Notre Dame travels to Provo on Saturday night as a 10.5-point road favorite, with the total sitting at 47. Notre Dame arrives 6-0 and ranked No. 2 in this week’s AP Top 25. BYU is 5-0, ranked No. 8, and carries the best against-the-spread record in the country. Both the spread and the total have moved since they opened, and the two moves tell a consistent story. This is also the first time both teams have been ranked in the series. Below we work through the quarterback matchup, the run-game mismatch, the line movement and the public split, then get to two picks.
Last Updated: October 17, 2026
Notre Dame vs. BYU — Game Info
| Where | LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah |
| When | October 17 – 7:30 PM ET |
| TV | ABC |
Notre Dame vs. BYU Betting Preview
Start with the quarterbacks, because they set the ceiling on both sides. CJ Carr has thrown for 1,378 yards with 16 touchdowns and one interception, completing 70.8 percent at 9.6 yards per attempt. Bear Bachmeier has 1,033 passing yards with eight touchdowns and one interception at 66.4 percent. The difference is how they move. Bachmeier has added 239 rushing yards and four scores, and he ran for 109 against Iowa State in a 24-10 win. Carr has 69 rushing yards on the season. One offense needs its quarterback on the ground. The other does not.
Notre Dame has not faced much resistance, yet the margins are still striking. Notre Dame averages 44.0 points per game and allows 11.0, and it ranks first nationally in total defense. The run defense is the signature unit, holding opponents to 58.3 rushing yards per game, third nationally. Jonaz Walton leads a three-back rotation with 409 rushing yards, including 181 in last week’s 58-7 win over Stanford. Notre Dame is 4-2 against the spread this season, and four of its six games have gone over the total.
BYU is 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big 12. This is a non-conference game, since Notre Dame plays as an independent. BYU averages 34.6 points and allows 13.4, with 80.4 rushing yards allowed per game. Per ESPN’s team rankings, BYU converts 54.4 percent of third downs, seventh nationally, but opponents score on 90.0 percent of red-zone trips, which ranks 102nd. BYU is a perfect 5-0 against the spread, the best mark in the sport, and three of its five games have stayed under the total.
Availability shapes the handicap. LJ Martin will miss the game for BYU, and he is the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year at 7.8 yards per carry. Notre Dame is without offensive linemen Chris Terek and Charles Jagusah, safety Brauntae Johnson and two defensive linemen. Cornerback Leonard Moore and defensive tackle Jason Onye are questionable. Notre Dame leads the series 7-2 and has won four straight, most recently 28-20 at a neutral site in Las Vegas in 2022. This is the first trip to Provo since 1993.
Notre Dame vs. BYU Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | -10.5 (-110) | -450 | O 47.0 (-110) |
| BYU | +10.5 (-110) | +335 | U 47.0 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of October 17, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest College Football Odds – Futures – Props
Notre Dame vs. BYU — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Notre Dame | 36% | 64% | BYU |
See the latest College Football Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Notre Dame vs. BYU Prediction — The First Ranked-vs-Ranked Meeting in 10 Tries
Two top-10 scoring defenses meet here, and that is the cleanest read available. Notre Dame gives up 11.0 points per game. BYU gives up 13.4. Neither figure came against a brutal schedule, so discount both a little. The underlying work is still sound on each side. Notre Dame ranks first in total defense and third against the run. BYU sits in the top 10 in both total defense and rushing defense. Units this stingy tend to turn a projected shootout into a field-position grind.
What BYU has left on offense matters more. Martin averaged 7.8 yards a carry before the injury, and his replacements have not shown that gear. Against Iowa State, no BYU running back cleared 21 rushing yards, and Bachmeier led the team himself. That pushes BYU toward quarterback carries and longer third downs. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has met only two defenses with a pulse, scoring 27 against Michigan State and 37 at North Carolina. Those are the comparable games, not the 52- and 58-point afternoons against weaker opponents. The market has moved the same direction, shaving a point off the opening number.
