For bettors, all Notre Dame needs to do is cover the spread
Despite being ranked in the top five in college football, Notre Dame are double-digit underdogs to Ohio State, but that was news to head coach Marcus Freeman.
The No. 5 ranked Fighting Irish will travel to Ohio Stadium on Saturday as 17.5-point dogs to the No. 2 ranked Buckeyes, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. When looking at ESPN’s Football Power Index, Ohio State have an 83.5% chance of winning Saturday’s matchup.
Don’t tell those odds to Freeman and his team though. The Notre Dame head coach gave a light-hearted reaction to the public’s strong trust in his alma-mater Ohio State.
“I didn’t know that. I’m going to write that down,” Freeman told reporters Monday, per Sportsline Twitter video. “You said 17.5 points? We’ll use that in the team meeting today (Freeman winked at the media present). It’s good to know. I haven’t paid too much attention the spread. I remember that one time we were on ‘College Gameday,’ and I said, ‘Just keep it going up and up.’ “
Of course, whether Notre Dame wins outright or not doesn’t matter to those betting on the spread. A wager on either side is a close to even bet at -110, so $100 would net a payout of $190.91.
However, a bold $100 wager on Notre Dame’s moneyline (+575) would net a payout of $675. A moneyline bet on Ohio State (-800) would not be wise as $100 only pays out $112.50.
How much of a believer in Freeman’s Notre Dame squad will be the deciding factor for which bet you’re willing to make. Or you could just want to fade Ohio State, that could be a reason to trust the Fighting Irish.