Notre Dame vs Purdue Prediction, Odds and Picks for Week 3 of College Football

All eyes will be on Notre Dame in this matchup against Purdue after the most shocking loss of the season for them in Week 2. Marcus Freeman will be looking to rebuild his team’s confidence after the loss, but it might not be easy on the road at Ross-Ade Stadium. It’s time to continue our college football odds series with a Notre Dame vs. Purdue prediction and pick.

We all know the story of Notre Dame. They came away with a blowout win over Texas A&M in Week 1, which seemed to be their toughest test until their final game against USC. People were already writing that Notre Dame would make the College Football Playoff with 11 games to go. However, Notre Dame may have read the headlines too much as they had a poor performance against Northern Illinois last week in a 16-14 loss. Notre Dame’s odds of making the playoff went from -360 to +360 with a loss, and now they’re going to be struggling for the rest of the year.

Purdue took advantage of its bye week to enter Week 2 after beating Indiana State 49-0 in Week 1. Hudson Card threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns in the win, while Devin Mockobee rushed for 89 yards. Elijah Jackson had three carries but totaled 83 yards and a touchdown on a 69-yard run. It’s hard to handicap Purdue’s chances in this game, as the only evidence we have in their favor is the win over a woeful Indiana State team.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Football Odds: Notre Dame-Purdue Odds

Notre Dame: -9.5 (-122)

Moneyline: -420

Purdue: +9.5 (+100)

Moneyline: +320

Over: 45.5 (-115)

Less than: 45.5 (-105)

How to Watch Notre Dame vs Purdue

Time: 3:30pm ET/12:30pm PT

Television: CBS

Stream: fuboTV (free trial)

Why Notre Dame Could Cover the Spread/Win

Purdue’s Ross-Ade Stadium advantage isn’t the greatest by the numbers, as they’ve failed to cover the spread in nine of their last 12 home games. Notre Dame’s Week 2 was a disaster, but it was the first time they’ve failed to cover the spread as a favorite in four games.

Notre Dame held Texas A&M to 246 yards, a level they should probably match in this game. They struggled last week against Northern Illinois, but they could dominate Purdue if they return to their Week 1 form.

Why Purdue Could Cover the Spread/Win

Purdue has been sitting at home waiting to play Notre Dame since its win over Indiana State. They were probably excited to be able to game plan for two weeks while Notre Dame played a meaningless Week 2 game, but they must be licking their chops after last week’s disaster. The question is whether Purdue’s offensive output against Indiana State is sustainable against a ranked team.

Notre Dame-Purdue Prediction and Final Pick

Queue up the overreaction to Notre Dame’s Week 2 loss. Most people will look at the recent results of these teams and back Purdue because of the scar tissue from betting on Notre Dame vs. Northern Illinois. Notre Dame had a poor performance against Northern Illinois, but it’s important to remember their performance in the first game against Texas A&M. Many people will fall into the trap of not seeing the Fighting Irish in this game, but we won’t make that mistake. Take an under-fire Marcus Freeman to prepare his team for this game and avenge their Week 2 loss.

Final Prediction and Pick Notre Dame-Purdue: Notre Dame -9.5 (-122)