Citrus Bowl 2018: Notre Dame vs. LSU TV Schedule, Time and Odds

Notre Dame and LSU are set to face off in the 2018 Citrus Bowl, which marks the teams' third meeting in a bowl game since the 2007 Sugar Bowl. Their most recent meeting in the 2014 Music City Bowl saw the Fighting Irish win on a field goal by Kyle Brindza as time expired.

The 14th-ranked Irish and 17th-ranked Tigers both enter the contest with a 9-3 record. A victory would give Notre Dame its second consecutive 10-win campaign, while LSU is trying to reach double-digit victories for the first time since 2013.

Let's check out all of the important viewing details for the high-profile encounter on New Year's Day. That's followed by a preview and prediction for the Citrus Bowl.

Key Information

Where: Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida

When: Monday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET

Watch: ABC

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Tickets: StubHub

Odds: LSU -3 (via OddsShark)

Game Preview

For as much as it felt like the sky was falling in Baton Rouge after LSU suffered a shocking home loss to Troy two weeks after a blowout loss to Mississippi State early in the season, the Tigers have an opportunity to finish 7-1 over their final eight games to salvage the campaign.

It's an impressive stretch that already includes victories over Florida and Auburn, with the only loss coming on the road against Alabama.

Jacques Doucet of WAFB commented on the massive turnaround:

In addition, LSU should benefit from star running back Derrius Guice returning to full strength after dealing with lingering knee issues throughout the year. He posted a message on Instagram saying he'd make a decision about the 2018 NFL draft after the bowl game and provided an update on his health.

"Many say they miss the old Guice, I do too," Guice wrote. "No player wants to be injured or play injured. I did the best I could this year for my team. We have grown so much this year as a football program and will only get better from here.”

He added: "I'm finally 100 percent, thank the lord."

On the flip side, the question is which version of Notre Dame is going to show up in Orlando.

Will it be the Fighting Irish that started 8-1 with statement victories over USC and NC State or the one that posted lopsided losses to Miami and Stanford over the final three games?

Irish head coach Brian Kelly said his team "just needed a break" and expects a strong bounce-back performance as long as the offense avoids costly turnovers.

"We have to take care of the football," he told reporters. "The games that we struggled, we didn't take care of the football. We were ahead in the fourth quarter in the two losses against Georgia and Stanford. So not really concerned about that. It's about being clean, efficient, and taking care of the football. Physicality is the least of my concerns when it comes to our football team."

Ultimately, if this game was played in early December, the edge would have probably gone to LSU based on each side's form at the time. Having more than a month to rest and prepare likely went a long way in revitalizing Notre Dame after its late-season drop off, though.

So the Irish, who rank higher than the Tigers in both offensive and defensive efficiency (via ESPN.com) could turn their underdog status into a victory Monday.

Prediction: 24-23 Notre Dame