Notre Dame Fighting Irish VS UNLV Rebels: Staff Picks

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are in desperate need of unleashing an ass-whooping. With the UNLV Rebels visiting South Bend for the day — the Irish may not get a better opportunity for the rest of the season. There is absolutely no confidence from the fanbase as a whole that this will happen — so LFG.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Irish are 27-point favorites over UNLV with an OVER/UNDER of 47.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Now it’s time for the OFD Staff to unleash their own picks. More still may roll in throughout the day. Here are a few thoughts from The Emperor’s Elite Pick-Em Force:

Billy Gorman

To be honest I don’t know what to expect from Notre Dame anymore from week to week. This is a talented team, albeit with some holes, that is sometimes playing up to their talent level and sometimes not, Which will it be this week? Notre Dame beats UNLV but not comfortably.

Hayden Adams

I have to pick this game? You’re really going to make me pick this game? It’s more than enough torture just to watch this Notre Dame team 1) play football 2) on Peacock. Ugh.

To date, all three of Notre Dame’s 2022 losses have come against teams that didn’t yet have an FBS win when they played the Irish. UNLV already has an FBS win, so Notre Dame should pull this out. I think. I’m shocked not only that the line for this game opened at 24 points but that it’s now up to 27, seeing as it’s hard to envision the Irish scoring that many points themselves. But Vegas always knows something, and this Irish team is completely erratic; still, I can’t fathom covering that big a spread. FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 35, UNLV 13

Matt Greene

I am going to stop predicting big ND home wins, because when I have this season, the Irish lost both games to Marshall and to Stanford. This is a get-right game, and I hope the guys come out playing pissed off. I cannot, though, pick the Irish to cover, especially when the spread is hovering around 27 points. The Irish will get the home win, but I don’t see this being totally pretty, only because I am struggling with any confidence right now. Irish win 33-17.

Pat Sullivan

At this point, I have no hope that I can accurately predict how this Notre Dame team will come out and play. Their inconsistency and inability to get up for lesser opponents is maddening. I think the Stanford game served as a bit of a wake-up call, but I also don’t think a lot of the issues made evident in the first 6 games will suddenly disappear. I think the Irish win something like 27-17 in a game that feels like they should have won by 35.

Matt Boomer

Sorry guys, there is just no way I can pick this Irish team to cover against UNLV. Notre Dame should still win this game in spite of itself, but given the play-calling and uninspired play we’ve seen at home in these lower-stakes games, I don’t think we’re going to see them cruise to victory either. Irish win in a really stupid and annoying game, something like 27-16 with all Irish points scored in the second and third quarters.

Joseph Babey

The issue I normally run into while making a prediction is being overconfident. I feel while assessing this team (especially throughout Kelly’s tenure) I tend to lean positively, so I try and check that to so that I am as un-biased as possible. This game is completely opposite, the losses to Marshall and Stanford have me having to check how critical I am being. I’m going to be at this game so I am really excited but, I’m not too sure about this game. I’m going to say 24-10 Notre Dame wins, but I am not confident in this offense heading into this week.

Besides Notre Dame VS UNLV, the staff was asked to pick:

Syracuse Orange VS Clemson Tigers
UCLA Bruins VS Oregon Ducks
Texas Longhorns VS Oklahoma State Cowboys
Alabama Crimson Tide VS Mississippi State Bulldogs
Penn State Nittany Lions VS Minnesota Gophers
Kansas State Wildcats VS TCU Horned Frogs
Ole Miss Rebels VS LSU Tigers