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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah, on Saturday, Oct. 17. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Notre Dame is favored by -10.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -385. BYU, meanwhile, enters as a +10.5 underdog and is +300 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 46.5 total points.
Here’s my Notre Dame vs. BYU prediction and college football pick for Saturday, October 17.
Notre Dame vs BYU Prediction
My BYU vs. Notre Dame best bet is on Notre Dame to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Notre Dame vs BYU Odds
| Notre Dame Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10.5 +100 | 46.5 -106o / -114u | -385 |
| BYU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10.5 -122 | 46.5 -106o / -114u | +300 |
- Notre Dame vs BYU point spread: Notre Dame -10.5 (+100), BYU +10.5 (-122)
- Notre Dame vs BYU over/under: 46.5 (-106o / -114u)
- Notre Dame vs BYU moneyline: Notre Dame -385, BYU +300
Notre Dame vs BYU College Football Preview
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Preview: Walton Solves Backfield Woes
Notre Dame entered the 2026 season looking to replace a backfield that sent two rushers to the first round of the NFL Draft. After struggling to run the ball in September, the Irish may have found the answer in true freshman Jonaz Walton.
Walton racked up 18 carries through the first four weeks of the season but has seen 36 carries over the past two games against North Carolina and Stanford.
Notre Dame has quickly become a top-15 team in Rushing Success Rate, using heavy outside zone with a mix of inside zone and counter.
On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Chris Ash has dominated opposing offenses with the Notre Dame defense. The 3-3-5 personnel sends an aggressive amount of blitz at 42%, putting the Irish as the third-best Havoc unit in FBS.
More impressive is the lack of penalties, as Notre Dame has the third-lowest penalty rate despite having one of the more active defenses when it comes to creating pressure and generating tackles for loss.
Edge Boubacar Traore has created 21 pressures opposite Bryce Young, who has 15 on the season. The pair combine to create the top pass-rush unit by PFF's grading.
BYU Cougars Betting Preview: Bachmeier Sparks Ground Attack
No LJ Martin? No problem. Even without its star running back, BYU stomped Iowa State, 24-10, in Week 6. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier gained over 100 yards on the ground on nine carries against the Cyclones while creating two explosive plays.
Without Martin, Bachmeier saw a large increase in designed carries using outside zone, with a 74% Success Rate on the season.
Martin isn't expected back until November with a lower-body injury, putting the load of the offense on Bachmeier once again in Week 7.
Defensively, coordinator Kelly Poppinga continues the longstanding BYU standard of successful defenses against the run and pass with a heavy dose of Havoc.
While the Cougars sit in the top 25 in most categories, they rank 15th in Defensive Stuff Rate heading into a trench war with Notre Dame.
The Cougars own the 86th-ranked strength of schedule but have produced at least a 61% Success Rate against both inside and outside zone.
The only failure of the defense comes in tackle grading, where it ranks 124th, per PFF. That number decreased in Week 5 against TCU, with single-digit missed tackles, but increased to 14 against Iowa State.
Notre Dame vs BYU Pick, Betting Analysis
Notre Dame's success when it comes to shutting down Bear Bachmeier and the BYU offense is the biggest handicap of the game.
The Cougars' quarterback had a mix of two zone-read attempts, four designed gap-blocking calls and a few scrambles against Iowa State without Martin.
There's an expectation that BYU will run outside zone straight at Traore, who dominates on a passing downs but grades out as one of the worst run defenders on the Irish.
Of any Notre Dame run defender to play 130 snaps, no player grades lower than Traore in opponent rush grading.
The issue will be Bachmeier at the second level, as Notre Dame is the 11th-best tackling team in the nation. The Irish have allowed only six opponent rushes to exceed 20 yards this season.
On the other side, Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr has been near flawless when passing this season, generating 16 touchdowns to a single interception and four turnover-worthy plays.
BYU's defense plays a lot of Cover 1, a zone look against which Carr averages a 56% Success Rate this season. The Cougars' second option, Cover 2, has been a strength for Carr in 33 passing attempts this season.
Action Network's Betting Power Ratings call for Notre Dame to be favored by two touchdowns, giving the Irish an edge in the market.
The difference in the game is second-level tackling, a strength for Notre Dame and not BYU.
Look for Walton to continue his rise as the next great Notre Dame rusher while Bachmeier struggles to break tackles against the Irish at the linebacker and secondary levels.
Pick: Notre Dame -10.5 or Better
Notre Dame vs BYU Betting Trends
