Sam Avellone
College football’s Week 3 slate is massive. There are multiple headline matchups throughout the day on Saturday, but there aren’t many bigger than the one that kicks off under the watchful eyes of Touchdown Jesus in South Bend at 7:30 pm ET on NBC between Texas A&M and Notre Dame.
The Aggies retained their loaded roster throughout the offseason, and while they haven’t truly been tested through 2 weeks, their offense looks like a force to be reckoned with. They will be hungry to exact revenge on the Irish after last season’s ugly 23-13 Week 1 loss to the national runners up in College Station. Meanwhile, the Irish have had a week to stew over their loss to Miami, aiming to perform better in the friendly confines of Notre Dame Stadium.
There are a few different angles I like in this matchup, so I’ve combined them into a Texas A&M vs Notre Dame Same Game Parlay. Let’s break down each leg and don’t forget about the rest of our NCAAF predictions for the entire Week 3 slate, either!
Over 49.5 (-115)
Jeremiyah Love (ND) anytime touchdown (-195)
Mario Craver (TAMU) over 51.5 receiving yards (-114)
Texas A&M vs Notre Dame Same Game Parlay odds: +290
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook at the time of publishing
Texas A&M vs Notre Dame Over 49.5 (-115)
When these teams met a season ago, it was a low-scoring affair and stayed well below the total of 47.5. This time around, the total not only opened higher than 47.5, it was bet up. Some books are hanging as high as 50.5. I like this over up to that number.
The Aggies dramatically improved on the offensive side of the ball in the offseason when they brought in KC Concepcion and Mario Craver to pair with a very good stable of running backs and a sophomore quarterback in Marcel Reed, who can get it done through the air and on the ground. Reed did not play against Notre Dame last year, and I would argue his ceiling is much higher than the 12-of-30, 100-yard performance we saw from Connor Weigman.
Through 1 game, it looks as though Notre Dame has regressed on both sides of the ball. Maybe that’s an unfair judgement this early, but the Irish have to get back to what they know best: running the ball. Texas A&M has been gouged by opposing running backs this season, and the Irish have a more talented duo of backs than anyone the Aggies have seen to this point. Being at home should help Notre Dame’s offense look better. However, I’m still concerned about the defense without Jack Kiser, Xavier Watts and the other leaders that left for the NFL in the offseason — especially in coverage. All things considered, I’m expecting a much higher-scoring game than last year in College Station.
Read our full Texas A&M vs Notre Dame prediction, including a pick on the side and total
Jeremiyah Love (ND) anytime touchdown (-195)
A lot was made of Jeremiyah Love’s light usage against Miami, but his workload aligned with the amount of touches he received on a per game basis last year. What I found more shocking was that he did not find the endzone, something he did in every single regular season game in 2024.
Coming off a loss with an extra week to prepare for the Aggies, expect to see Love more heavily involved in scoring situations. Given the early-season struggles from Texas A&M’s run defense, Love should have no issue running through tackles and across the goal line just like he did last year in this matchup.
Mario Craver (TAMU) Over 51.5 receiving yards (-114)
While KC Concepcion was the prized possession in Texas A&M’s transfer portal class, it is Mario Craver making the biggest splash early in the season for the Aggies. Craver is already nearing 250 yards through just 2 games, as he accumulated 122 against UTSA and 114 against Utah State, with almost half of those yards coming after the catch. Simply, he’s been the dynamic playmaker the Aggies so desperately needed for Reed.
Saturday’s date with Notre Dame presents a much stiffer challenge than what Craver has seen through 2 weeks as an Aggie. However, he should benefit from a soft spot that we saw from Notre Dame’s defense in Week 1. Craver plays mostly out of the slot, which is exactly where Miami’s freshman Malachi Toney had all of his success against the Irish. Toney drew 10 targets, catching 6 of them for 82 yards and a touchdown. Forty of those yards came after the catch.
Maybe Notre Dame fixed that issue during its bye week, but at what seems to be a very generous number, I’m taking Craver to continue his dominance and cruise past 52 receiving yards to round out this Texas A&M vs Notre Dame Same Game Parlay.
