Action Network

Covers

Dratings

ESPN

OddsShark

OddsTrader

Wunderdog

Moneyline

Total

Point Spread

Away/Home

Wins

Ov / Un

Trojans

Fighting Irish

Away/Home Defense

Away/Home Offense

Defense

Offense

USC Trojans vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Picks

Notre Dame Stadium

<p>One of the oldest rivalries in all of college football happens this weekend in South Bend, as the No. 13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish host the No. 20 USC Trojans this Saturday. Marcus Freeman and Lincoln Riley lead their squads in a matchup that has been played nearly every year since 1926. But recently, it&#8217;s been a bit one sided. The Irish have won the last two meetings, six of the last seven, and 10/14 since 2010, although wins in 2012 and 2013 were vacated by Notre Dame. Regardless, let&#8217;s get into our expert picks for this matchup and see who wins the Jeweled Shillelagh.</p>
<p><strong>More NCAA Football Coverage</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/articles/ncaaf/louisville-miami-picks-predictions-2025-10-17/"><strong>Louisville vs. #2 Miami</strong></a></li>
<li><strong><a href="/articles/ncaaf/lsu-vanderbilt-picks-predictions-2025-10-18/">#10 LSU vs. #17 Vanderbilt</a></strong></li>
<li><a href="/articles/ncaaf/georgia-tech-duke-picks-predictions-2025-10-18/"><strong>#12 Georgia Tech vs. Duke</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/articles/ncaaf/ole-miss-georgia-picks-predictions-2025-10-18/"><strong>#5 Ole Miss vs. #9 Georgia</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/articles/ncaaf/tennessee-alabama-picks-predictions-2025-10-18/"><strong>#11 Tennessee vs. #6 Alabama</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/articles/ncaaf/missouri-auburn-picks-predictions-2025-10-18/"><strong>#16 Missouri vs. Auburn</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/articles/ncaaf/utah-byu-picks-predictions-2025-10-18/"><strong>#23 Utah vs. #15 BYU</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Go to <a href="/author/nate/">Betting News to check out what else I&#8217;ve got on the slate</a> for Week 8, and view the latest odds at the <a href="/best-online-sportsbooks/">best online sportsbooks.</a></p>
<h2><a href="/ncaaf/matchup/2025-10-18-usc_trojans-notre_dame_fighting_irish-n-1/">#20 USC Trojans vs. #13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish NCAA Football Insights</a></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">happy 20th anniversary to those who celebrate ✌️🎞️ <a href="https://t.co/j47vTjw3DS">pic.twitter.com/j47vTjw3DS</a></p>
<p>— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) <a href="https://twitter.com/uscfb/status/1978535798212329825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>USC have a 5-1 record and have done their fair share of traveling already. After two cupcake wins at home, they flew to West Lafayette to beat Purdue (but didn&#8217;t cover), followed by heading back to LA to beat Michigan State (but didn&#8217;t cover), and finally back to Champaign, Illinois where they lost to the Illini in overtime. Finally, they went back to Los Angeles again and beat Michigan, finally covering against a tougher opponent. Now, once again, they are back to the Midwest to take on the Irish in South Bend.</p>
<p>Notre Dame lost their opening two games to Miami on the road and at home to Texas A&amp;M. Every single week, those losses don&#8217;t look as bad, as both the Hurricanes and Aggies are undefeated and ranked in the top five of the country. The Irish have won four straight since those losses, covering three of four spreads as well (beat Boise by 21 as 22 point favorites). Can Freeman and his team come fired up into this rivalry game? I absolutely think so.</p>
<h3>Matchup Information &#8211; USC vs. Notre Dame &#8211; October 18</h3>
<ul>
<li>Venue &amp; Location: Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, IN)</li>
<li>Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025</li>
<li>Kick Off: 7:30 p.m. Eastern</li>
<li>Broadcast: NBC</li>
</ul>
<h3>USC vs. Notre Dame Betting Odds</h3>
<p><em><a href="/best-online-sportsbooks/betonline/">Odds are courtesy of BetOnline</a>, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of October 17, 2025 at 8:52 a.m. eastern. Sign up today with <a href="https://affiliates.bettingnews.com/register/betonline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Promo Code BNBOL55 for a 55% deposit bonus.</a> BetOnline offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.</em></p>
<h4>Spread</h4>
<ul>
<li>USC +9 (-102)</li>
<li>Notre Dame -9 (-118)</li>
</ul>
<h4>Moneyline</h4>
<ul>
<li>USC +263</li>
<li>Notre Dame -325</li>
</ul>
<h4>Total</h4>
<ul>
<li>Over 61.5 (-105)</li>
<li>Under 61.5 (-115)</li>
</ul>
