The 10th-seeded Indiana Hoosiers battle the seventh-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday. The winner of the game will then face the second-seeded Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinals at the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. The Hoosiers (11-1), who tied for second with Penn State in the Big Ten Conference at 8-1, are 3-1 on the road this season. The Fighting Irish (11-1), who are 5-1 on their home field this year, enter Friday's bout having won 10 straight games.
Kickoff from Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., is set for 8 p.m. ET. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 23-5-1, last meeting in 1991. The Fighting Irish are seven-point favorites in the latest Indiana vs. Notre Dame odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 52.5. Before you make any Notre Dame vs. Indiana picks, make sure you check out what SportsLine college football expert Micah Roberts has to say, given his mastery of picks in games involving Indiana.
Micah Roberts has worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for 20-plus years, including a 13-year run as Station Casinos' book director. Armed with an elaborate network of sources, Roberts has unmatched info in multiple sports. Most importantly, Roberts has a read on the pulse of the Hoosiers. In fact, he is an amazing 9-1 (+795) on his last 10 picks on games involving Indiana. Anyone who has followed him on sportsbooks and betting apps is way up.
Now, Roberts has locked in on Indiana vs. Notre Dame and just revealed his coveted CFB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Indiana vs. Notre Dame:
- Indiana vs. Notre Dame spread: Notre Dame -7
- Indiana vs. Notre Dame over-under: 52.5 points
- Indiana vs. Notre Dame money line: Indiana +224, Notre Dame -277
- IND: The Hoosiers have hit the money line in nine of their last 10 games (+8.00 units)
- ND: The Fighting Irish have covered the spread in 11 of their last 13 games (+8.80 units)
- Indiana vs. Notre Dame picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Indiana vs. Notre Dame streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Notre Dame can cover
The Fighting Irish are led by senior quarterback Riley Leonard. For the season, he has completed 66.2% of his passes for 2,092 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions and a rating of 140.8. He has also rushed 124 times for 721 yards (5.8 average) and 14 touchdowns. In the 49-35 win at USC on Nov. 30, he completed 17 of 22 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 12 times for 50 yards and one score.
Running back Jadarian Price is the team's third-leading rusher, carrying 89 times for 651 yards (7.3 average) and seven touchdowns. Against USC, he rushed 12 times for 111 yards (9.3 average) and one touchdown. Jeremiyah Love suffered a knee injury against the Trojans but is healthy heading into Friday's contest. Love leads Notre Dame with 949 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns this season. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Indiana can cover
Senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been the heart of the Hoosiers' offense. He has completed 202 of 287 passes (70.4%) for 2,827 yards and 27 touchdowns with just four interceptions. In the 66-0 win over Purdue in the regular-season finale, he completed 23 of 31 passes (74.2%) for 349 yards and six touchdowns. In a 47-10 win at Michigan State on Nov. 2, he completed 19 of 29 passes for 263 yards and four touchdowns.
Running back Justice Ellison powers the Indiana ground attack. In 12 games, he has carried 148 times for 811 yards (5.5 average) and 10 touchdowns. He has also caught 11 passes for 84 yards (7.6 average). In a 56-7 win over Nebraska on Oct. 19, he carried nine times for 105 yards and two touchdowns. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Notre Dame vs. Indiana picks
Roberts has analyzed Notre Dame vs. Indiana from every possible angle. He's leaning Over for the total and has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. Find out what it is, and which team to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Notre Dame vs. Indiana in the College Football Playoffs, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to back, all from the expert who is an outstanding 9-1 on picks involving Indiana, and find out.
