Which is the real Notre Dame: The team that was taken to overtime by Florida State and then struggled to beat Toledo, or the team that this past weekend routed Wisconsin on a neutral field?

That’s certainly what sports bettors are wondering as Cincinnati travels to South Bend for the biggest regular season game in the history of the Bearcats’ program. Notre Dame is an underdog in its own stadium, but will have all that Irish myth and magic on its side in a top-10 matchup sure to draw lots of interest from fans of Indiana sports betting and those who enjoy making college football picks.

Odds are current as of publication. Betting sites may indicate odds changes closer to kickoff.

Cincinnati vs Notre Dame Key Matchups

Jack Coan vs. his ankle injury: A huge question leading into Saturday, given that the Notre Dame quarterback left the Wisconsin game in the third quarter with a left ankle injury. Irish coach Brian Kelly was optimistic early in the week that the injury was not serious and that Coan would start against the Bearcats.

Notre Dame’s offensive line vs. Cincinnati’s pass rush: Coan was injured on a sack, one of eight the Irish have given up this season. Cincinnati’s defense is very good, and that Irish offensive line will have to work to keep Coan upright.

Desmond Ritter vs. Kyle Hamilton: Cincinnati QB Ritter has been solid, averaging 250 passing yards per game and completing 65% of his attempts. Hamilton, a safety for the Irish, leads the team with three interceptions and will be key in slowing a passing attack pivotal to the Bearcats’ offense.

Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame lore: The stadium, the gold helmets, the leprechaun - it’ll all be at work on the minds of the Bearcats. They hung with Georgia in last season’s Peach Bowl, but that was a neutral field. The last time they were in an environment like this? A 42-0 loss at Ohio State in 2019.

5 Key Cincinnati vs Notre Dame Stats

11: Consecutive victories for Notre Dame against teams from outside the Power 5 since losing to Navy 28-27 on Nov. 5, 2016.

4-8: Cincinnati’s record against ranked opponents under head coach Luke Fickell, who was hired prior to the 2017 season.

43: Cincinnati’s average points scored per game, good enough for 12th nationally, compared to Notre Dame’s 33.3.

12: Consecutive regular season games won by Cincinnati, dating back to a loss at Memphis on Nov. 29, 2019.

19: Consecutive regular season games won by Notre Dame, dating back to a loss at Michigan on Oct. 26, 2019.

Cincinnati vs Notre Dame Weather Forecast

Early forecasts for Saturday afternoon in South Bend, IN, call for temperatures in the low 70s and a 25% chance of rain. The rain chances increase later in the day, so those involved in college football betting should be alert for the possibility of precipitation as the game wears on.

Cincinnati vs Notre Dame Moneyline

Cincinnati is a -122 moneyline favorite with Notre Dame a +100 underdog, according to sportsbooks. On paper, the Bearcats are a better team; that defense is fantastic, Ritter is an NFL talent, and they’ve been far more consistent game to game.

But the way Cincinnati struggled early on at Indiana, before the biggest crowd to see a nonconference game in Bloomington since the 1970s, was concerning. What happens if it’s South Bend, in the final two minutes of a close game? Cincinnati knows this is the biggest game in program history, and the weight of all that is worrisome against a capable opponent that respects but does not fear its opponent. That’s why we’re going with the Irish. You can get Notre Dame at +105 with BetMGM ➜.

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Cincinnati vs Notre Dame Point Spread

Cincinnati is a 1.5-point favorite, according to betting sites. Prior to the Wisconsin game, when Notre Dame was slogging it past the likes of Florida State and Toledo, this shaped up as a very different matchup to handicap. Now, it’s tough to discount an Irish defense that returned two interceptions for touchdowns against the Badgers, and has a fantastic pass-rusher in Isaiah Foskey.

There’s plenty enough there to give the Bearcats trouble if Cincinnati struggles to hold it together in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus. If you like Notre Dame on the moneyline, you certainly like them with these college football odds. You can get Notre Dame +2 (-110) at DraftKings ➜.

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Cincinnati vs Notre Dame Totals

The total is 50.5, according to betting apps. For all the talk of the respective quarterbacks, defenses are the calling cards for both teams. Notre Dame’s eight sacks rank 11th nationally, Cincinnati’s seven turnovers forced rank seventh.

The Bearcats are also allowing just 15 points per game, and Notre Dame just held the best team it’s played this season to 13. That total is a low one, but given how much defense, nerves and emotions are likely to be at play here, we’re inclined to go with the under. You can get Under 50.5 (-108) at FanDuel ➜.

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