<p>Do not overthink this one. USC has flown over halfway across the country at least four times this season. They&#8217;ve gone back and forth plenty, they haven&#8217;t been great at covering spreads against Power Four teams, and this Notre Dame team is in a very dangerous position.</p>
<h2><a href="/ncaaf/matchup/2025-10-18-usc_trojans-notre_dame_fighting_irish-n-1/">#20 USC vs. #13 Notre Dame NCAA Football Picks and Predictions</a></h2>
<div id="attachment_82150" style="width: 1210px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-82150" class="size-full wp-image-82150" src="https://wp.bettingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jeremiyah-love-notre-dame-football.jpg" alt="Jeremiyah Love and the Irish need convincing wins the rest of the season - USC Notre Dame Picks" width="1200" height="900" srcset="https://wp.bettingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jeremiyah-love-notre-dame-football.jpg 1200w, https://wp.bettingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jeremiyah-love-notre-dame-football-300x225.jpg 300w, https://wp.bettingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jeremiyah-love-notre-dame-football-1024x768.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><p id="caption-attachment-82150" class="wp-caption-text">Jeremiyah Love and the Irish need convincing wins the rest of the season</p></div>
<h3>USC vs. Notre Dame Prediction: Notre Dame Wins and Covers, Over 61.5</h3>
<h3><a href="https://affiliates.bettingnews.com/register/betonline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best Bet: Notre Dame -9 (-118) BetOnline</a></h3>
<p>Even though we missed out on the -7.5, I think the Irish absolutely obliterate the Trojans. USC&#8217;s defense is going to get exposed in this matchup on the road. The Trojans gave up 31 to Michigan State and 34 to Illinois. I&#8217;d argue that Notre Dame has a much better offense, and their defense has only improved all year long.</p>
<p>Since losing to Miami and Texas A&amp;M and giving up 30 to Purdue, the Irish defense has allowed just 27 points in their last three games, only allowing three total touchdowns. This Notre Dame team is in the same position they were in last year, and we saw how that went.</p>
<p>The Irish lost early, then won out en route to the National Championship, although they lost. This year, they lost twice early, and know a third loss would end their hopes. Notre Dame needs to win out to even have a shot at the College Football Playoff this season, and you could argue they need to be decisive as well. This is their only chance at having a ranked win on their resume this season, and I see them taking full advantage and leaving no doubt.</p>
<p>Notre Dame is top 10 in points per game (40.8) and yards per play (7.2), while also ranking top 16 in third down conversions (49%). On defense, they are top 40 in both categories, allowing just 20.8 points per game and just 5.1 yards per play. Plus, they are top 25 in yards per carry allowed (3.4) and opponent completion percentage (57%). USC is in for a rude awakening against their toughest opponent of the season.</p>
<h2>Still Didn&#8217;t Get Your NCAA Football Fix?</h2>
<p>Here at Betting News, we offer <a href="/picks/">Free Expert Picks</a> for every major sports league. We also host daily streams on our <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/bettingnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitch Channel with our best bets</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.playback.tv/bettingnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sweat out games on Playback!</a> Be sure to tune into everything we have going on at our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@YourBettingNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Youtube</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@yourbettingnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/YourBettingNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X pages as well,</a> and <a href="https://x.com/Shaggy_Bets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">follow my personal twitter @Shaggy_Bets for my full daily card.</a></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/articles/ncaaf/2025-sec-football-preview-picks-predictions/">SEC Football Preview</a></li>
<li><a href="/articles/ncaaf/2025-big-ten-football-preview-picks-predictions/">Big Ten Football Preview</a></li>
<li><a href="/articles/ncaaf/2025-big-12-football-preview-picks-predictions/">Big 12 Football Preview</a></li>
<li><a href="/articles/ncaaf/2025-acc-football-preview-picks-predictions/">ACC Football Preview</a></li>
<li><a href="/articles/ncaaf/2025-college-football-win-total-picks-tulane-green-wave/">Tulane Win Total Predictions</a></li>
</ul>
  <div id="more-news-shortcode" class="more-news-container">
    <div class="more-news-box">
      <h2 class="more-news-header">More NCAAF News</h2>

