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Notre Dame’s march to the College Football Playoff continued with a thrashing of Navy in Week 11, but this isn’t a done deal.
The Fighting Irish will almost certainly get into the dance if they run the table, but that means they need to beat No. 23 Pitt on the road on Saturday afternoon.
The Panthers are one of a few surprising teams in the ACC, and they ride into Saturday’s clash with the Irish having won five games in a row.
Notre Dame is a 12.5-point favorite over the Panthers with “College GameDay” in town.
Notre Dame vs. Pitt odds, prediction
Notre Dame’s schedule does not feature many world-beaters, and they lost their two games against top-notch competition, but there is no reason to doubt that the Fighting Irish are CFP contenders.
The Irish are terrific on both sides of the ball, and star running back Jeremiyah Love affords Notre Dame the luxury of controlling the tempo of the game.
According to SP+, the Irish are the sixth-best team in the country on offense. And they are the sixth-best team in the country on defense. Few of their rivals can match their statistical profile.
That said, we are dealing with a two-score spread here, and the Irish are on the road at a sold-out Acrisure Stadium. This will not be an easy environment to navigate, and Pittsburgh is no pushover.
Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame is a Heisman contender. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Panthers have shocked the ACC and are quietly creeping into the CFP picture thanks to the arrival of true freshman Mason Heintschel at quarterback.
With Hentschel clicking, the Panthers now boast a thrilling offense that averages 8.4 yards per pass, 303 passing yards per game and 5.7 yards per play.
Those aren’t elite numbers, but they’re pretty darn good. And what’s more is that the defense is good enough to make them stick.
Betting on College Football?
The Panthers are allowing just 4.6 yards per play, and crucially, only 2.5 yards per rush, which is a huge deal against Love and the Irish.
Notre Dame probably proves to be too much Saturday, but the Panthers are built to hang around in this game.
The Play: Pitt +12.5 (-110, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.