Notre Dame overcame an 0-2 start to rip off seven consecutive victories and put itself back in the discussion for an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
After falling short in the National Championship game last season, the Fighting Irish are in prime form, beating their last seven opponents by double-digits.
Pittsburgh looks to pull off the home upset in spite of owning the same record as Notre Dame at 7-2. The Panthers are riding a five-game winning streak, looking to exceed their victory output from 2024.
Let’s dive into this Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh prediction for Saturday’s showdown, kicking off at 12:00 p.m. ET on ABC at Acrisure Stadium in the Steel City. Use PrizePicks CFB to win real-money rewards if your picks are right.
Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh Prediction, Saturday CFB Picks
- The Fighting Irish dropped their first two games of the season to Miami and Texas A&M by a combined 4 points.
- Since that 0-2 start, Notre Dame has held five opponents to 13 or fewer points and won five games by at least 20.
- Notre Dame racked up over 500 yards of offense in last Saturday’s 49-10 home rout of Navy.
- Pittsburgh’s two losses came in September, falling in overtime to rival West Virginia and blowing a 17-0 lead in a home defeat to Louisville.
- The Panthers have topped the 30-point mark during each victory in this 5-0 stretch. Pitt is coming off the bye week, as the Panthers cruised past Stanford, 35-20 in Palo Alto on November 1.
- These teams last met in South Bend in 2023, when Notre Dame pummeled Pittsburgh, 58-7.
- The Panthers last beat the Fighting Irish in 2013, marking the only win in the past eight meetings since 2010.
- Pittsburgh sits at 5-1 in ACC play, as the Panthers have two key games following this non-conference contest. The Panthers take on Georgia Tech and Miami in the final two games, seeking a spot in the ACC championship for the first time since 2021.
- If Notre Dame wins on Saturday, the Fighting Irish will be on a nice track to ten victories. Head coach Marcus Freeman’s team faces two 3-7 teams, Syracuse and Stanford in the final two weeks.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- The Fighting Irish have posted the fourth-best Net EPA/play in the nation and rank fifth in EPA/pass.
- Notre Dame is in the top-40 of many defensive metrics according to GameonPaper.com, including 32nd in defensive success.
- The weakest metric for the Irish on the offensive side is EPA/rush, ranking 41st in the country. Last season, Notre Dame sat seventh overall in this category.
Pittsburgh Panthers
- Pittsburgh’s rushing defense is terrific, ranking fifth in EPA/rush. The Panthers held Stanford to -10 rushing yards two weeks ago.
- The rushing offense has not seen the same success, placing 86th in the nation in EPA/rush. The rushing success rate is even worse, sitting 133rd after ranking 111th in 2024.
- In four of five home victories, the Panthers scored more than 45 points. The most points put up against an FBS squad came in their last home win, outlasting N.C. State, 53-34 on October 25.
Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh Prediction, Saturday CFB Picks
Below are the top CFB DFS picks for Saturday afternoon’s battle between Notre Dame and Pittsburgh.
Notre Dame QB CJ Carr Projection: 254.5 Passing Yards
- The freshman has been up and down from a passing yards perspective. He has not thrown for more than 255 yards in consecutive games.
- On the flip side, he has not finished with less than 250 passing yards in back-to-back games. Carr compiled 218 yards on 13 completions in last Saturday’s win over Navy.
- Carr faces a Pitt defense that ranks 73rd in the country in EPA/pass. Pitt has taken on five teams that sit 93rd or worse in EPA/pass.
- In his college debut at Miami, Carr compiled 221 passing yards. In his last two road games, he racked up 354 yards at Arkansas and 299 yards at Boston College.
Pittsburgh QB Mason Heintschel Projection: 263.5 Passing Yards
- The freshman took over as starting QB in Week 6 against Boston College. He has eased past the 300-yard mark in four of five starts, including a 423-yard performance against N.C. State on October 25.
- Heintschel’s worst showing came against Syracuse on October 18, when he threw for 140 yards and was sacked 7 times in a 30-13 victory.
- Notre Dame has yielded at least 264 passing yards to two QBs this season. USC’s Jayden Maiava threw for 328 yards on October 18 and Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed put up 360 yards on September 13.
- Each defense Heintschel has faced ranks 70th or worse in EPA/pass, which has propelled his passing numbers. The Irish sit 38th in the nation in this category.
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love Projection: 90.5 Rushing Yards
- Love sits fifth in the country in rushing yards with 988, on the verge of his second straight 1,000-yard campaign.
- In four games, Love has eclipsed 100 rushing yards, including a career-high 228 yards in a 34-24 win over USC on October 18.
- The shifty back has reached 91+ yards in four of the last five games. In the only game he didn’t compile at least 91 yards, he fell short with 86 yards against N.C. State.
- He will be tested by this tough Pitt rushing defense that has allowed 53 or less rushing yards in four home games.
- The junior has scored a TD in eight straight games, including five multi-TD performances.
Both Notre Dame and Pittsburgh are seeking an 8-2 start, while the Panthers try to turn around their bad fortune against the Fighting Irish.
Ahead of the Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh kickoff at 12:00 p.m. ET, it's time to lock in your CFB picks on PrizePicks to win real money. Just pick your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in on your predictions when you're right.
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