The case against deserves respect. BYU’s red-zone defense ranks 102nd, and Notre Dame finishes drives at a high rate. If Notre Dame converts four trips into four touchdowns, the math changes quickly. BYU also converts third downs at a top-10 clip, which keeps drives alive and the clock moving. Our projection still lands in the low 40s rather than the high 40s.
The Pick: Under 47.0 (-110)
Notre Dame vs. BYU Prediction — Bear Bachmeier Against a 58-Yard Run Defense
ESPN’s rankings put BYU’s rushing offense 17th nationally at 223.8 yards per game. Remove Martin and that identity thins considerably. Bachmeier is a genuine runner, and his legs are why BYU has stayed balanced. However, he is now the primary answer rather than a complement. Notre Dame’s front has allowed 58.3 rushing yards per game, and 247Sports reports BYU will also be without right tackle Andrew Gentry. That is a hard combination against the best run defense BYU has faced.
The market is pointing the same way, which carries weight here. Sixty-four percent of spread tickets sit on BYU, yet the number moved a half point toward Notre Dame and the road price shortened. That pattern is reverse line movement, the most useful single market signal available. It suggests the money and the ticket count are on opposite sides. Notre Dame also protects the ball, with a turnover margin of plus-13 that ESPN’s rankings place second nationally. Carr has one interception in six games.
What would make this wrong is easy to name. BYU is 5-0 against the spread, and LaVell Edwards Stadium at 4,649 feet is a genuine road assignment under the lights. BYU also had an extra day of rest after a Friday night win. A close, ugly game is a live outcome, and double-digit road numbers in October have a way of getting uncomfortable. We still expect the talent gap to surface after halftime.
The Pick: Notre Dame -10.5 (-110)
Our Final Word on Notre Dame vs. BYU
Be clear about one thing before acting on either play. Both rest on the same input, a BYU offense working without its best runner behind a reshuffled line. If Martin’s replacements move the ball early, both reads weaken at the same time. That correlation is worth sizing for rather than ignoring. For more college football work this week, see our Washington vs. Purdue prediction and our Georgia vs. Alabama prediction from last weekend.
Under 47.0 at -110 is the stronger play, because two top-10 scoring defenses meet while BYU’s run game misses its best player. Notre Dame -10.5 at -110 follows, since the spread moved toward Notre Dame while most tickets backed BYU.
NCAAF Notre Dame vs. BYU FAQ: October 17, 2026
What time does the Notre Dame vs. BYU game start?
Kickoff is 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, October 17, 2026, which is 5:30 PM local time in Provo. The start time was announced in early October, when the game was placed in a prime-time national window rather than an afternoon slot.
What channel is the Notre Dame vs. BYU game on?
The game airs on ABC. BYU’s athletics department and regional outlets in Utah confirmed the network when the prime-time kickoff window was announced. Radio coverage runs through BYU Radio on SiriusXM channel 166, and ESPN’s College GameDay is scheduled on campus in Provo.
Where are Notre Dame and BYU playing?
They are playing at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, where BYU is the home team. The open-air stadium seats 62,073 and sits 4,649 feet above sea level. This is Notre Dame’s first visit to Provo since 1993, and the first meeting since BYU joined the Big 12.
Are Notre Dame and BYU ranked?
Yes, both are ranked. Notre Dame is No. 2 and BYU is No. 8 in the AP Top 25 released on October 11, 2026. Notre Dame is 6-0 and BYU is 5-0. Notre Dame’s official game notes call this the first meeting in the series with both teams ranked.
Is LJ Martin playing for BYU?
No, LJ Martin will not play against Notre Dame because of a lower-body injury suffered against TCU. He is BYU’s leading rusher and the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, with 344 rushing yards and three touchdowns this season.
Who won the last meeting between Notre Dame and BYU?
Notre Dame won the last meeting 28-20 in 2022, played at a neutral site in Las Vegas. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 7-2 and has taken the last four meetings, a run that began in 2005. Saturday is the 10th game in the series.