Ohio State's top-10 matchup with Notre Dame is almost here.
At 7:30 p.m., the No. 6 Buckeyes will face the No. 9 Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. As Ryan Day and Marcus Freeman prepared for the matchup between two of college football's most decorated programs, the head coaches expressed confidence in their teams. While neither revealed secrets about their game plans, both shared their desire to be aggressive in all four quarters, which should create fireworks in South Bend, Indiana.
It will be a beautiful evening in The Crossroads of America, and the Buckeyes already appear locked in for their battle with the Irish.
Ohio State legends A.J. Hawk and James Laurinaitis narrate this week's Game Trailer ahead of the Buckeyes' top-10 matchup with Notre Dame on Saturday.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 21, 2023
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A little under 10 hours from kickoff, the ultimate opinion-shapers on Ohio State football at Eleven Warriors proudly offer their scoring predictions and a glimpse at the sports betting market for the fourth game on the Buckeyes' schedule.
Eleven Warriors Staff Predictions
Chase Brown - Ohio State 35, Notre Dame 24: "Ohio State looked excellent last week in its 63-10 win over Western Kentucky. I believe the Buckeyes' offense, namely Kyle McCord, TreVeyon Henderson, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, will take the momentum generated from that matchup into South Bend and impose their will on Notre Dame. As for the Buckeyes' defense, I expect a strong performance to add proof that the Silver Bullets are, in fact, back."
Dan Hope - Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 24: "Points won’t come as easily against Notre Dame as they did against Western Kentucky, and Notre Dame has a much more complete offense than any Ohio State has faced so far this season, but I expect the Buckeyes to make enough plays on both sides of the ball to win a four-quarter battle."
Andy Anders - Ohio State 35, Notre Dame 28: "The offense has some early nerves, but the defense gives them time to settle in before the Buckeyes eventually take control in the second half. Marvin Harrison Jr. makes some big plays and possibly starts a Heisman campaign in South Bend."
"The Buckeyes quiet down the crowd – or, at least the Fighting Irish fans in Notre Dame Stadium – early on and take care of business in South Bend to close out their non-conference slate."– Josh Poloha
Garrick Hodge - Ohio State 30, Notre Dame 27: "These two teams seem evenly matched this season compared to where they were a year ago, and Sam Hartman could cause some problems for Ohio State's defense. However, the Buckeyes' defense will make enough stops down the stretch, and the Buckeyes' offense, namely Marvin Harrison Jr., will create enough big plays for Ohio State to escape South Bend with a win."
Kyle Jones - Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 21: "The lack of pass rush against a good Irish offensive line gives Sam Hartman enough time to keep his team in it, but the Buckeyes build on last week's offensive momentum with an effective ground game that opens up the pass, pulling away in the second half for an authoritative win."
Chris Lauderback - Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 27: "Ohio State's pass defense and Kyle McCord do just enough to win this one and Ryan Day thanks Lou Holtz for the extra motivation in the postgame presser."
Johnny Ginter - Ohio State 35, Notre Dame 28: "Both teams will face huge upgrades in terms of competition this weekend, but Ohio State's passing game will be the difference."
Josh Poloha - Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 24: "The Buckeyes quiet down the crowd – or, at least the Fighting Irish fans in Notre Dame Stadium – early on and take care of business in South Bend to close out their non-conference slate."
Jack Emerson - Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 28: "Ohio State sweats out a win in South Bend behind an encouraging performance from Kyle McCord. The offensive and defensive lines will go through some issues but will do enough to return to Columbus with a win."
Check out this week's Eleven Warriors Roundtable for score predictions and more analysis from Dan Hope, Ramzy Nasrallah and Matt Gutridge.
Will Ohio State Cover?
Ohio State opened as 7.5-point favorites over Notre Dame back in February. As the months have passed, however, sportsbooks have seen the new-look Irish start 4-0 behind transfer quarterback Sam Hartman, so the line has shifted in favor of Notre Dame.
According to consensus lines from the Action Network, Ohio State is a 3.5-point favorite over Notre Dame. That line marks the first time in 2023 that the Buckeyes will not be a four-touchdown favorite over their opponent.
Ohio State is 1-2 ATS this season, as the Buckeyes' lone cover came last week in their matchup with Western Kentucky (-29.5). Meanwhile, Notre Dame is 3-1 ATS with covers versus Navy (-20.5), Tennesee State (-48.5) and NC State (-7.5). The Irish failed to cover a 34.5-point spread against Central Michigan.
Aside from Garrick Hodge and Jack Emerson, each Eleven Warriors staffer expects Ohio State to defeat Notre Dame by more than three points on Saturday.
What About the Over?
The over/under for Ohio State-Notre Dame is 55.5 points.
This season, Ohio State's matchups have resulted in one over (Western Kentucky) and two unders (Indiana and Youngstown State). At the same time, Notre Dame has recorded three overs (Tennessee State, NC State and Central Michigan) and one under (Navy).
Eleven Warriors is relatively split on the over/under, with five staffers – Chase Brown, Andy Anders, Garrick Hodge, Johnny Ginter and Jack Emerson – who believe the over will hit, and three staffers – Dan Hope, Kyle Jones and Josh Poloha – who believe the under will occur in South Bend.
Interested in more betting analysis from Eleven Warriors? Check out Easy Bucks for more detailed breakdowns on this weekend's lines and more.
Eleven Warriors House Prop Bets
Looking for more statistics to speculate on? Take a gander at our in-house prop betting lines for this matchup to get a greater sense of what oddsmakers are expecting from individual performances. Leave your predictions for us in the comments and compete for some bragging rights!
How many passing yards will Kyle McCord have?
- Over 265.5 (-115)
- Under 265.5 (-115)
How many rushing yards will TreVeyon Henderson have?
- Over 68.5 (-130)
- Under 68.5 (-105)
How many receiving yards will Marvin Harrison Jr. have?
- Over 89.5 (-125)
- Under 89.5 (-105)
How many receiving yards will Emeka Egbuka have?
- Over 72.5 (-115)
- Under 72.5 (-115)
How many pass touchdowns will Kyle McCord have?
- Over 1.5 (-155)
- Under 1.5 (+120)
Who will score the first touchdown?
- Audric Estimé (+650)
- TreVeyon Henderson (+700)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. (+700)
- Emeka Egbuka (+950)
- Jayden Thomas (+1300)
- Miyan Williams (+1400)
- Julian Fleming (+1500)
Still need time to kill before kickoff? Gear up for the new season with a quick shopping spree around the Eleven Warriors Dry Goods store!
