Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs BYU Cougars Predictions October 17, 2026
Notre Dame will beat BYU 27-21 in our forecast, with its recent combination of explosive rushing and defensive control supplying the strongest reason to favor the Irish. Bear Bachmeier’s passing and running make BYU a difficult opponent to separate from, however. Neither Notre Dame -10.5 nor BYU +10.5 offers a sufficiently convincing edge at the supplied prices, so the official wager is Pass.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs BYU Cougars prediction and best bet
Notre Dame gets the winner pick because its latest performance paired offensive production with defensive stops. The Irish beat Stanford 58-7 on Oct. 10, reaching 6-0. That gives them the stronger recent all-around result in this matchup, although comparing two games against different opponents has obvious limits.
The best betting decision is Pass. BYU’s quarterback gives the Cougars a credible route to a close finish, but one excellent performance is a fragile foundation for backing the underdog. Our six-point projected margin favors BYU against the spread as a forecast; it falls short of making BYU +10.5 (-115) an official recommendation.
Odds, game time and how to watch
Date and matchup: Notre Dame Fighting Irish at BYU Cougars, Oct. 17, 2026, in the 2026 college football season.
Venue: LaVell Edwards Stadium. Broadcast: ABC.
SportsJaw moneyline: Notre Dame -411; BYU +315.
SportsJaw spread: Notre Dame -10.5 (-101); BYU +10.5 (-115).
SportsJaw total: Over 47.5 (-112); Under 47.5 (-109).
Record and rankings: Notre Dame reached 6-0 on Oct. 10. BYU’s Oct. 9 official recap described this upcoming matchup as No. 8 BYU hosting No. 3 Notre Dame.