• The #13-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 20.5-point favorites over the Navy Midshipmen in their college football Week 0 game on Saturday, August 26
• This game is taking place in Dublin, Ireland, where the Irish are 2-0 straight up and against the spread against the Midshipmen
• Notre Dame won those two games by 54-27 and 50-10 lopsided verdicts

As the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Navy Midshipmen clash in Dublin, Ireland in their college football Week 0 game, it’s certain that Irish eyes will be smiling.

So, too, according to the oddsmakers, will Fighting Irish eyes. Notre Dame is set as a 20.5-point favorite in the college football odds for this neutral-site encounter. Navy is 5-2 against the spread in the last seven games against Notre Dame.

Navy vs Notre Dame Odds

While these two schools are meeting for the 94th time since 1927, this is still a first. They’ve never opened the college football season playing each other. Notre Dame holds a 79-13-1 all-time straight-up edge over Navy.

Kickoff for this game at Aviva Stadium on Saturday, August 26 is set for 2:30pm ET. The broadcast is being carried by NBC.

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Odds as of August 23 at Caesars. Be sure top claim a Caesars promo code to bet on Fighting Irish vs Midshipmen and other college football Week 0 action this week.

Midshipmen vs Fighting Irish Betting Splits

In the public betting splits, the people like what the oddsmakers are cooking. Notre Dame as -20.5 is garnering 62% of handle and 67% of bets in the spread splits. The Irish are 5-1 ATS in their last six games. Moneyline bets are massively trending toward Irish green. There’s 95% of handle and 91% of bets on Notre Dame at -1100. The Fighting Irish are 10-1 SU in their last 11 games against the Midshipmen.

The total is set at 50.5 points.  The over has hit in eight of the last 10 games between Notre Dame and Navy and that play is drawing 61% of handle and 64% of bets.

Notre Dame is the co-13th betting choice in the National Championship odds at +3000.  Finishing 4-8 last season, Navy’s 2023 NCAA win total odds are set at 6.5. Over is worth +120, while under grabs the favored betting line of -150.

Hartman To Make Notre Dame Debut

Arguably the biggest transfer move of the 2023 football season is QB Sam Hartman’s decision to leave Wake Forest for Notre Dame. He threw for 77 touchdowns and almost 8,000 yards over the past two seasons.

In the last week, Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman has hooked his teammates up with a line of new sneakers from Under Armour, and yesterday, Beats by Dre headphones.

The man sure does know how to win over a locker room 😤🍀pic.twitter.com/cxpoz148aY

— Aaron Torres Sports Podcast (@AaronTorresPod) August 22, 2023

When he’s not looking downfield, Hartman can hand off to RB Audric Estime. He led the Irish with 920 yards and 11 TDs on the ground, while grinding out 5.9 yards per carry.

Defensively, the strength of the Irish unit is their linebackers, led by JD Bertrand and his team-high 82 tackles. That’s vital, because they’ll need to be making the reads to shut down the vaunted Navy option.

New Coach In Charge Of Navy

Brian Newberry has been elevated from defensive coordinator to head coach following the departure of Ken Niumatalolo from Navy. However, don’t expect the option run game to stop being the bread and butter of the Midshipmen.

Navy QBs Blake Horvath and Tai Lavatai are listed as co-starters on the team’s depth chart ahead of Saturday’s season-opener vs. Notre Dame. Head coach Brian Newberry said both will play with Lavatai as the likely starter due to his experience. Teddy Gleaton returned to practice.

— College Football QB Newsletter (@GunslingerBuzz) August 22, 2023

Look for Navy to alternate Blake Horvath and Tai Lavatai at QB. Horvath is the better passer, but has yet to take a snap in NCAA football. Lavatai’s 2022 season was cut short by a knee injury. His ability to run keys their option attack. Top rusher Daba Fofana (769 yards, six TDs) returns to the backfield.

Defensively, Navy was effective at stopping the run last season. The Middies limited opponents to 3.0 yards per carry on the ground.

Notre Dame vs Navy Prediction

This will be the third Notre Dame vs Navy game to take place on the Emerald Isle. In 2012, it finished 50-10 Irish. The 1996 contest went 54-27 in favor of Notre Dame.

Notre Dame rates #9 in the Football Power Index College Football rankings, with a projected per game margin of victory of 18.4 points. At #108 on this chart, Navy is projecting per-game losses by a 9.3-point margin.

Over the past four games against Navy, Notre Dame is scoring an average of 41 points per game. the Irish were among four teams to score 35+ points vs the Midshipmen last season.

Navy vs Notre Dame Pick: Notre Dame -20.5 (-110)

The post Navy vs Notre Dame Odds, Pick & Prediction for Week 0 appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.