California vs. Notre Dame picks and best bets for Week 3

The Golden Bears and Fighting Irish meet in South Bend as Notre Dame looks for first 2022 win

By Grace McDermott Sep 17, 2022, 3:39am PDT

Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish prepares to take the field prior to the game against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Notre Dame Stadium on September 10, 2022 in South Bend, Indiana.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-2) host the California Golden Bears (2-0) in South Bend on Saturday, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. ET. The Irish are still looking for their first win under new head coach Marcus Freeman, and will face a tough Cal defense with their starting quarterback out for the season.

Here’s all the data you’ll want, and a pick for the game!

SP+ Rankings

California: No. 74 overall, No. 118 offense, No. 24 defense
Notre Dame: No. 18 overall, No. 32 offense, No. 15 defense

Injury update

California

Notre Dame

QB Tyler Buchner - Out for season (shoulder)

ATS/Total

Against The Spread

California: 1-1 ATS
Notre Dame: 1-1 ATS

Total

California: Over 1-1
Notre Dame: Over 0-2

Returning/Overall Talent from 247Sports

California: No. 43 overall, No. 44 offense, No. 42 defense
Notre Dame: No. 11 overall, No. 9 offense, No. 9 defense

Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Notre Dame -12.5
Total: 40.5
Moneyline: Notre Dame -435, Cal +350

Opening line: Notre Dame -12.5
Opening total: 43

Weather

84 degrees, 14 MPH wind, 0% chance of rain

The Pick

Under 40.5

Hopefully, the Irish have been focusing on getting defensive stops in practice this week after letting Marshall slip by a few too many times. Paired with a Cal defense that’s ranked No. 24 in SP+ and a brand-new starting quarterback for the Irish, I see this being a low-scoring game.

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