Notre Dame-Purdue Prediction

On Saturday in South Bend, the Fighting Irish will try to make a statement they were unable to do in Week 1 or Week 2, and BetRivers.com is here to provide a look at the Notre Dame-Purdue prediction, odds, and public trends. Notre Dame earned a gutsy road win against Florida State in Week 1 — A win that now looks much worse with FSU losing to Jacksonville State last week). In Week 2, the Irish barely survived Toledo, needing a touchdown with just over a minute to play to stay unbeaten. Purdue represents a step up in competition for Notre Dame, and the Boilermakers are a trendy pick to pull off the upset. Purdue blew out UConn, arguably the worst FBS-level team in the country in Week 2, and defeated Oregon State by nine to open the season.

Longtime college sports writer Rob Dauster, the co-founder of The Field of 68 and The Field of 12 Network is here to break down the tantalizing matchup and provide his Notre Dame-Purdue prediction for Week 3 of the college football season.

WEEK 3: INDIANA-CINCINNATI | PENN STATE-AUBURN | FLORIDA-ALABAMA |

NOTRE DAME-PURDUE PREDICTION:

#12 NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (2-0) vs. PURDUE BOILERMAKERS (2-0)
GAME: 2:30 p.m. ET, NBC
MONEYLINE: Notre Dame -295 ML, Purdue +225 ML
SPREAD: Notre Dame -7.5
TOTAL: 58pts

NOTRE DAME-PURDUE PUBLIC TRENDS:
Notre Dame ML: 91% handle, 80% bets
Notre Dame Spread: 48% handle, 44% bets
Over: 44% handle, 70% bets

What has Notre Dame done this season that we should be impressed by?

Yes, the win over Toledo was quite entertaining, and Jack Coan popping a dislocated finger back into its socket and then throwing a dart for a game-winning touchdown was awesome, but the truth is that if Toledo’s quarterback had slid down at the one-yard line instead of scoring a touchdown with a minute left, the Irish would have likely lost to Toledo. And while a win at Florida State in overtime does look good on paper, it doesn’t look quite as impressive after *checks notes* Jacksonville State goes and does the same thing.

And look, this isn’t meant to say that Purdue is some sleeping giant or whatever. Yes, they beat Oregon State. Yes, they blew out UConn. That’s all fine.

But the fact that this line has moved through seven, meaning that the Boilermakers are getting more than a touchdown, makes me want to lean heavily on that side. I think taking Purdue’s moneyline at (+225) is worth a look as well.