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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette, IN. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Notre Dame is favored by -27.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -7000. The total is set at 58.5 points.
Here’s my Notre Dame vs. Purdue prediction and college football pick for Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Notre Dame vs Purdue Prediction
- Notre Dame vs. Purdue Pick: Notre Dame -27.5
My Purdue vs. Notre Dame best bet is on the Fighting Irish to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page, and for more Week 4 college football picks and analysis, download the Action Network app today.
Notre Dame vs Purdue Odds
| Notre Dame Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-27.5 -118 | 58.5 -106o / -114u | -7000 |
| Purdue Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+27.5 -104 | 58.5 -106o / -114u | +2000 |
- Notre Dame vs Purdue point spread: Notre Dame -27.5 (-118), Purdue +27.5 (-104)
- Notre Dame vs Purdue over/under: 58.5 (-106o / -114u)
- Notre Dame vs Purdue moneyline: Notre Dame -7000, Purdue +2000
Notre Dame vs Purdue College Football Preview
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Preview
If you have read any of my previous articles surrounding this Notre Dame team, you would know how highly I think of it long-term, as I'm currently holding several outright tickets on it to win the National Championship.
After missing the College Football Playoff in 2025 amid some controversy, head coach Marcus Freeman has instilled a ton of momentum into his Fighting Irish, which has been evident over the first few weeks of the season.
Following a phenomenal sophomore campaign (2,741 passing yards, 24 touchdowns), CJ Carr is off to an even better start as a junior.
In the Irish's first three games, Carr has thrown for 726 yards in the air along with six touchdowns and not a single interception.
The junior still ranks amongst the favorites to win the Heisman Award at the end of the season and is currently on the right track to getting there, ranking eighth nationally with an 87.8 QBR.
Despite losing RB Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to the NFL, both Aneyas Williams and sophomore Nolan James Jr. have stepped up big time in the Irish backfield, with both tailbacks rushing for over 140 yards on the ground along with three touchdowns.
Freeman’s offense also brings back both its top WR from 2025, Jordan Faison, and the team’s 2024 receiving leader in Jaden Greathouse, who missed the majority of last season with a severe right hamstring strain.
Both receivers are having a great season so far, but it's actually 6-foot-2 junior WR Micah Gilbert who has shined the most. He ranks inside the top 40 in the country in receiving yards with 251.
Notre Dame returned most of last season’s elite defensive unit, highlighted by the most talented linebacking corps in the country that features the likes of Drayk Bowen, Jaylen Sneed, Jaiden Ausberry and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, amongst several others.
The Irish boast significant experience on the defensive side of the football, and thus have allowed opposing offenses to score just 23 points across three games.
CB Leonard Moore remains one of the best defensive players in all of college football, and is widely projected to be a first-round NFL draft selection in April.
It will take a perfect effort from the Boilermakers to pull off the upset on Saturday.
Purdue Boilermakers Betting Preview
In Purdue head coach Barry Odom’s second season at the helm, his Boilermakers have dropped two of their first three games of the season.
Purdue will surely be looking to bounce back on Saturday after allowing 52 points to UCLA last week, which I find slightly concerning heading into its fourth game of the season.
On the bright side, junior QB Ryan Browne is off to a phenomenal start, as he's thrown for 1,024 passing yards, which ranks fifth in the nation.
Browne has already thrown seven touchdown passes along with just one interception, and ranks inside the top 20 in the country in QBR at 82.6.
Former Minnesota RB Fame Ijeboi was one of several stellar acquisitions that Purdue made in the portal this offseason.
The 6-foot sophomore has already rushed for 248 yards on the season, while also finding the back of the end zone six times.
Junior wideout Asaad Waseem leads an elite receiving corps full of transfers, with the former FAU Owl already catching 20 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown over his first three games in West Lafayette.
Former Cyclones WR Xavier Townsend is also off to a hot start in his first season at Purdue, while senior Chauncey Magwood is putting up some solid numbers despite previously not making any impact whatsoever at the collegiate level.
Purdue has thrived offensively in Odom’s second season at the helm, with the Boilermakers currently averaging 40 points per game over their first three matchups.
The Boilermakers brought back Kevin Kane as defensive coordinator. Kane boasts a ton of experience, coaching at Illinois and SMU amongst a few other programs, and takes over a defensive unit that has been largely dreadful in recent years.
Unfortunately, Purdue’s defense allowing 52 points to a volatile UCLA offense is definitely some slight cause for concern.
Notre Dame vs Purdue Pick, Betting Analysis
While Browne and the rest of the Boilermakers' offensive unit have been impressive over the first three weeks of the season, there is worry about how Kane’s defense will hold up versus an up-tempo Irish offense.
Given Purdue’s defense just allowed a whopping 52 points to the Bruins this past Saturday, there's no reason to expect anything but the same on Saturday afternoon.
Feel confident backing Notre Dame to cover the -27.5 spread in what should be an absolute beatdown in West Lafayette.
Pick: Notre Dame -27.5
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