last week, when the Badgers were coming off a bye.
Cincinnati vs Notre Dame Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bearcats | -122 | -1.5 (-110) | O 50.5 (-112) |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | +100 | +1.5 (-112) | U 50.5 (-108) |
Odds from FanDuel on Sept. 29th
Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan suffered a sprained left ankle in the third quarter against Wisconsin and did not return, but he was listed as the starter on the initial depth chart this week. Coan was replaced by Drew Pyne, who lost a fumble on his second possession but completed 6 of 8 passes including a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
CFP Implications
Both Notre Dame and Cincinnati have visions of a spot in the four-team CFP tournament, a path that is a lot narrower for a Group of Five team such as the Bearcats because of the scheduling considerations built into selection process. Independent Notre Dame is always grouped with the Power Five conferences.
Cincinnati does not have another ranked team on its schedule and almost certainly will not, so a victory here would go a long way toward establishing its credibility should it remain unbeaten the rest of the way. The Bearcats appeared in BCS bowl games after the 2008 and 2009 seasons, but no Group of Five team has made the CFP playoffs in its seven seasons.
Notre Dame made CFP appearances in 2018 and 2020 regular seasons, losing to Clemson and Alabama in the semifinals.
Notre Dame on the Defensive
Notre Dame has taken a step forward defensively under new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, who spent the previous four seasons at Cincinnati.
The Irish have nine interceptions, tied for the lead in the FBS, and their 12 takeaways are second to Oregon’s 13. Safety Kyle Hamilton has three picks, third in the FBS, and cornerback Cam Hart has two. Notre Dame is third in the nation with a plus-seven turnover margin, and it also has 14 sacks.
Bearcats Play Both Sides
Four-year starting quarterback Desmond Ridder leads an offense that has scored at least 38 points in its three games, and the defense has not felt the loss of coordinator Freeman. Ridder, the reigning AAC player of the year, has completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 748 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions and run for two scores.
Cincinnati leads the American Athletic Conference in fewest points given up per game (15.0) and fewest yards per play (4.15). The latter is 10th in the FBS. Cornerback Ahmad Gardner leads a pass defense that has limited quarterbacks to an 80.5 efficiency rating, second-best in the FBS.
By the Numbers
Notre Dame is 2-2 ATS after blowing out Wisconsin in the fourth quarter as a six-point underdog in Chicago last week. The Irish have covered the last two after three-point victories over Florida State and Toledo and are 10-0 against non-Power Five teams since losing to Navy in 2016.
The Irish covered the last two times they were true home underdogs, beat Clemson 47-40 as a 4.5-points dog last season and stopping Michigan. 24-17 as a three-point dog in the 2018 season opener.
Cincinnati is 2-1 ATS after beating Indiana 38-24 as covering as a four-point road underdog on Sept. 18. The Bearcats have covered three of their last four against Power Five teams, the most recent a 24-21 loss to Georgia as an 8.5-point dog in the Sugar Bowl last season. All of their six straight up losses the last three years have come on the road against ranked teams.
The pick: Cincinnati -1.5 (110)
This is a monster game for the Bearcats, and as good as Notre Dame is as a home dog, Cincinnati has the defense to give Notre Dame’s inexperienced offensive line (19 sacks) more fits.
Jack has covered college and professional sports for various Arizona media outlets since the 1980s and has written for the Associated Press, USA Today and Baseball America, among others. He staffed the 2015-17 World Series and has staffed four Super Bowls.
