Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Syracuse Orange Betting Odds, Football Pick

Since playing in the national championship game four seasons ago, Notre Dame is just 18-15 straight up against major-conference competition. Some might argue otherwise, but Syracuse qualifies as a major-conference team. How will the Irish fare when they roll with the Orange on Saturday afternoon on a neutral field at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey?

Point spread: The Fighting Irish opened as 12-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 37.6-10.7, Fighting Irish (college football picks on every game)

Why the Notre Dame Fighting Irish can cover the spread

Notre Dame is looking to regroup following two straight home losses. First, the Irish fell way behind Michigan State, then rallied but came up short in a 36-28 defeat. Then Notre Dame let up on Duke in a stunning 38-35 loss.

The Irish jumped out to a 14-0 lead on the Blue Devils, driving 75 and 64 yards for scores on their first two possessions. But Notre Dame special teams then gave up a 96-yard kickoff return for a Duke touchdown, which turned the whole vibe around. The Irish later led by a touchdown with seven minutes to go but allowed the Blue Devils to score the last 10 points of the game.

Notre Dame racked up 534 yards on offense, as quarterback DeShone Kizer threw for 381, but three turnovers led directly to 10 Duke points. That included the game-winning field goal with just over a minute to go.

The Irish canned their defensive coordinator right after the game, so they're hoping a shake-up will help.

Why the Syracuse Orange can cover the spread

The Orange just snapped a two-game losing streak, and an eight-game road losing skid, with a 31-24 victory at Connecticut last week. Syracuse flew out to a 14-0 lead five minutes into the game, and although the Orange allowed the Huskies to tie the score twice after that, they never trailed on their way to an outright win as a three-point dog.

The Orange just made more big plays than UConn. Defensive back Cordell Hudson came up with a 22-yard pick-six that broke a 17-17 tie late in the third quarter, and 10 minutes later, the Syracuse defense stuffed a 4th-and-goal from its own 2-yard line, preserving that seven-point lead. The Orange then drove 99 yards for the clinching touchdown.

On the afternoon, Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey connected on 26 of his 40 throws for 407 yards and two scores without an interception.

Three weeks ago, the Orange lost to Louisville 62-28, and two weeks ago, they lost to South Florida 45-20, but both of those games were closer than the final scores might indicate.

Smart pick

Notre Dame just lost to a Duke team that's lost to Wake Forest and Northwestern this season. However, recent performances and the neutral site probably mean the spread on this game is a little more amenable toward the Irish. That's why, despite the slow start, the smart money here likes Notre Dame.

Betting trends

Notre Dame is 1-3 ATS in its last four games against Syracuse.

Syracuse is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games.

Notre Dame is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games in October.

All college football betting lines and point-spread data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds-tracker app.