Teams looking to grind down the opposition by playing ball-control offense clash when the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Pittsburgh Panthers in a key ACC matchup on Saturday. Pittsburgh (3-3) enters the game ranked 22nd in time of possession at 32 minutes, 30 seconds per game, while Notre Dame (4-0) is 23rd at 32:15. In their win over Louisville, the Fighting Irish held the ball a whopping 36:15, including an impressive 57-yard drive that took almost eight minutes off the clock to finish out the fourth quarter and preserve the victory. Notre Dame had seven offensive drives on the day, and four of those took more than five minutes.
Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. ET from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Notre Dame is averaging 33.3 points per game, while Pittsburgh averages 29.5. The Fighting Irish are favored by 10 points in the latest Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh odds from William Hill, while the over-under for total points scored is 43.5. Before making any Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $4,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is a sizzling 25-13 on top-rated picks through seven weeks of the 2020 college football season, returning over $700 in profit already. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Notre Dame vs. Pitt. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds from William Hill and trends for Pitt vs. Notre Dame:
- Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh spread: Notre Dame -10
- Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh over-under: 43.5 points
- Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh money line: Notre Dame -380, Pittsburgh +310
- ND: Senior QB Ian Book has moved into a tie with Ron Powlus with 558 career pass completions, fourth-most in school history
- PITT: Pitt is averaging 4.83 sacks per game to lead the ACC and rank second nationally
Why Notre Dame can cover
The Irish have been stout on defense and are allowing the fourth-fewest points per game in the country at 11.5. They are also ranked 11th in total yards allowed at 300.8. Sophomore defensive back Kyle Hamilton and senior linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah are tied for the team lead in tackles with 20. Hamilton has made 18 solo stops and knocked down two passes, while Owusu-Koramoah has 13 solo tackles, one sack for six yards and one forced fumble.
Also making a big impact on the defense is junior cornerback TaRiq Bracy. Bracy has 18 tackles, all solo, with three pass breakups. He is coming off a six-tackle performance against Louisville. For his career, Bracy has 70 career stops, including 57 solo, with 10 passes defensed and two forced fumbles.
Why Pittsburgh can cover
The Panthers boast the nation's top defense against the run. Pittsburgh is surrendering just 61.5 yards per game on the ground this year. A big reason for that success is the play of senior defensive lineman Patrick Jones II, who has registered 25 tackles, including 11 solo, and a team-high seven sacks.
Senior defensive lineman Rashad Weaver is also having a big season. He has made 19 tackles, including 11 solo, and is second on the team in sacks with 4.5. He has also broken up two passes, forced two fumbles and recovered another. He missed all of last season due to injury, but in 2018 started all 14 games at defensive end and made 47 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks.
How to make Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, with the model suggesting the teams will combine for 47 points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in nearly 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame? And which side of the spread hits almost 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh spread to back, all from the advanced model that is up over $4,100 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
