The polls have Notre Dame at #7 and Texas A&M at #20 in this anticipated battle. The top sportsbooks‘ opening release had the Aggies at -1, and that has since gone up to -3 for the home team.
Texas A&M has a new head coach in Mike Elko but he’s familiar with both programs having been the defensive coordinator in South Bend (2017) and College Station (2018-21), before becoming Duke’s head coach for two seasons.
The stakes are unquestionably high for this marquee matchup. And don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel for more betting advice.
NCAAF Pick
- Notre Dame +3 (-108) at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Texas A&M Aggies
Saturday, August 31, 2024 – 07:30 PM ET at Kyle Field
Early Forecast on the Fighting Irish
If Notre Dame can come away with a victory at College Station, schedule-wise they are set up for at least a 6-0 start. The defense is in place to be a dominating unit, ranked with a Top 10 defensive line and Top 5 secondary. While the linebacking group doesn’t rank as highly, invariably, the Irish come up with backers that run to the ball and tackle effectively.
The biggest concerns are on the offense. After losing two stars off the offensive line to the NFL and another to injury, reports have coach Marcus Freeman using two first-time starters (one freshman and a sophomore). Collectively, the O-Line has SIX combined starts at this level and none as a group.
While there’s a great deal of excitement about Riley Leonard at quarterback, playing behind an inexperienced offensive line is problematic. And what Notre Dame is calling a “deep” wide receiver group without apparent star power, there is trepidation going up a defense that should be able to generate multiple three-and-outs all season.
Early Forecast on the Aggies
For college football fans outside of College Station, Texas A&M fans and alumni excited about a new head coach is like déjà vu all over again. Previous coaches Jimbo Fisher, Kevin Sumlin, and Mike Sherman were all going to make the Aggies a true national contender and it never happened.
Elko, at least has the experience of unreasonably high expectations for this program.
The Texas A&M defense should be a stout contingent. Purdue transfer Nic Scourton should make the Aggies a Top 5 or better defensive line in 2024. Like Notre Dame, A&M has questions at linebacker, but with Elko in charge, that should be remedied rather quickly. The safeties are strong, but the cornerback position is an ongoing problem, however, that doesn’t appear to be a major challenge versus Notre Dame.
Last season, QB Conner Weigman got off to a solid start before an injury ended his season. Texas A&M is probably a little ahead of Notre Dame on offense to start the season, with the Irish having a higher ceiling.
Who Is the Right Side for the Irish vs Aggies?
Texas A&M is well-known for having loud crowds and their famous “12th Man”. Having a program like Notre Dame visit for the opening game of the season at night will only add to the frenzy.
The Aggies are 31-8 SU at home since 2018. That success has not necessarily transferred into beating the college football odds on their own turf. For the last five seasons, A&M is 12-12-2 ATS at Kyle Field. That is hardly intimidating.
As Coach Freeman will talk to his team about all week, the reason you come to play football in South Bend is games like this. The opposing fans are vicious with their oral venom and they will try to disrupt your execution. Notre Dame has not had a losing away record since 2016 and is 35-10 SU. In the last five years, the Fighting Irish have shown ample fight in the white uniforms at 22-12 ATS.
This should be a defensive battle with two rugged defensive groups, facing offenses with question marks. Even with the low total of 46.5 (opened at 49), the Under is very much in play in this helmet paint-trader.
The Pick
In the end, Notre Dame’s outstanding road record matters, and in the fourth quarter they come up with a clutch score to cover the spread and win outright.
NCAAF Pick: Notre Dame +3 (-108) at Bet365
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
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