The Virginia Cavaliers enter this week on the brink of bowl eligibility, looking to find consistency in their season’s final stretch. At 5-4, they need one win in their final three games to find themselves in a bowl game this postseason.
The Cavaliers, led by sophomore Anthony Colandrea, picked up a massive win over Pitt last weekend. They held the Panthers to just 292 yards of total offense and kept the electric Eli Holstien to just 10 of 23 passing and 121 yards.
This week, they have a tall task as they head to South Bend, IN, to take on the 8-1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Since the Irish suffered a home loss to unranked Northern Illinois, they have been on a warpath. The Irish have won seven straight, scored 40 or more in four games this season, and outscored their opponents 183-37 in the last four games.
After a slower than expected start, quarterback Riley Leonard has played phenomenal football for Notre Dame over the past month. For the season, he’s scored 22 total touchdowns, nine through the air and another 13 on the ground.
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Game Details & How to Watch Virginia @ Notre Dame
· Date: Saturday, November 16th, 2024
· Time: 3:30 PM EST
· Site: Notre Dame Stadium
· City: South Bend, IN
· TV/Streaming: NBC
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Game Odds for Virginia @ Notre Dame courtesy of BetMGM
· Moneyline: Virginia (+1100), Notre Dame (-2500)
· Spread: Notre Dame -23
· Total: 50.5
Betting Insights and Best Bet
NBC Sports Bet’s Brad Thomas is leaning toward Notre Dame -23:
“Naturally I would advocate for a Riley Leonard rushing over in this game. He finished with 70 in his last game and has had seven games with 50 or more rushing yards. It’s hard to tell exactly how high the books make his rushing total, but I’d imagine it’s close to 55.5 yards. That’s a number I’d, at the very least, consider. I can’t say what I would take without the exact number.
Let’s talk about the spread, at least. Notre Dame is 6-2-1 against the spread this year. They have an average margin of victory of 27.2 and are +11.5 to the average spread.
This Notre Dame team is special. Defensively, they are exceptional. They are in the top five in defensive success rate and EPA margin.
I don’t see how Virginia move the ball effectively. Take the Fighting Irish.”
National Championship Odds courtesy of BetMGM
· Favorite: Ohio State +300
· Notre Dame: +2200
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BetMGM College Football Insights: National Championship
Line movement (Last Week to Now)
· Ohio State +350 to +300
· Texas +550 to +450
· Ole Miss +3500 to +1000
Highest Ticket%
· Ohio State 14.0%
· Texas 11.5%
· Georgia 10.6%
Highest Handle%
· Ohio State 17.7%
· Georgia 16.3%
· Texas 11.4%
Biggest Liabilities
· Colorado
· Ohio State
· Tennessee
Names to Know for Virginia @ Notre Dame
· Virginia Cavaliers: QB Anthony Colandrea – Colandrea has been in and out of the lineup with Tony Musket filling in at times.
· Notre Dame Fighting Irish: QB Riley Leonard – Coming from Duke, we knew Leonard would be spectacular with his legs. This year has been no different. He’s already rushed for 13 touchdowns this season.
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Top Betting Trends & Insights Ahead of Virginia @ Notre Dame
· Virginia has covered the Spread in 4 of its last 5 games as an underdog
· Betting Virginia to a level stake in all games this season would have shown a 106% return on investment
· Notre Dame’s last 3 home games have gone OVER the Total
· Notre Dame is 4-0 all-time vs. the Virginia Cavaliers
· Virginia is 5-1 against the spread in its last six games and 7-0-1 in its last eight on the road.
· Notre Dame is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games this season.
· The UNDER has cashed in 4 of UVA’s last 5 games but the OVER has cashed in 4 of Notre Dame’s last 5.
· Virginia is one win away from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019.
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