      <div class="more-news-grid">
                              <div class="more-news-card-container">
              <div class="more-news-img-container">
                <img decoding="async"
                  src="https://wp.bettingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/JAck-state.webp"
                  alt="Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State: Conference USA Championship | December 5, 2025"
                  loading="lazy"
                  class="more-news-img"
                />
              </div>

              <div class="more-news-text-container">
                <p class="more-news-category">NCAAF Betting News</p>

                <a class="more-news-a"
                   aria-label="Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State: Conference USA Championship | December 5, 2025"
                   href="/articles/ncaaf/kennesaw-state-vs-jacksonville-state-conference-usa-championship-december-5-2025/">
                  <h5 class="more-news-title">Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State: Conference USA Championship | December 5, 2025</h5>
                  <p class="more-news-author">
                    Colby Marchio                    <span class="more-news-date">13 hours ago</span>
                  </p>
                </a>
              </div>
            </div>
                      <div class="more-news-card-container">
              <div class="more-news-img-container">
                <img decoding="async"
                  src="https://wp.bettingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/dan-mullen-unlv.jpg"
                  alt="UNLV vs. Boise State Picks and Predictions: Mountain West Championship"
                  loading="lazy"
                  class="more-news-img"
                />
              </div>

              <div class="more-news-text-container">
                <p class="more-news-category">NCAAF Betting News</p>

                <a class="more-news-a"
                   aria-label="UNLV vs. Boise State Picks and Predictions: Mountain West Championship"
                   href="/articles/ncaaf/unlv-boise-state-picks-predictions-2025-12-05/">
                  <h5 class="more-news-title">UNLV vs. Boise State Picks and Predictions: Mountain West Championship</h5>
                  <p class="more-news-author">
                    Nate Hornung                    <span class="more-news-date">14 hours ago</span>
                  </p>
                </a>
              </div>
            </div>
                      <div class="more-news-card-container">
              <div class="more-news-img-container">
                <img decoding="async"
                  src="https://wp.bettingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/darian-mensah-duke-football-2025.jpg"
                  alt="Duke vs. #17 Virginia: ACC Conference Championship | December 6, 2025"
                  loading="lazy"
                  class="more-news-img"
                />
              </div>

              <div class="more-news-text-container">
                <p class="more-news-category">NCAAF Betting News</p>

                <a class="more-news-a"
                   aria-label="Duke vs. #17 Virginia: ACC Conference Championship | December 6, 2025"
                   href="/articles/ncaaf/duke-vs-17-virginia-acc-conference-championship-december-6-2025/">
                  <h5 class="more-news-title">Duke vs. #17 Virginia: ACC Conference Championship | December 6, 2025</h5>
                  <p class="more-news-author">
                    Colby Marchio                    <span class="more-news-date">17 hours ago</span>
                  </p>
                </a>
              </div>
            </div>
                      <div class="more-news-card-container">
              <div class="more-news-img-container">
                <img decoding="async"
                  src="https://wp.bettingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Jeremiah-Smith.jpg"
                  alt="#2 Indiana vs. #1 Ohio State Picks and Predictions: Big Ten Championship"
                  loading="lazy"
                  class="more-news-img"
                />
              </div>

              <div class="more-news-text-container">
                <p class="more-news-category">NCAAF Betting News</p>

