by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Oct 14, 2026
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026
Venue: LaVell Edwards Stadium (LES), Provo, UT
Where to Watch: ABC
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: ND -10.5, BYU +10.5; Over/Under: 46.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: ND -10.5, BYU +10.5; Over/Under: 46.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: ND -10.5, BYU +10.5; Over/Under: 46.5 points
Season Record
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 6-0 (0-0) (FBS Independent)
BYU Cougars: 5-0 (3-0) (1st place, Big 12)
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish: won their last game at home against the Stanford Cardinal 58-7.
BYU Cougars: won their last game at home against the Iowa State Cyclones 24-10.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs BYU Cougars Preview and Analysis
Notre Dame is entering this game with a 6-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 3-0 in their home games, 2-0 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against Stanford 58-7. CJ Carr was the starting QB and he completed 14/20 passes for 181 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Jonaz Walton led the team in rushing yards with 181 and 2 TDs. Aneyas Williams led the receivers with 70 receiving yards on 1 reception and 1 TD. Drayk Bowen led the defense in that game with 6 tackles while Boubacar Traore led the defense in sacks with 1. Boubacar Traore and Mark Zackery IV each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
BYU is entering this game with a 5-0 record overall and they have a 3-0 record in their conference games too. They are 3-0 in their home games, 2-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Iowa State 24-10. Bear Bachmeier was the starting QB and he completed 22/30 passes for 329 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Bear Bachmeier led the team in rushing yards with 109. Legend Glasker led the receivers with 99 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Faletau Satuala led the defense in that game with 7 tackles while Ace Kaufusi led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Notre Dame vs BYU Prediction
The current betting odds have BYU listed as a 10.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. BYU has looked great in their games this season with their 5-0 record overall and their 3-0 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They have looked great on their home field too with their 3-0 home record this season. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has looked great in their games this season with their 6-0 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 10 teams in the nation. They have been a good road team too with their 2-0 road record this year. Notre Dame is coming off a 58-7 win over Stanford in their last one and they have been rolling this season, but they have also had a really weak schedule up to this point. Stanford is one of the worst teams in the ACC so that isn't a great win for them and their toughest game so far seems to be their 1st win of the season against Wisconsin, a game in which they struggled in the 1st half. They haven't really been challenged all year, so this is going to be their first real game of the season and this is no easy place to play against one of the best teams in the Big 12. BYU is coming off a 24-10 win over Iowa State in their last one and they haven't looked great in a lot of their wins, but they play a really physical style and continue to find ways to win games. The offense hasn't looked great at times, but the defense has been really good and they do have a QB who has been great and can put the team on his back. This is going to be a tough environment for Notre Dame and even if they do get the win here, BYU isn't going to make it easy for them. The best way to place a bet here is on BYU to cover the spread in this game.
Notre Dame BYU Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 17, 2026 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Notre Dame 21 BYU 13.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 16-36 ATS versus good defensive teams - allowing 4.5 yards/play or less. 27-40 ATS versus good defensive teams - allowing 310 yards/game or less. 2-6 ATS on the road against Big 12 conference opponents. 5-1 UNDER off a home blowout win by 28 points or more. 31-22 UNDER versus good defensive teams - allowing 4.5 yards/play or less.
BYU Cougars: 20-9 ATS against FBS division opponents. 10-2 ATS when the total is between 42.5 and 49. 9-1 ATS after allowing 14 points or less last game. 6-3 UNDER after 3 or more consecutive wins against the spread. 8-2 UNDER after allowing 14 points or less last game.
Key Injuries
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: K. Viliamu-Asa (LB) Questionable - Thumb. B. Hebert (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. Moore (CB) Questionable - Concussion. Q. Porter (WR) Out - Knee.
BYU Cougars: J. Nye (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Gentry (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. S. Esera (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Laga (K) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. Martin (RB) Out - Ankle. S. Moa (RB) Out - Undisclosed. R. Damuni (S) Out - Lower Body.
Notable Quotes
“We know he’s gifted. He has a lot of ability. But what you’re seeing now is that he’s being consistent in practice, consistent in his reads, consistent in what he is every single day that’s giving him more opportunities to go out there and play on the field.” - Marcus Freeman on Jonaz Walton after his team’s win against Stanford in their last game.
“We know Bear can throw the ball, so I feel good about Bear throwing the ball. Whether they take away the run or take away the pass, I trust Bear and his ability to get us on the right call and to make the right decisions. Bear’s talented, so we put a lot on him to make decisions.” - Kalani Sitake after his team’s win against ISU in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
WR Faison, Jordan
WR Gilbert, Micah
WR Graham, Mylan
TE Flanagan, Cooper
QB Carr, CJ
RB Williams, Aneyas
BYU Cougars
WR Kasper, Kyler
WR Phillips, Jojo
WR Glasker, Legend
TE Lyons, Walker
QB Bachmeier, Bear
RB Martin, LJ
Statistical Leaders
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Passing: CJ Carr (1,378)
Rushing: Jonaz Walton (409)
Receiving: Jordan Faison (387)
Touchdowns: Nolan James Jr. (8)
BYU Cougars
Passing: Bear Bachmeier (1,033)
Rushing: LJ Martin (344)
Receiving: Legend Glasker (378)
Touchdowns: Legend Glasker (5)
Coaches:
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Marcus Freeman (6th season)
BYU Cougars: Kalani Sitake (11th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
