Fifth-ranked Notre Dame (6-1) aims to strengthen its College Football Playoff resume when it faces the Navy Midshipmen (2-5, 1-4 American) on Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET.
The Fighting Irish enter as 30.5-point favorites, the largest spread of the week, with an over/under set at 56.5 points. Both teams have seen the over hit in five of their seven games this season.
According to the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulated the matchup 10,000 times, the under 56.5 points is the recommended play, hitting in 67% of simulations. Notre Dame's defense, tied for fourth nationally allowing just 13.4 points per game, is a key factor. Navy's offense ranks seventh in the American Athletic Conference in scoring at 29.7 points per game but leads the nation in rushing with 308 yards per game.
Notre Dame counters with the third-ranked rushing defense nationally, surrendering only 67 yards per game on the ground. The model projects a combined 50 points and indicates one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations, though that specific pick is available only via SportsLine.
The model entered Week 9 on a 68-59 run on top-rated college football picks, returning nearly $400 for $100 players.
