Notre Dame vs Navy Moved from Ireland to Annapolis; Irish Still 16.5-Point Favorites

• Due to COVID-19, Notre Dame vs Navy has been relocated from Ireland to Annapolis, MD, and pushed back a week to Sep. 5th
• The point spread remains Notre Dame -16.5 despite the game being moved to the Midshipmen’s home field
• Here’s the case why you should still bet on the Irish in this early-season affair

Notre Dame and Navy kicking off the 2020 college football season in Dublin, Ireland, would have been fun to watch, but unfortunately, it wasn’t mean to be. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the game has been moved to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

The point spread, which climbed 2.5 points in Notre Dame’s favor since it opened, has not moved despite the relocation to Navy’s home field.

Navy vs Notre Dame Odds

Current odds as of June 9th.

Will the CFP National Championship odds shift with the outcome of this game? Likely not, but that doesn’t mean you should miss out on an opportunity to make some coin right out of the gate. Here’s why I like Notre Dame to cover the spread despite the change in venue.

Proud to add three more Irish to the NFL as @SlipperyFox10, @Jae_Uno_ and @AsmarBilal have signed with the @49ers, @Lions and @Chargers.

They all display the traits of excellence and I know they’ll bring those to the next level.#GraduatingChampions pic.twitter.com/o7PLojuDOe

— Brian Kelly (@CoachBrianKelly) April 26, 2020

Home-Field Advantage Unlikely to Exist

The reality is this game could be played in Dublin, in Ann, or on the moon and it really won’t matter. Coronavirus will keep the stadium empty and, without fans in attendance, home-field advantage won’t go beyond feeling cushy in the locker room. Travel isn’t much of a concern. It’s a 3 hour 40 minute flight from South Bend to Annapolis and, with it being the season opener, the Irish can get there plenty early.

Notre Dame misses out on having a loud crowd cheering them on in Ireland, but it’s not like they have a tough road crowd to deal with at Navy.

Notre Dame and Navy will no longer open up the 2020 college football season in Ireland.https://t.co/Vw6g8JaxWE pic.twitter.com/ip5RgG984k

— 247Sports (@247Sports) June 2, 2020

The reality is it will take some time to see how playing at home makes a difference this college football season. Travel and other factors could come into play down the road, but it shouldn’t make any difference at all in Week 1.

QB Ian Book the Player to Watch

Senior quarterback Ian Book is one to watch for Notre Dame this season. While he may not have much buzz about a playing career at the NFL level, he certainly can contribute in a big way for the Irish in his senior season. Book tallied over 3,000 passing yards last season with 34 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions. He also added 546 yards on the ground, which was second-best on the team.

There’s a reason why he’s in the top 15 of the 2020 Heisman Trophy odds.

Here’s how the Big Noon Kickoff crew and CFB on FOX fans ranked their preseason top 5 QBs

Whose list do you agree with the most? pic.twitter.com/llLsmqmQzk

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) June 4, 2020

When you do a deep dive into the numbers you see just how impressive Book was last season. On throws of 20+ yards downfield, Book was the fourth-most accurate passer in college football with a completion percentage of 52.5%. The only quarterbacks ahead of him on the list? Kedon Slovis from USC, Tanner Morgan from Minnesota, and the first pick in the NFL draft, Joe Burrow from LSU.

As players try to get their feet under them early in the season, expect Book to pick up where he left off, taking advantage of his accurate deep ball.

Bet The Irish Before Line Shifts Again

The line has already shifted 2.5 points from the open, but that doesn’t mean you’re too late. Navy won 11 games last season but one of their losses was a 32-point defeat at the hands of Notre Dame. In that game, Book had 5 touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Irish return 59% of their overall production from last year’s team (66% on offense), slightly ahead of Navy overall (58%) and well ahead on offense (50%). Senior QB Malcolm Perry, who led Navy’s triple-option attack with 2,017 rushing yards (almost 1,300 more than any other Navy player), is among the departures.

Regardless of the location of the game, I expect the result to be very much the same as last year. Make the wager before the line moves and you’re stuck giving up even more points down the line.

PICK: Notre Dame -16.5 (-110)