by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Oct 16, 2025
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, October 18, 2025
Venue: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, IN
Where to Watch: NBC, Peacock
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: USC +9.5, Notre Dame -9.5; Over/Under: 61.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: USC +9.5, Notre Dame -9.5; Over/Under: 62 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: USC +9.5, Notre Dame -9.5; Over/Under: 61.5 points
Season Record
USC Trojans: 5-1 (3-1) (3rd place, Big Ten)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 4-2 (0-0) (FBS Independent)
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Recent Form
USC Trojans: won their last game at home against the Michigan Wolverines 31-13.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: won their last game at home against the North Carolina State Wolfpack 36-7.
USC Trojans vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview and Analysis
USC is entering this game with a 5-1 record overall and they have a 3-1 record in their conference games too. They are 4-0 in their home games, 1-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against Michigan 31-13. Jayden Maiava was the starting QB and he completed 25/32 passes for 265 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. King Miller led the team in rushing yards with 158 and 1 TD. Makai Lemon led the receivers with 93 receiving yards on 9 receptions and 1 TD. Eric Gentry led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while Devan Thompkins led the defense in sacks with 2. Bishop Fitzgerald came away with the only 2 interceptions for them in that one.
Notre Dame is entering this game with a 4-2 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 3-1 in their home games, 1-1 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 won their last game against NC State 36-7. CJ Carr was the starting QB and he completed 19/31 passes for 342 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Jeremiyah Love led the team in rushing yards with 86 and 2 TDs. Eli Raridon led the receivers with 109 receiving yards on 7 receptions. Tae Johnson led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while Boubacar Traore led the defense in sacks with 2. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Adon Shuler, and Karson Hobbs each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
USC vs Notre Dame Prediction
The current betting odds have Notre Dame listed as a 9.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Notre Dame has looked really good in their games this season with their 4-2 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 25 in the nation. They started the year 0-2 with losses against Miami and Texas A&M, but those are 2 of the best teams in the nation at the moment. They have also looked a lot better lately with 4 wins in a row now and their defense has looked great as they haven't been giving up many points lately. Meanwhile, USC has looked really good in their games this season with their 5-1 record overall and their 3-1 conference record which has them higher in the Big Ten. Their offense has been rolling in their games lately, putting up a ton of points, but their defense has been a big issue. They are off a 31-13 win over Michigan in their last one, but their defense has been giving up a ton of points this season and has looked a lot worse on the road. Their only loss this year also came on the road against Illinois who has been in and out of the rankings all year. Notre Dame has a great offense that is going to put up a ton of points at home against this USC defense, but Notre Dame's defense has looked a lot better in their games lately so it won't be as easy for this USC offense to score on the road. The best way to place a bet here is on Notre Dame to cover the spread in this game.
USC Notre Dame Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 18, 2025 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Notre Dame 44 USC 30.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
USC Trojans: 2-10 ATS in road lined games. 1-10 ATS off a win against a conference rival. 1-5 ATS against teams with a turnover margin of +1 per game or better. 20-11 OVER in all lined games. 7-3 OVER when the total is between 56.5 and 63. 8-2 OVER in non-conference games.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 23-9 ATS in all lined games. 21-8 ATS as a favorite. 11-3 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record. 12-1 ATS after playing a game at home. 22-13 OVER in all lined games. 8-3 OVER as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. 13-6 OVER after a win by 17 or more points.
Key Injuries
USC Trojans: E. Sanders (RB) Out - Knee. W. Jordan (RB) Out - Ankle. K. O'Connor (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. E. Paige (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. P. Brown (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Jackson (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Johnson (CB) Out - Knee. C. Chittenden (K) Out - Undisclosed.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: G. Rubio (DL) Out - Elbow. M. Gilbert (WR) Out - Hand. P. Jones (OG) Out - Ankle. C. Jagusah (OG) Out - Arm. A. Craig (OG) Out - Knee. W. Black (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Smith (CB) Questionable - Calf. J. Greathouse (WR) Questionable - Thigh. C. Flanagan (TE) Questionable - Achilles. K. Young (RB) Out - Knee. B. Logan (S) Out - Shoulder. D. Devezin (RB) Out - Shoulder.
Notable Quotes
“We really were looking forward to this game, (and) I thought we attacked it, dominated the football game on all sides. A gritty, tough performance. You could just feel it with the group.” - Lincoln Riley after his team’s win against Michigan in their last game.
“My message was stop beating Notre Dame. That was the message. .... It’s easy for me to say don’t beat Notre Dame, but we have to continue to train our minds to focus in the right way and go out and execute.” - Marcus Freeman after his team’s win against NC State in their last game.
Starting Lineups
USC Trojans
WR Lane, Ja'Kobi
WR Hines, Tanook
WR Lemon, Makai
TE McRee, Lake
QB Maiava, Jayden
RB Sanders, Eli
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
WR Fields, Malachi
WR Faison, Jordan
WR Greathouse, Jaden
TE Raridon, Eli
QB Carr, CJ
RB Love, Jeremiyah
Statistical Leaders
USC Trojans
Passing: Jayden Maiava (1,852)
Rushing: Waymond Jordan (576)
Receiving: Makai Lemon (682)
Touchdowns: Makai Lemon (7)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Passing: CJ Carr (1,622)
Rushing: Jeremiyah Love (530)
Receiving: Jordan Faison (376)
Touchdowns: Jeremiyah Love (11)
Coaches:
USC Trojans: Lincoln Riley (4th season)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Marcus Freeman (5th 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.
