(OddsShark.com) — The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will try to salvage their faded College Football Playoff hopes on Saturday when they play host to the Navy Midshipmen as 14.5-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Irish suffered their first straight up loss of the season last weekend, dropping a heartbreaking 24-22 decision to Clemson following a fourth-quarter comeback effort.
Running back C.J. Prosise turned in another solid performance against the Tigers, tallying 50 rushing yards while connecting with quarterback DeShone Kizer for 100 receiving yards and a last-minute touchdown catch that gave the Irish a chance to tie the game.
However, a missed two-point conversion meant that they had to settle for an against the spread win, their third straight and fifth in their last six games.
Prosise’s numbers this season, which include 650 rushing yards and seven total major scores, keep him in the Heisman conversation, but the senior is a distant 75/1 wager on those betting lines.
Notre Dame now enters Saturday afternoon’s Midshipmen vs. Fighting Irish betting matchup at Notre Dame Stadium pegged at No. 15 in the AP Top 25 rankings, down nine positions from last week, and will have to dominate down the stretch to maintain any chance of reaching the College Football Playoff this season.
Meanwhile, the Midshipmen travel to South Bend with a perfect 4-0 record, SU and ATS, following an impressive 33-11 victory over the Air Force Falcons, and sit alongside the Memphis Tigers atop the AAC West standings with a 2-0 conference record.
Navy is a solid 10-1 SU in their past 11 games, 8-3 ATS, and have been simply dominant on defense since late last fall.
The Midshipmen have surrendered more than 21 points just once in their last eight contests, a 42-40 win over South Alabama in Week 13 of last season, and have averaged just 18.1 points against during that stretch according to the OddsShark College Football Database.
They have also proven to be a strong team on the road, going 5-1 SU in their past six, while rewarding bettors with an impressive 6-2 ATS record in their past eight.
However, Navy has struggled against their long-time rivals at Notre Dame, losing their last four SU, but are a solid 2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS in their last four road dates with the Fighting Irish.