Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech Odds
| Notre Dame Odds | PK |
| Virginia Tech Odds | PK |
| Moneyline | -110 / -110 |
| Over/Under | 47 (-108 / -113) |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ACC Network |
| Odds via BetRivers. Get up-to-the-minute college football odds here. | |
We're in for a good one here as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to Blacksburg to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies.
This is only the fourth meeting between these two storied programs. The Fighting Irish hold a 2-1 advantage after they won 21-20 in 2019.
That margin of victory is intriguing as it is the same number that the current spread has landed on. Will history repeat itself? Or will the Hokies catch Notre Dame reeling?
The Fighting Irish are coming off a crucial loss to America's new darling the Cincinnati Bearcats.
It was the culmination of Notre Dame finally meeting a team that could exploit its issues. The offense was shut out in the first half and could not get anything going on offense.
This matchup with Virginia Tech may be just what they need to right the ship.
Virginia Tech has started its season off on the right foot by dismantling its in-state rival Virginia and pulling off a big upset of North Carolina. The Hokies ran into trouble against West Virginia but did not go down without a fight.
The Hokies may be in line to pull off another upset this Saturday.
Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech Betting Preview
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Offense
Brian Kelly thought his team should be executed for the way they played to open the season against Florida State. He won't have to look hard for an executioner as this offensive line has been killing the Fighting Irish all season.
The unit is next to last in Line Yards at 126th in the country and it has made their attempts to run the ball non-existent. It has also both literally and figuratively hurt their passing attack.
Heading into last week's matchup against Cincinnati, starter Jack Coan was banged up. The cause was the accumulation of taking the second-most sacks in all of FBS.
The Bearcats added to it with two of their own.
When Coan was injured against Wisconsin, we saw back up Drew Pyne. But with Coan healthy enough to play, he started against Cincinnati.
He was pulled at halftime not because of injury, but because of performance. He completed 64% of his passes but threw a bad interception when the Irish were knocking on the door at the Bearcats six-yard line.
In the second half, Pyne took over and did not fare much better. Pyne tossed the team's only touchdown but struggled as he completed only 41% of his passes.
With no real answer at quarterback heading into this matchup, it will be interesting to see who Brian Kelly deploys.
Notre Dame Defense
The Notre Dame defense has not been helping out its struggling offense this season. The unit surrenders more yards per play than its own offense gains, 5.3 to 5.1.
The metrics also tell us of this unit's struggles as Notre Dame ranks 124th in Defensive Line Yards, 120th in Passing Success allowed and 97th in Defensive Finishing Drives.
What's interesting, though, is for all the yards and points it has given up, this unit shows flashes of being well-coached as it ranks eighth in coverage and 10th in tackling, according to PFF.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech Offense
This unit is anything but potent, and the numbers are quite the indicator. This Hokies offense ranks 116th in Passing Success, 100th in Rushing Success and 119th in Finishing Drives.
This team also rushes at a 60% rate but has averaged only 3.6 yards per carry. It may be due to the fact that its offensive line is 119th in Offensive Line Yards.
The lone bright spot is their X-factor quarterback, Braxton Burmeister. The junior is a real dual-threat, and his rushing ability has been the key factor in each of Virginia Tech's victories this season.
Virginia Tech Defense
The Hokies' defense has been the backbone of the team this season. They have held their opponents to an average of 15 points per game, which has been crucial as the offense does not produce much more than that.
What's interesting about this defense is not many of their metrics jump off the page despite performing so well.
The only thing that stands out is their top-tier ranking of 17th in Defensive Havoc. That Havoc ranking is created from this defense causing turnovers and getting to the quarterback.
That is a recipe that could spell big trouble for a struggling Notre Dame offense.
Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Notre Dame and Virginia Tech match up statistically:
Notre Dame Offense vs. Virginia Tech Defense
Virginia Tech Offense vs. Notre Dame Defense
Pace of Play / Other
Data via College Football Data, FootballOutsiders, SP+, PFF and SportSource Analytics.
This is a matchup between two relatively bad offenses and one not-so-good defense. Sounds thrilling, right?
Looking deeper at this matchup, it's all about who will have an answer first.
Can whoever plays quarterback for Notre Dame get the offense going? Will Burmeister's rushing create scoring opportunities for the Hokies?
In the background of it all will be the rocking crowd at Lane Stadium on a Saturday night. That may be one of the biggest factors of all.
Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech Betting Pick
The market has hammered this number all the way down from its open at 5.5. They have good reason to.
This is a bad spot for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish go on the road to a tough environment after their season practically ended with the loss to Cincinnati.
They may be the Fighting Irish, but I don't expect them to have much fight left in them. The Hokies will kick them when they're down.
