Notre Dame hasn’t even turned its full attention to BYU yet, but the betting market already has a strong opinion on what October 17 will look like.
FanDuel lists Marcus Freeman’s team as a 12.5-point favorite over the Cougars, a number that stood out even before Wednesday’s news that BYU running back LJ Martin will miss the game with a "lower-body injury." The absence of Martin, BYU’s top offensive threat, could push that spread even higher.
The line was actually larger on Wednesday before Martin’s status became known, which makes the current number look a little more manageable by comparison. Still, the early read is clear: oddsmakers are expecting Notre Dame to handle a Top 10 opponent with room to spare.
That fits the way the Irish have been winning lately. Notre Dame is riding a 15-game streak of victories by double digits, and that run is on track to reach 16 after this weekend’s game against Stanford. The Irish are nearly 40-point favorites against the Cardinal, so anything less than a comfortable win would qualify as a major letdown.
If BYU wants to stay close, the Cougars may need their defense to carry the day. That’s not a far-fetched idea, either. BYU has one of the better defensive units in the country, and there are analysts who believe Notre Dame’s defense does not quite measure up to what the Cougars bring on that side of the ball.
There’s still plenty of time for the line to move before Notre Dame travels to Provo, and a lot can change between now and then. But for a game that was supposed to be one of the toughest on the Irish schedule, the early numbers suggest oddsmakers are not buying the idea of a nail-biter.
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