Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2026 College Football Preview, Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions

By Kody Malstrom | May 22, 2026, 5:38pm

After losing to Miami in the regular season, the Hurricanes were able to leap over Notre Dame in the final College Football Playoff poll, keeping the Fighting Irish out of the playoffs. With Notre Dame bringing back over 70% of their roster, including CJ Carr at quarterback, expect the Fighting Irish to pick up from where they left off and make a run to the National Championship.

2026 College Football Betting Resources

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2026 College Football National Championship Odds

National Title Odds:

Do not let Notre Dame missing out on the playoffs fool you, they were arguably a top-5 team per respectable power ratings and were more than capable of making a run to the title. Unfortunately for the Fighting Irish, they were unable to overcome their early losses to Texas A&M and Miami, giving the committee enough conviction to leap the Hurricanes over them in the final College Football Playoff poll.

With the Fighting Irish bringing back a majority of their roster on both sides of the ball, expect their continuity to help them avoid making any early season mistakes and build a strong case for securing one of the top spots in the bracket. Especially with CJ Carr making his return under center, giving their offense some stability while rotating in two new running backs who will be tasked with recouping Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price’s loss of production.

Speaking of continuity, Notre Dame brings back a bulk of their defense who finished last year ranked in the top-20 in Def Success Rate, PPA, and in Havoc. With the Fighting Irish fielding experience at all three levels of their defense, they will be able to drastically reduce the amount of negative variance in their contests, increasing their chances of winning on a weekly basis.

Digging into Notre Dame’s schedule, their slate is as favorable as it gets, kicking things off as a double digit favorite in the first six games of their season before hitting the road to battle it out against BYU who are poised to regress. After their bye week, the Fighting Irish only face one true test, hosting Miami in a rematch from last season with the Hurricanes fresh off of an away game the week before.

With Notre Dame expected to field one of the more talented rosters in the nation, as well as drawing a very favorable schedule, they are in a great position to make the playoffs and rattle off a deep run in the bracket. Bet the Fighting Irish to win the National Championship at no lower than +800 with zero intentions of hedging until the title game.

Bet: Yes

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2026 Win Total Odds

Win Total Odds:

Even though Notre Dame’s schedule is as favorable as it gets, oddsmakers have still tempered their expectations of the Fighting Irish going 12-0, listing their win total at 11.5 heavily juiced to the under. Other than dates against BYU and Miami, Notre Dame is projected to be a two score favorite at minimum in their other remaining games, making their over worth a wager especially if a sportsbook drops their win total down to 10.5.

Bet: Yes – Over

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2026 Heisman Contenders, Odds

CJ Carr, QB:
Aneyas Williams, RB:

With a revamped offensive line and a familiar cast of wideouts surrounding him, oddsmakers believe CJ Carr is in for a big year, listing the Notre Dame quarterback as one of the betting favorites to win the Heisman award. Carr was efficient last season, ending the year throwing for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing 66.6% of his passes.

With the Fighting Irish lucking into a very favorable schedule, Carr will have plenty of opportunities to put together a dominant performance, shining the spotlight brighter on him as the season progresses. While his lack of running ability is a cause for concern, Carr is more than capable of masking it by stuffing the stat sheet through the air, making him worth a wager to win the award.

Further down the oddsboard, Aneyas Williams can be found around +20000, Notre Dame’s starting running back who will receive a major bump in his workload after receiving just 24 carries last season. When given the opportunity, Williams was able to thrive, averaging more than nine Yards per Carry. If Williams is able to carve out a role in their pass attack, then he may be worth a nibble at his lofty odds to win the award.

Bet: Yes – CJ Carr

Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2026 College Football Schedule

Sun., 9/6 – vs. Wisconsin
Sat., 9/12 – vs. Rice
Sat., 9/19 – vs. Michigan State
Sat., 9/26 – at Purdue
Sat., 10/3 – at UNC
Sat., 10/10 – vs. Stanford
Sat., 10/17 – at BYU
Sat., 10/31 – at Navy
Sat., 11/7 – vs. Miami-Florida
Sat., 11/14 – vs. Boston College
Sat., 11/21 – vs. SMU
Sat., 11/28 – at Syracuse

Photo Credit: AP/Godofredo A. Vásquez

Kody Malstrom

Kody is a professional sports bettor and sports betting journalist with eight years of experience in the industry. He covers a wide range of sports, including NFL, NCAAF, NBA, NCAAB, NHL, MLB, and UFC. What started as a side gig has turned into a full time job, spending a majority of his time staring at odds screens and market movement. When away from the computer, Kody enjoys spending his time outdoors relaxing at the beach or golfing with friends.