The (#11) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1) will visit the (#17) Duke Blue Devils (4-0) on Saturday night. Notre Dame is fresh off a heartbreaking 17-14 home loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes scored from one yard out with one second remaining against an Irish defense with only ten defenders on the field. Meanwhile, Duke is off to a 4-0 start and squashed UConn 41-7 in Week 4. The Blue Devils house a top-50 rushing offense and a top-25 passing defense. Their most impressive win was a convincing 28-7 victory over a then-ranked Clemson Tigers squad.
#11 Notre Dame vs. #17 Duke Blue Devils Odds and Match Details
Team | Spread | Total | MoneyLine |
Notre Dame | -5.5 -110 |
O52.5
-115 |
-215 |
Duke | +5.5
-110 |
U52.5
-105 |
+180 |
** Odds Subject to Change** |
Fixture: Notre Dame @ Duke
Date and Time: September 30, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. EST
Location: Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium
Field Surface: Grass
Weather: 9% Chance of Rain and 57-78 degrees
Key Stats
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a top-50 passing attack in the country. Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman has been amazing, throwing for 1,236 yards and 14 scores against no interceptions in the first five games of the season. Hartman left Wake Forest last season after throwing the most passing touchdowns in ACC history.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are in the top 30 in the country in rushing yards per game (199) and rushing yards per attempt (5.6). Star back Audric Estime has been excellent, running for 591 yards on 7.7 yards per attempt. Notre Dame is just one of three teams in the country to average less than 0.5 turnovers per game.
Defensively, Notre Dame allows 12.8 points per game, the 14th-best mark in college football. They are excellent against the pass, allowing opposing passers to complete just 47% of their passes on 149 passing yards per game. The rushing defense is slightly more susceptible, letting opposing backs rush for 111 yards per game on 3.2 yards per carry. Notre Dame is in the top ten of the country in yards per game and yards per play allowed. However, they are near the bottom of college football in turnovers forced.
Duke Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils are tied for the least amount of passing attempts per game in the ACC but complete nearly 70% of their passes. Quarterback Riley Leonard has thrown for 778 yards and two scores against no picks in 2023. However, the Duke rushing attack is one of the best in the conference. The Blue Devils are in the top five of the ACC in rushing yards per game (202) and rushing yards per attempt (5.7). More impressively, Duke is the only team in the ACC not to throw an interception.
The Blue Devils’ defense has an excellent secondary. Opposing passers complete just 55% of their passes while averaging less than a touchdown pass per game. Like Notre Dame, the front seven has gotten tested by opposing backfields. They allow 133 rushing yards per game on 3.8 yards per attempt. Duke allows just 8.5 points per game while forcing two turnovers per game.
Game Prediction
I like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to prevail over the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. Notre Dame was just one play away from toppling a powerful Ohio State team last Saturday and will bring a high-powered offense and stout defense to Duke in Week 5. Meanwhile, Duke is off to a fantastic season, but besides a nice win over a two-loss Clemson team, the Blue Devils have had it easy regarding schedule. So, let’s roll with the Irish in this big-time tilt.