The first release of the College Football Playoff rankings should have offered a clear double-edged sword to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Win convincingly and you are in the Playoff for a second straight year, but look bad on a Saturday and your dreams may be dashed despite a victory.
The Navy Midshipmen’s triple-option offense could make the Irish look bad on its own, so my Navy vs. Notre Dame predictions and college football picks would rather trust the Irish offense more than just about anything else at kickoff at 7:30 ET on Saturday, November 8.
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Navy vs Notre Dame prediction
Navy vs Notre Dame best bet: Over 55.5 (-115)
Both offenses are better than their respective defenses, always a good start to find an Over, but betting an Over in a game involving a service academy is also always a worry. In this instance, though, two different game states set us up for an Over. And both have been seen during Marcus Freeman’s tenure as Notre Dame’s head coach.
In 2022, the Irish got out to a 35-13 halftime lead, and then Navy’s offense found its needed efficiency. Some of that was because Notre Dame knew its lead was too insurmountable to be overcome, but much of it was simply the Midshipmen hitting their marks. The 35-32 result was nowhere near as close as it seemed, but credit should be given to and remembered now of Navy’s offensive ability.
If Notre Dame’s defense struggles against the triple-option, the current Midshipmen's ability to hit explosive plays should assure an Over. And in Chris Ash’s first year coordinating against this triple option, it is distinctly likely that the Irish will struggle against the triple option.
But if Notre Dame does not struggle against the triple-option — a la last year’s 51-14 win in a game with a total of 50.5 — that should still assure the Over. Every quick stop of Navy will get the Irish offense the ball back, and this is a top-10 offense, prone to pop explosive plays both on the ground and in the air.
Every offensive opportunity for Notre Dame will be an opportunity for an explosive score via Will Pauling or Eli Raridon or Jordan Faison or Jeremiyah Love, or Jadarian Price. The Irish have too many athletes for the Midshipmen to defend, so a strong Notre Dame defensive performance can still set up an Over, simply by giving those athletes more chances.
Navy vs Notre Dame same-game parlay
Will Pauling has found the end zone in five straight games, and at this point, the leading Irish slot receiver should be trusted every week through the end of the regular season. It will be partly due to his finding the end zone that Navy eventually feels a need to hit some explosive pass plays, very much a Midshipmen capability these days, and one that should propel Blake Horvath past this modest passing prop.
Navy vs Notre Dame SGP
- Over 55.5
- Will Pauling Touchdown
- Blake Horvath Over 94.5 Passing Yards
Our deep-ball SGP: Love me some touchdowns
Let's keep this simple: It seems rather clear that Notre Dame wants to get running back Jeremiyah Love to New York City as a Heisman finalist. He has yet to score three times in a game this season, but a primetime game on national television should be a great chance to do so.
Navy vs Notre Dame SGP
- Over 55.5
- Will Pauling Touchdown
- Blake Horvath Over 94.5 Passing Yards
- Jeremiyah Love 3+ Touchdowns
Navy vs Notre Dame odds
- Spread: Navy +26.5 | Notre Dame -26.5
- Moneyline: Navy +1600 | Notre Dame -4500
- Over/Under: Over 55.5 | Under 55.5
Navy vs Notre Dame trend to know
Notre Dame has won against the spread in each of the last two meetings between these two teams, doing so by 18.5 points in 2023 and by 23 points in 2024, a notable stretch in that it seems likely Marcus Freeman simply needed a year (2022) to adjust to being the head coach against the triple option. Find more college football betting trends for Navy vs Notre Dame.
How to watch Navy vs Notre Dame
| Location | Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, IN |
| Date | Saturday, November 8, 2025 |
| Kickoff | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC |
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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