This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
College Football Best Bets: Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame
Get in on the college football action for 2024 with a BetMGM bonus code featuring a Bonus Bet offer of up to $1,500! RotoWire has plenty of college football betting tools and info to keep you in the loop this season. From the latest college football odds to college football futures and Heisman odds, we have you covered.
This is one of the biggest games of Week 1 of the college football season. Two teams with playoff hopes square off in College Station. One has a new quarterback. The other, well, it has a lot of new stuff going on.
Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame Betting Odds
Spread: Texas A&M -2.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook), Notre Dame +3 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Total: 46.5 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Notre Dame +130 (DraftKings Sportsbook), Texas A&M -150 (Caesars Sportsbook)
The usual rule of thumb is that being at home is worth three points on the spread. Ergo, the books clearly see this one as a true-blue tossup. That makes the fact the Irish are getting points on the moneyline from DraftKings intriguing.
Join in on the fun during the 2024 college football season with a FanDuel Sportsbook promo code featuring $200 in Bonus Bets and three weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket!
Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame Betting Picks
The modern landscape of college football is one of turnover. Last year, the Fighting Irish brought in Sam Hartman, a collegiate veteran under center, to try and get over the hump. It didn't work, but the team did go 10-3 and start this season ranked seventh. Not with Hartman under center, though. Nope, Marcus Freeman went back to the portal and brought in Riley Leonard from Duke, who will have more talent around him than he ever had down in Durham.
Speaking of Duke, Mike Elko was the head coach there last season with Leonard. He has worked as a defensive coordinator for both Notre Dame and Texas A&M. When the boosters for the Aggies changed the football landscape by axing Jimbo Fisher even though his buyout was $77.5 million, the powers that be brought Elko back to run the program. There has been a ton of turnover, unsurprisingly. Although, Conner Weigman is still the starting quarterback for the Aggies.
Enthusiasm may be high at Kyle Field. When it comes to talent and continuity, though, Notre Dame is ahead of the curve. I think the Irish will win, and I am willing to eschew points on that front.
Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame Best Bet: Notre Dame Moneyline +130 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Get a piece of the action during the 2024 college football season with a DraftKings Promo Code for $200 in Bonus Bets and a 1-Month Subscription to NFL+ Premium with a $5 bet!
Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame Betting Predictions
Elko knows how to build a defense, but with so much churn, how good can the Aggies be out of the gate? Weigman is healthy again, but if you remember him as having a hot start to 2023, while that's true, he mostly threw five touchdowns against New Mexico. He also had an efficient day against Louisana-Monroe. Those teams aren't on Notre Dame's level. You can have questions about Leonard for sure, and imagine Elko knowing a thing or two about stopping his old quarterback, but I see the Irish winning a low-scoring affair on the strength of its defense and run game.
