CFB Best Bets, Picks and Analysis For Notre Dame vs. Ohio State on September 3, 2022

In one of the most anticipated match-ups of the 2022 college football season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio at 7:30PM ET on Saturday, September 3.

The Buckeyes are a huge betting favorite in Marcus Freeman's first game as the head coach of the Fighting Irish, but does that mean they're a lock to get the job done? Let us tell you that in our Notre Dame vs. Ohio State betting preview. 

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For the most up to date CFB computer picks, check out our interactive predictions for Notre Dame vs. Ohio State. It's constantly updating based on hundreds of different data points.

Notre Dame vs. Ohio State Best Bets, Predictions and Analysis

Spread Breakdown

Freeman was offended when he heard that the Fighting Irish were such big underdogs in this game and he said that he and his team will be using that as motivation against the Buckeyes.

Marcus Freeman is keeping the receipts ahead of Notre Dame’s matchup with Ohio State ✍️ pic.twitter.com/veoZgi48uo

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 30, 2022

The problem for the new head coach is that his team is significantly outmatched in the talent department in this game. That can sound a little weird when talking about a program as good as Notre Dame, but losing star running back Kyren Williams really hurts this Fighting Irish offense. It's also unclear just how much Tyler Buchner will be able to do at the quarterback position. He didn't look very impressive in his short stints on the field last season, but perhaps a full offseason as the starter will help him get more comfortable. 

MORE: CFB Futures Probabilities

The Buckeyes defense will, however, be doing everything it can to make Buchner uncomfortable. Not only does Ohio State return eight starters on that side of the ball, but the team also brought in former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to lead the defense. The Cowboys had the eighth-ranked scoring defense in the nation last year, and Knowles will now have a lot of experience — and future NFL talent — to work with. With that said, this Ohio State defense has the potential to be pretty special. 

If the Buckeyes are as good as they can be on defense, this has blowout written all over it. Freeman is a defensive-minded coach and Notre Dame has talent on that side of the ball, but Ohio State's offense is a totally different beast. An argument can be made that the Buckeyes have the top players in the country at quarterback, running back and wide receivers, as C.J. Stroud, TreVeyon Henderson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are all freakishly good players. Look for the three of them, along with Marvin Harrison Jr., to hit the ground running this season. Ryan Day is one of the best offensive minds in football and will have his guys ready to go from the jump. He'll dial up a lot of deep shots and deep-crossing routes against an unproven Notre Dame secondary. 

It's also worth noting that Ohio State is 16-1 straight-up and 10-7 against the spread as a favorite of between 10.5 and 21 points under Day. The team is also 11-1 SU and 9-3 ATS in the first half of the season since he became the Buckeyes coach. 

Over/Under Breakdown

While Ohio State has clearly made a point of getting better on defense this upcoming season, it's just going to be really hard for this game to stay Under the total with the way we expect the Buckeyes offense to play. One of Notre Dame's weaknesses entering the season, on paper, is its group of defensive backs. That's not a problem you want to have against a passing game that could be the best in college football this year. 

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Since Day became Ohio State's head coach, the Over also happens to be 19-13-3 in all of the games the Buckeyes have played. The Over is also 10-5-1 in games Ohio State has played with a total of 56.5 to 63 points under Day. 

Best Bet: Fighting Irish vs. Buckeyes

While the spread in this one is a little bigger than you might want it to be, it's hard not to see Ohio State -17 as the best bet in this game and we're using the DraftKings bet $5 to get $200 offer mentioned at the top of this article because, even if the Buckeyes don't cover, new customers still get $200 just for joining and betting $5 on the game. You can claim it ➡️ here ⬅️. 

Best Player Props for Week 1

The team at Prop or Chop have found two player props they love in this weekend, so check them out on this week's episode below. And remember to bet them with DraftKings Sportsbook, where new customers can throw down $5 and score an instant $200 in bonuses - even if your ticket doesn't cash!

BEST BETS: Our Best CFB Bets for Saturday