College Station is the site for one of the biggest games of Week 1 of the college football season as the 20th-ranked Aggies of Texas A&M host the 9th-ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame Saturday Night in front of the 12th Man. Expectations are sky high for both these schools.
The Mike Elko Era begins at Texas A&M with the fans praying for/expecting Elko to work his magic on the Aggies as quickly as he did on the Duke Blue Devils.
Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman brings the best defense in his 3 years in South Bend into the season as Irish fans grow a bit anxious for the coach to win 10 games and reach the expanded college football playoff.
Although Saturday’s game at Kyle Field is the 1st of the season for both teams, in many ways it is their most important of the regular season.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first-pitch, projected pitching matchup, lineup cards, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch the Fighting Irish vs. the Aggies Saturday
● Date: Saturday, August 31, 2024
● Time: 7:30PM EST
● Site: Kyle Field
● City: College Station, TX
● TV/Streaming: ABC
Game odds for Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M
● Moneyline: Notre Dame (+125), Texas A&M (-150)
● Spread: Aggies -3
● Total: 46
*odds provided by BetMGM
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Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) likes the hometown Aggies to win outright
“It’s a night game in College Station. The 12th man is going to be bumping. Mike Elko should be able to scheme against his former QB, Riley Leonard. Big game, but it’s worth taking the moneyline, not the points.”
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) is in sync with Thomas on this one
“Riley Leonard will make his Notre Dame debut on the road at the 12th man and against his former head coach, Mike Elko. The Aggies are one of the sleepers in the SEC and Elko getting his former quarterback in Week 1 is a great start. I’ll take the Aggies on the ML at home.”
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From the Trading Desk at BetMGM courtesy of John Ewing:
Odds to make Playoffs
Line movement (Open to Now)
· Ohio State -550 to -750
· Oregon -200 to -350
· Alabama +115 to -105
· Colorado +2000 to +1800
· Florida State +150 to +500
Highest Ticket %
· Utah 5.6%
· Iowa 5.2%
· Tennessee 5.1%
Highest Handle %
· Utah 8.1%
· Alabama 7.6%
· Ohio State 7.5%
Biggest Liability
· Colorado
· Utah
· Iowa
Names to Know for Notre Dame and Texas A&M
· Irish: QB Riley Leonard – the transfer from Duke will be counted on to rejuvenate an offense that lacked punch last season. The defense should be one of the best in the country. They just need the offense to do its part for the Irish to make the playoff
· Aggies: QB Conner Weigman – many believe the oft-injured signal-caller has an opportunity to become a star if he can stay on the field this season.
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest player news from the NFL and MLB. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M
● The Irish will start 3 sophomores and 2 freshmen on the offensive line
● Notre Dame leads the all-time series 3-2, but they did lose the most recent matchup between these schools back in 2001
● 1st year Notre Dame Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock comes to South Bend after coaching Jayden Daniels to the Heisman Trophy at LSU in 2023
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
