Ohio State Buckeyes vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/20/2025

Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Monday, January 20, 2025

Venue:  Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA 

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  OSU -8.5, ND +8.5; Over/Under:  45.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  OSU -8, ND +8; Over/Under:  46 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  OSU -8.5, ND +8.5; Over/Under:  45.5 points

Ohio State Buckeyes:  13-2 (7-2) (4th place, Big Ten)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish:  14-1 (0-0) (FBS Independent)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Jack Banks is on a HOT STREAK in college football on a 13-3 CFB RUN for +$9,730 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Ohio State Buckeyes:  won their last game at a neutral site the Texas Longhorns 28-14.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish:  won their last game at a neutral site against the Penn State Nittany Lions 27-24.

Ohio State is entering this game with a 13-2 record overall and they have a 7-2 record in their conference games too. They are 8-1 in their home games, 3-1 in their road games, and they are also 2-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Texas 28-14. Will Howard was the starting QB and he completed 24/33 passes for 289 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. TreVeyon Henderson led the team in rushing yards with 42. Carnell Tate led the receivers with 87 receiving yards on 7 receptions. Sonny Styles led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while J.T. Tuimoloau led the defense in sacks with 1.5. Caleb Downs came away with the only interception for them in that one.

 

 

 

Notre Dame is entering this game with a 14-1 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 6-1 in their home games, 3-0 in their road games, and they are also 5-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Penn State 27-24. Riley Leonard was the starting QB and he completed 15/23 passes for 223 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Jeremiyah Love led the team in rushing yards with 45 and 1 TD. Jaden Greathouse led the receivers with 105 receiving yards on 7 receptions and 1 TD. Xavier Watts led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while Rod Heard II led the defense in sacks with 1. Christian Gray came away with the only interception for them in that one.

The current betting odds have Ohio State listed as an 8.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Ohio State has looked really good in their games this season with their 13-2 record overall and their 7-2 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big Ten. They didn't make it to the Big Ten Championship due to a loss to Michigan in their last week of the regular season, but that loss to Michigan has transformed this Ohio State team over the last month. Ohio State has been rolling over teams in the playoffs, beating Texas in their last one and an undefeated Oregon team the week before, and all 3 of their wins in the playoffs have been by double digits too. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has looked great in their games this season with their 14-1 record overall which now has them in the National Championship, but they don't play in a conference and haven't had the strongest schedule to get here because of it. They didn't play many strong opponents during the regular season and they even took a really bad loss at home to Northern Illinois. They have beaten better teams in these playoffs like Georgia and Penn State in their last 2, but that Penn State game could have went either way and they didn't exactly dominate Georgia either. Notre Dame has a great defense that has been keeping them in a lot of their games, but Ohio State also has one of the best defenses in the nation to match them here. Notre Dame also has a lot of questions to answer with their offense while Ohio State has a lot more talent on theirs and has been the more consistent team offensively. The best way to place a bet here is on Ohio State to cover the spread in this game. 

Ohio State Notre Dame Prediction:  Our NCAAF Pick for Monday, January 20, 2025 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Ohio State 24 Notre Dame 13.

Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Ohio State Buckeyes Notre Dame Fighting Irish prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.

Ohio State Buckeyes: 17-24 1H ATS in all lined games. 16-23 1H ATS as a favorite. 8-16 1H ATS after 3 or more consecutive straight up wins. 8-3 UNDER when the total is between 42.5 and 49. 5-2 UNDER against teams with a turnover margin of +1 per game or better.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 5-0 ATS against Big 10 conference opponents. 27-11 ATS in all lined games. 15-3 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record. 6-2 1H UNDER as an underdog. 10-5 1H UNDER when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 75%). 12-6 1H UNDER vs. good offensive  teams - scoring 31 or more points/game.

Ohio State Buckeyes:  M. Maggs (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. I. Jones (SAF) Questionable - Undisclosed. S. McLaughlin (OL) Out - Achilles. J. Simmons (OL) Out - Knee. T. Caffey (RB) Out - Knee.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish:  B. Collins (WR) Questionable - Calf. R. Spindler (OL) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Knapp (OL) Out - Ankle. C. Flanagan (TE) Out - Foot. R. Mills (DL) Out - Knee. B. Morrison (CB) Out - Hip. B. Traore (DL) Out - Knee. C. Tucker (CB) Out - Knee. G. Payne (RB) Out - Knee. C. Jagusah (OL) Out - Pectoral. T. Bennie-Powell (SAF) Out - Shoulder. S. Prescod (OL) Out - Shoulder.

“We talked before the game about how do you leave a legacy is to become your old legend. And there’s some guys on this team today that I believe will become legends in Ohio State history. Now they get 10 more days together, and an opportunity to tell their story if they go win one more.” - Ryan Day after his team’s win against Texas in the Cotton Bowl. 

“We found a way to make a play when it mattered the most. In my opinion, great teams, great programs, find a way to do that.” - Marcus Freeman after his team’s win against PSU in the Orange Bowl.

WR Smith, Jeremiah

WR Tate, Carnell 

WR Egbuka, Emeka 

TE Scott Jr., Gee 

QB Howard, Will 

RB Henderson, TreVeyon

WR Collins, Beaux 

WR Faison, Jordan 

WR Greathouse, Jaden

TE Evans, Mitchell 

QB Leonard, Riley 

RB Love, Jeremiyah 

Passing: W. Howard (3490)

Rushing: T. Henderson (925)

Receiving: J. Smith (1224)

Touchdowns: J. Smith (15)

Passing: R. Leonard (2606)

Rushing: J. Love (1121)

Receiving: J. Greathouse (464)

Touchdowns: J. Love (19)

Coaches:

Ohio State Buckeyes: Ryan Day (7th season)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Marcus Freeman (4th season)