by Rod Pearson
Monday, Sep 21, 2026
Game Time: 2:00 pm ET, Saturday, September 26, 2026
Venue: Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
Where to Watch: Peacock
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Notre Dame -27.5, Purdue +27.5; Over/Under: 57.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Notre Dame -27.5, Purdue +27.5; Over/Under: 57.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Notre Dame -27, Purdue +27; Over/Under: 57.5 points
Season Record
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 3-0 (0-0) (FBS Independent)
Purdue Boilermakers: 1-2 (0-1) (17th place, Big Ten)
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish: won their last game at home against the Michigan State Spartans 27-10.
Purdue Boilermakers: lost their last game on the road against the UCLA Bruins 52-38.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Purdue Boilermakers Preview and Analysis
Notre Dame is entering this game with a 3-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 2-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against Michigan State 27-10. CJ Carr was the starting QB and he completed 18/24 passes for 234 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Nolan James Jr. led the team in rushing yards with 121 and 1 TD. Micah Gilbert led the receivers with 170 receiving yards on 8 receptions. Drayk Bowen led the defense in that game with 7 tackles while Boubacar Traore, Luke Talich, Tionne Gray, and Loghan Thomas each led the defense in sacks with 1. Adon Shuler and Luke Talich each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
Purdue is entering this game with a 1-2 record overall and they have a 0-1 record in their conference games too. They are 1-1 in their home games, 0-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against UCLA 52-38. Ryan Browne was the starting QB and he completed 19/30 passes for 378 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Fame Ijeboi led the team in rushing yards with 47 and 2 TDs. Xavier Townsend led the receivers with 162 receiving yards on 6 receptions and 2 TDs. John Slaughter led the defense in that game with 7 tackles while Breeon Ishmail led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Notre Dame vs Purdue Prediction
The current betting odds have Notre Dame listed as a 27.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Notre Dame has looked great in their games this season with their 3-0 record overall so far. They haven't played any road games yet and will be playing their 1st road game of the season here, but they do have a win at a neutral site which was more of a road game for them. Meanwhile, Purdue hasn't looked great in their games this season with their 1-2 record overall and their 0-1 conference record which has them right near the bottom of the Big Ten. They haven't looked great on their home field either with their 1-1 home record this season. Purdue is coming off a 52-38 loss to UCLA in their last one and now they are in a tough spot coming back from the West coast. They have been one of the worst teams in the Big Ten over the last few years and their offense is finally showing some life this season, but their defense has been terrible in their games. They had a chance to beat Wake Forest at home and blew that game late, now coming off a game in which they gave up over 50 points. The defense is going to be an issue for them all season and that offense is going to have a lot more trouble in this game as this could be the best defense they face all season. Notre Dame had a slower start in their 1st game of the season, but they have been rolling since then. They are coming off a 27-10 win over Michigan State in their last one and their offense definitely wasn't at it's best, but the defense was great and made it really hard to move the ball against them. That defense is going to continue playing well here as they strive to be one of the best defenses in the nation. The offense will also be looking to bounce back in this game with how bad Purdue's defense has looked this season. Normally this could be a game that Notre Dame overlooks, but they gave up 30 points to this offense last season and the defense will be looking to have a much better game. The best way to place a bet here is on Notre Dame to cover the spread in this game.
Notre Dame Purdue Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, September 26, 2026 (2:00 pm ET start time) is Notre Dame 49 Purdue 13.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 19-10 ATS against FBS division opponents. 6-3 ATS against Big 10 conference opponents. 17-9 ATS as a favorite. 10-3 ATS vs. good offensive teams - scoring 31 or more points/game. 3-0 UNDER when the total is between 56.5 and 63.
Purdue Boilermakers: 7-16 ATS against FBS division opponents. 6-14 ATS as an underdog. 5-10 ATS in home lined games. 1-9 ATS vs. good offensive teams - scoring 31 or more points/game. 7-3 UNDER versus good defensive teams - allowing 310 yards/game or less.
Key Injuries
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: B. Hebert (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. Q. Porter (WR) Questionable - Knee.
Purdue Boilermakers: K. Fox (TE) Out - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“It wasn’t perfect, as everybody saw, but it was a good victory and a hard-fought victory. Those are the type of victories that you’re going to have to win and find a way to win.” - Marcus Freeman after his team’s win against MSU in their last game.
"I think that would be premature for me to talk about that right now. We've got to sit down and talk about that. There are really good coaches on that side of the ball. We have to find answers." - Barry Odom after his team’s loss against UCLA in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
WR Faison, Jordan
WR Gilbert, Micah
WR Graham, Mylan
TE Flanagan, Cooper
QB Carr, CJ
RB Williams, Aneyas
Purdue Boilermakers
WR Morrissette, De'Nylon
WR Magwood, Chauncey
WR Waseem, Asaad
TE Burhenn, George
QB Browne, Ryan
RB Ijeboi, Fame
Statistical Leaders
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Passing: CJ Carr (726)
Rushing: Nolan James Jr. (169)
Receiving: Micah Gilbert (251)
Touchdowns: Nolan James Jr. (4)
Purdue Boilermakers
Passing: Ryan Browne (1,024)
Rushing: Fame Ijeboi (248)
Receiving: Asaad Waseem (321)
Touchdowns: Fame Ijeboi (6)
Coaches:
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Marcus Freeman (6th season)
Purdue Boilermakers: Barry Odom (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