                <a class="more-news-a"
                   aria-label="#2 Indiana vs. #1 Ohio State Picks and Predictions: Big Ten Championship"
                   href="/articles/ncaaf/indiana-ohio-state-picks-predictions-2025-12-06/">
                  <h5 class="more-news-title">#2 Indiana vs. #1 Ohio State Picks and Predictions: Big Ten Championship</h5>
                  <p class="more-news-author">
                    Nate Hornung                    <span class="more-news-date">Wed Dec 3 2025</span>
                  </p>
                </a>
              </div>
            </div>
                        </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  
<div class="my-3 card card-body d-flex flex-column flex-lg-row align-items-center" style="background-color: #01337d;">
    <div class="py-3 flex-fill">
        <p class="mb-0 lead text-white text-center text-lg-left font-weight-bold">
            <span style="font-size: 1.15rem;">Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly</span>
            <br><br>
            <span style="font-size: 1rem;">Sign up for</span>
            <br>
            <span style="font-size: 1.15rem;">THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER</span>
        </p>
    </div>
    <div>
        <a class="mx-2 btn btn-lg btn-danger stretched-link text-nowrap" role="button" href="/newsletter-subscription/" style="padding: .5rem 2rem;width: 300px;margin: 0;">Get FREE Picks</a>
    </div>
</div>
<h2>Check Out All of Our Betting Resources at Betting News</h2>
<div class="p-rich_text_section">
<div class="su-list mb-5" style="margin-left:0px">
</div>
<ul class="p-rich_text_list p-rich_text_list__bullet" data-stringify-type="unordered-list" data-indent="0" data-border="0">
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0"><a class="c-link" href="/nfl/picks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="/nfl/picks/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Picks &amp; Odds for the NFL</a></li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0"><a class="c-link" href="/nfl-betting-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="/nfl-betting-guide/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">NFL Betting Guide for Beginners</a></li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0"><a class="c-link" href="/ncaaf/picks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="/ncaaf/picks/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Pick &amp; Odds for NCAAF</a></li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0"><a class="c-link" href="/guides/college-football-betting-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="/guides/college-football-betting-guide/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">NCAAF Betting Guide for Beginners</a></li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0"><a class="c-link" href="/mlb/picks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="/mlb/picks/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Picks &amp; Odds in the MLB</a></li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0"><a class="c-link" href="/guides/mlb-betting-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="/guides/mlb-betting-guide/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">MLB Betting Guide for Beginners</a></li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0"><a class="c-link" href="/nba/picks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="/nba/picks/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Picks &amp; Odds in the NBA</a></li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0"><a class="c-link" href="/guides/nba-betting-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="/guides/nba-betting-guide/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">NBA Betting Guide for Beginners</a></li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0"><a class="c-link" href="/nhl/picks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="/nhl/picks/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Picks &amp; Odds in the NHL</a></li>
<li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0"><a class="c-link" href="/sports-betting-guides/nhl-betting-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="/guides/nhl-betting-guide/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">NHL Betting Guide for Beginners</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="p-rich_text_section"></div></div>


Jayden Maiava and the Trojans face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend - USC Notre Dame Picks

#20 USC vs. #13 Notre Dame Picks and Predictions: Trojans Head to South Bend

Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State: Conference USA Championship | December 5, 2025

Dan Mullen led the Rebels to 10 wins in his first season as Head Coach - Boise State UNLV Picks

UNLV vs. Boise State Picks and Predictions: Mountain West Championship

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah - No. 19 Virginia vs. Duke Prediction & Best Bets (11/15/2025)

Duke vs. #17 Virginia: ACC Conference Championship | December 6, 2025

Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State are back in the Big Ten Championship this season - Indiana Ohio State Picks

#2 Indiana vs. #1 Ohio State Picks and Predictions: Big Ten Championship

Jon Sumrall was hired as the next head coach of the Florida Gators - Tulane North Texas Picks

#24 North Texas vs. #20 Tulane Picks and Predictions: AAC Championship