The No. 10 USC Trojans have their toughest test of the season on Saturday night in South Bend, even after No. 21 Notre Dame lost two of its last three games.
The Irish, who nearly knocked off Ohio State at home three weeks ago, get another chance against a national title contender this week.
The Trojans, led by reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, have the top offense in the country by several metrics, including points per game (51.8). They haven’t faced a defense like Notre Dame’s yet, though, and they’ve struggled the last two weeks against Colorado and Arizona, which is why they’re getting points despite being the higher-ranked team.
Check out our USC vs. Notre Dame odds, props, and predictions.
USC vs. Notre Dame Spread, Moneyline, Total
Here are the best available odds for moneyline, spread, and total across top sports betting apps. Click on the odds you like to place a bet. Learn more about sports betting promos when signing up to receive bonus bets.
- Spread: USC , Notre Dame
- Moneyline: USC , Notre Dame
- Over/Under:
USC vs. Notre Dame Betting Trends
- USC, Notre Dame ATS Records: USC 2-4, Notre Dame 4-2-1
- USC, Notre Dame Over/Under Records: USC Over 5-1, Notre Dame Over 3-4
- USC, Notre Dame national championship odds: USC , Notre Dame
- USC QB Caleb Williams Heisman odds:
USC vs. Notre Dame Props
Some of the player props available for the top stars in this matchup — from USC’s Caleb Williams to Notre Dame RB Audric Estime — are listed below:
Williams dominates the headlines for USC, but the Trojans are coming off a game with 33 rushing attempts compared to 25 passing attempts. The balanced approach worked against Arizona, but it’s hard to see USC having a big night on the ground in South Bend.
Notre Dame will likely take away the run and force Williams to carry the offense, making it a good bet that his 315.5 passing yards prop will go over. Veteran ND QB Sam Hartman is coming off a three-interception performance, so don’t be surprised if he goes under his 262.5 passing yards prop as his team looks to control possession with the ground game.
USC vs. Notre Dame Analysis and Prediction
The buildup to this game lost some of its luster over the last couple of weeks with Notre Dame’s loss to Ohio State in Week 4, followed by a scare in Durham against Duke and an ugly road loss to Louisville last Saturday. Still, the Irish are formidable, with stars up front on both sides of the ball and one of the best defenses in the country.
ND will test the Trojans, who are outstanding offensively but have one of the worst defenses of any Top 25 team. Last week, USC fell into a 17-0 hole against Arizona and needed overtime to beat the Wildcats 43-41. This is one week after giving up over 40 points to Colorado in a seven-point win.
Caleb Williams and Co. are 6-0 and ranked No. 10, but they travel to South Bend as underdogs due to their defensive issues and the struggles they had last year against physical opponents like Utah. Until USC proves that it is more balanced — and tougher — than it has shown over the last year and a half under Lincoln Riley, it will be hard to trust the Trojans against teams like Notre Dame.
The Irish have plenty of questions of their own after turning the ball over five times in last week’s loss to Louisville. But we should expect much better execution from them on Saturday in a game they have to win to salvage any shot at a College Football Playoff appearance.
Pick: Notre Dame (-2.5 at time of publishing)
How to Watch USC vs. Notre Dame
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Notre Dame Stadium
- Network: NBC
About the Author
