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The lines for several major matchup college football games coming this fall have been unveiled at DraftKings Sportsbook. We are just 164 days until kickoff of the best sport, and we’ll be breaking down notable point spreads and odds for the 2020 college football season.
Navy vs. Notre Dame
When and where
August 29th
12:00 p.m. ET
Dublin, Ireland
Spread
Notre Dame -15.5
Money Line
Navy +600
Notre Dame -1000
Why the line is what it is
Navy loses quarterback Malcolm Perry, who head coach Ken Niumatalolo freely admits he didn’t use correctly for most of his career. Perry ran the triple-option to perfection towards the end of 2020, gathering 2,017 rushing yards and 1,084 passing yards in his senior season. But he’s gone now, and the race to replace him is on.
Sophomore Perry Olsen leads the pack of successors, having appeared in eight games during his freshman year.
Why it might change
Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book is firmly entrenched as the starter, with 6,118 yards passing and 57 TD’s against 17 INT’s across three seasons for the Irish. Any kind of injury to him in practice would move the line towards the Midshipmen, especially with ND losing backup Phil Jurkovec to Boston College via the transfer portal.
Where the value is now
Navy was 11-2 in 2019, and only lost once by more than 16 last year — but that once was a 52-20 loss to Notre Dame in South Bend. It was 38-3 at halftime, and the Middies gave up 24 in the second quarter alone. It’s the Navy defense, or lack thereof, which is causing the line to be this high.
Ian Book threw for five TD’s and 280 yards in just 20 pass attempts, but with an entire year to scout and prep, it’s unlikely Navy comes out with the same looks with that much time to prepare. With the way the Mids normally control the clock, there might be some value on assigning last year as a fluke more than a standard.
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA) or 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN) or 1-800-522-4700 (NH). NH/NJ/WV/IN/PA only. 21+ (18+ NH). Eligibility Restrictions Apply. See website for details.