College Football Pick – #8 Notre Dame vs #19 Michigan

Our Notre Dame vs Michigan pick has the Irish at -1.0. Also, this Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Michigan Wolverines pick has the over/under at 49.0. The moneyline for this Irish at Wolverines contest is at a very attractive -105. The game will be played Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 7:30 pm ET in Michigan Stadium. Please also see our Ohio State vs Wisconsin prediction and our Miami Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Panthers free pick.

The weather could be a factor in this contest, as there is a 60% chance of rain is. The temperature at game time will be 45 degrees and the wind will be blowing across the field at 7 mph from ESE. The damp, wet conditions may play havoc with pass coverage and ball control.

Notre Dame vs Michigan Pick – Recent Performance

The #8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1) have lost their last four games at Michigan Stadium. Their one loss this season was to the #3 Georgia Bulldogs 17-23. Notre Dame’s won their last three games, beating #18 Virginia 35-20, Bowling Green 52-0, and USC 30-27. The Irish last played on October 12, so they come to this game rested.

Last week, the #18 Michigan Wolverines (5-2 Overall, 3-2 Big Ten) lost to the #7 Penn State Nittany Lions 28-21. The Wolverines, who are third in the Big Ten East, also lost earlier in the season to #13 Wisconsin 35-14. Sandwiched between those two conference losses are three Big Ten wins, including a 10-3 victory against #14 Iowa. In this game, the Wolverines are looking to get back on winning track.

The Fighting Irish Fine Offense and Solid D

Notre Dame is averaging 39.17 PPG, while their defense is holding opponents to 16.83. Of course, in Michigan the Irish are meeting a very tough defensive team. The Wolverines are giving up merely 17.50 PPG. Our Notre Dame vs Michigan pick observes that the Irish possess explosive pass and rush attacks. Senior QB Ian Book (63.2 COMP%, 14 TDs, 2 INTs), who can run a bit, is sound in the pocket. He’ll be looking to connect with WR Chase Claypool (394 YDs, 14.6 AVG, 4 TDs) and TE Cole Kmet (265 YDs, 12.6 AVG, 3 TDs) are his top receivers with 27 and 21 receptions each. Junior Tony Jones Jr. is the team’s top rusher, averaging 7.0 YPA while scoring four times and gaining 557 yards total.

Notre Dame’s defense comes to this game with 18 sacks, 52 TFL, and eight picks. They’ve defended 19 passes. They are holding opponents to 195.17 YPG in passing and 151.0 YPG in rushing. This is a good defense, but not as tough as and stingy as Michigan’s.

Wolverines – Defense Essential

The Michigan offense’s 30.33 PPG is about nine points fewer than Notre Dame’s average. Their offensive yards are also fewer. The Wolverines are averaging 231.17 YPG in the air and 156.17 YPG on the ground. The Irish have been good for 262.0 YPG in passing and 192.0 YPG in rushing. Senior QB Shea Patterson has had his issues, completing just 57.4% of his pass attempts, while tossing four picks and being the victim of a dozen sacks. Patterson has tossed nine TD passes and on short rushes has score five more times. Sophomore wideout Ronnie Bell leads the team with 24 catches and 432 receiving yards. He’s averaging 18.0 YPC. For Michigan to win, freshman RB Zack Charbonnet must have a good game. Over 94 rushes, he’s averaged 4.9 YPA and scored seven times while covering 457 total yards.

As noted, the Michigan defense is holding opponents to 17.40 PPG. They have been tenacious, keeping opponent offenses to 160.50 YPG in the air and 122.83 YPG on the ground. The Wolverines have posted 45 TFL, 23 sacks, and 22 PD. They have just five picks. Senior LB Josh Uche has 5.5 sacks and 6.5 TFL, while DL Kwity Paye has posted 4.5 sacks and 8.0 TFL. Our Notre Dame vs Michigan pick finds that if they can harass Book, the Wolverines will have a chance tonight.

Our Notre Dame vs Michigan Pick

Our Notre Dame vs Michigan pick likes the Irish with the moneyline at -105. Notre Dame has a more diverse and explosive offense and a defense that should do well against a Michigan offense that can inconsistent. However, the Wolverines, with their topnotch defense and home field, could win this one. We’re looking for the Irish to keep their Michigan Stadium losing streak to four games.

Notre Dame vs Michigan Pick – Summary

Notre Dame moneyline at -105