College Football Betting Odds - Navy vs. Notre Dame

Navy Midshipmen (6-3 SU, 3-4-2 ATS) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-2 SU, 2-6 ATS)

Saturday, November 7: 2:30 p.m.

College Football Betting Odds: Notre Dame -11

Here are some BetUS.com Betting Trends Which May Impact This Game:

• Navy: 1-4-2 ATS in their last 7 games

• Navy: 17-8 ATS in their last 25 road games

• Navy: Total has gone OVER in 4 of their last 6 road games

• Notre Dame: 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games

• Notre Dame: 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games

• Notre Dame: 5-1 SU in their last 6 home games

One of college football’s oldest and most lopsided rivalries will take place Saturday in South Bend, Indiana, when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish host the Navy Midshipmen. For those of you scoring at home, Notre Dame has won 45 of the last 46 meetings between the two schools, the sole loss in triple overtime in 2007.

And while each team will try to beat you with their offenses, they’ll approach things in completely different ways.

For Notre Dame, they’ve got a future NFL superstar under center, in junior Jimmy Clausen. On the season, Clausen has passed for over 2300 yards and thrown 18 touchdowns, compared to just two interceptions. He will likely be in New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation this season, if he doesn’t in fact win the award. Things will be better than usual on Saturday as well, as Clausen welcomes back one of his best wide receivers, Michael Floyd, who has been out since the third week of this season. Notre Dame ranks eighth in college football, averaging 305 yards per game passing.

As for Navy, the Midshipmen much prefer to keep the ball on the ground thanks to their triple option attack. On the season, they rank third in college football, rushing for 279 yards per game. As a matter of fact, in their last two games, Navy has only attempted seven passes overall. It is important however that they get back quarterback Ricky Dobbs, who has played in a limited role the past few games. Not only is Dobbs their leading passer, but he is also Navy’s leading rusher as well.

Defensively, neither of these teams is nearly as good as their offensive counterparts. Navy allows just 21 points per game on average, and has very respectable averages in other categories as well. But it’s important to note that a large part of their defensive efficiency is that their high-powered rushing offense is on the field for big chunks of time.

As for Notre Dame’s defense, they just haven’t figured it out yet. They allow 384 yards per game, which is currently ranked 83rd in college football, and also rank 109th in passing defense. Luckily for the Irish, it is unlikely that the Midshipmen test them very often with the pass.

Anyone who is looking for an upset similar to what happened in 2007 may need to wait until next year. Notre Dame has more talent all over the field, and it’s hard to imagine that if Clausen is clicking with his receivers that Notre Dame doesn’t win.

However, if you’re asking whether or not the Irish will cover the 11 points they’re giving in this week’s college football betting odds, that’s a different story. Navy plays a ball control offense, and will likely keep Notre Dame’s quick strike offense off the field for big long stretches. In addition, no one has ever claimed that the Irish’s defense is one of college football’s most disciplined units, meaning the triple option will likely keep them confused all day.

Notre Dame may win, but take Navy, getting the 11 points in this one.

Aaron’s Pick: Navy +11