The No. 7 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes will face off Monday in the championship game of the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame opened the postseason with wins over Indiana and Georgia before sneaking past Penn State in the Orange Bowl last Thursday. Ohio State suffered a disastrous loss to Michigan in the regular season finale, but responded with double-digit playoff victories over Tennessee, Oregon and Texas. These teams met in 2022 and 2023, with Ohio State winning both games.
Kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Notre Dame vs. Ohio State odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under in total points scored is 45.5. Before making any Notre Dame vs. Ohio State picks, check out the college football predictions from SportsLine Notre Dame expert Mike Tierney.
A veteran sportswriter and handicapper whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney is 58-37 in his last 95 college football betting picks, returning $1,689 to players at $100. Additionally, he is 13-5 in his last 18 picks in games involving Notre Dame, bringing in nearly $800. Anyone who has been following him on sportsbooks or betting apps might be well on their way.
Now, Tierney has set his sights on Notre Dame against Ohio State. You can visit SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are the FBS college football lines and trends for Notre Dame vs. Ohio State:
- Notre Dame Spread vs. Ohio State: Ohio State -8.5
- Notre Dame vs. Ohio State plus/minus: 45.5 points
- Money line Notre Dame vs. Ohio State: Ohio State -372, Notre Dame +293
- OSU: The Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last five games
- ND: The Fighting Irish are 10-0 ATS in their last 10 games
- Notre Dame vs. Ohio State Picks: See the picks at SportsLine
- Stream Notre Dame vs. Ohio State: FuboTV (Try for Free)
Why Ohio State can cover
Ohio State may have been the most impressive team in the College Football Playoff, winning its first two games comfortably and then finding a big play late against Texas to pull away in that one. Senior quarterback Will Howard totaled 289 passing yards and a touchdown against the Longhorns, headlined by a 75-yard screen pass to running back TreVeyon Henderson just before halftime. Jack Sawyer’s late 83-yard scoop and score closed the door in that one.
The Buckeyes have an explosive and balanced attack, averaging 35.8 points per game. Howard completed 72.6 percent of his passes for 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns, while Henderson and Quinshon Judkins both topped 950 yards rushing. Ohio State has covered the spread in four of its last five games, and is 4-1-1 ATS in its last six games against Notre Dame. Find out which team to choose here.
Why Notre Dame can cover
While the Buckeyes have been the most dominant team in the CFP, Notre Dame has been the most profitable team in college football since the start of the season. The Fighting Irish have covered the spread in 10 straight games, including all three of their playoff games. They beat Georgia by 13 points in the quarterfinals, as quarterback Riley Leonard had 90 passing yards and 80 rushing yards.
Leonard had 223 passing yards and a touchdown in the semifinals, helping Notre Dame advance to the title game with a 27-24 victory over Penn State. Sophomore receiver Jaden Greathouse had his biggest game of the season, catching seven passes for 105 yards and a score. The Fighting Irish are 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight games against Big Ten opponents. Find out which team to choose here.
How to make choices between Notre Dame and Ohio State
Tierney analyzed Ohio State vs. Notre Dame from every possible angle. He looks at the point total and also discovered an x-factor that makes him jump to one side of the spread. Find out what it’s all about and which team to support on SportsLine.
So who wins Notre Dame against Ohio State on Monday, and what critical X factor causes one side of the spread to be hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which way Ohio State vs. Notre Dame stacked up, all from the expert who’s an incredible 58-37 on his college football picks, netting well over $1,600 for $100 players.
