Experts Pick Notre Dame, Navy

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No. 12 Notre Dame is taking on No. 24 Navy at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, and the experts have thoughts.

Notre Dame will be challenged by a Navy team that is playing well on both sides of the ball, and the Fighting Irish can’t afford to lose. That said, the undefeated Midshipmen haven’t faced a true challenge, and Notre Dame has a higher level of talent than any team Navy has faced so far.

So with that in mind, CBS Sports’ Will Backus thinks that at the very least, Navy will cover the spread.

“The Midshipmen are for real. The offense steals a lot of the headlines, but their defense has also held each of their last three opponents under 10 points. Despite all the injuries, things seem to be coming together for Notre Dame on both sides of the ball. The betting-favorite Irish are a smart pick to win, but this one’s going to be a lot closer than Vegas seems to think. Pick: Navy +12.5,” he writes.

Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Athletic’s Pete Sampson is confident the Irish will win, and it won’t be too close.

“Notre Dame is equipped to out-Navy the Mids, with a diverse run game and the ability to play offense in a phone booth. If [quarterback Riley] Leonard and the offense can avoid the big mistake, the Irish should get out of MetLife Stadium with their CFP targets in play.”

Irish Illustrated’s Kevin Sinclair thinks the Irish will be just fine, no matter what kind of challenge Navy presents.

“It’s a tough matchup with Navy, as always,” Sinclair writes. “But Notre Dame will have no problem outsoring [sic] the Midshipmen on Saturday. The Irish are too strong at the linebacker position and up the middle defensively to…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/experts-pick-notre-dame-navy-195605818.html

Author : Fighting Irish Wire

Publish date : 2024-10-25 19:56:05

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