In this article, we will formulate a Texas A&M vs Notre Dame prediction for this College Football game on Saturday, August 31st at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this big week one matchup.
Texas A&M Aggies Betting Preview
The Texas A&M Aggies went 7-6 (4-4) last season and they finished fourth in the SEC West Division standings. Texas A&M defeated New Mexico easily in their first game, but they lost to Miami by a score of 48-33 in their second game. The Aggies won their next three games to get to 4-1, but they lost three of the next four. Texas A&M finished the regular season by going 2-1, but they lost to Oklahoma State by a score of 31-23 in the Texas Bowl. The Aggies allowed at least 31 points in three of their last five games.
Texas A&M comes into this season with plenty of expectations and they have a new head coach, after getting rid of Jimbo Fisher in the offseason. The Aggies will have Connor Weigman under center, who threw for 979 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions last year. Weigman did lose two very good receivers, but the Aggies have a pretty deep wide receiver room and their offensive line should be solid. Texas A&M needs to be better on defense this season, as they had a few very tough games last year, but they should be better as Elko has a strong defensive background.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Preview
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish went 10-3 last year and they are just one of three teams that are considered an independent. Notre Dame started the season with four straight wins, which included a nice win at NC State, but they lost two of the next three against Ohio State and Louisville. The Fighting Irish added another loss against Clemson but finished the year with two wins against Wake Forest and Stanford. Notre Dame defeated Oregon State in the Sun Bowl by a score of 40-8, which capped off a successful ten-win season.
Notre Dame will have Riley Leonard at quarterback this season, who was at Duke last year. Leonard is a dual-threat quarterback but needs to stay healthy, which is something he didn’t do last year. The Fighting Irish don’t have a great wide receiver room in my opinion, but the offensive line should be decent, even factoring in the preseason injuries. Estime is no longer in the backfield, so that is a lot of production that needs to be replaced. Notre Dame should be very good defensively this season, but they will be tested in this spot on the road.
Why Texas A&M will beat Notre Dame
- The favorite has won each of Texas A&M’s last 11 games.
- Notre Dame has lost each of its last three road games against AP-ranked teams.
- Texas A&M has covered the spread in five of its last six games as a favorite against AP-ranked teams.
- Texas A&M has won the first half in 14 of its last 15 games against non-conference opponents at Kyle Field.
- Texas A&M has won the first quarter in 29 of its last 33 games against non-conference opponents at Kyle Field.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Notre Dame’s last six games have gone OVER the total points line.
- Six of Texas A&M’s last seven games against top-15 AP-ranked teams at Kyle Field have gone OVER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Texas A&M ranked T4th among FBS teams for Q2 win percentage last season (.769).
- Texas A&M was one of only eight FBS teams to lose 3+ games when leading at HT last season.
- Notre Dame ranked 1st among FBS teams for Q3 points per game last season (11.3).
- Notre Dame ranked 2nd among FBS teams for H2 points per game last season (21.7).
Texas A&M vs Notre Dame Prediction
This is one of the best games on the week one schedule and I can’t wait to see how both teams look. Notre Dame is disappointed with their injury news in the preseason, but they should be very good this year and a win here would go a long way in making the CFP. Texas A&M has a new head coach, but they have a pretty experienced quarterback and a home-field advantage.
This should be a very physical, lower-scoring game, but I think Texas A&M has a huge advantage with this game being at home. The crowd will make things difficult for Leonard and the offense, which I think will be too much to overcome. Take Texas A&M to get the win here.