USC and Notre Dame will write another chapter in their historic rivalry on Saturday night. Notre Dame has won four straight games and will try to continue their winning ways against a USC team that is an impressive 5-1 on the season. Here, I make my USC vs Notre Dame prediction before these legendary programs take the field.
Our USC vs Notre Dame Pick
- Pick: Over 60.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: USC Trojans vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Date & Time: Saturday, October 18, 2025, 7:30 PM ET
- Venue: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN
- Broadcast: NBC
Key Storylines
- USC's Road Performance: The Trojans have struggled in road games, with a 1-6 record against the spread in their last seven away games. Their lone loss this season came on the road against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the only real road test that they have faced this season. USC will try to prove they can handle a hostile environment in this rivalry game.
- Notre Dame's Home Dominance: The Fighting Irish have won six straight home games against USC. Notre Dame did lose at home to Texas A&M earlier this season but they have won three straight home games by at least three touchdowns each since then.
- Offensive Firepower: Both teams come into this game with potent offenses. USC is averaging 45.5 points per game and Notre Dame is averaging 40 points per game. We should be in for a high-scoring affair between these legendary college football programs.
Quarterback Play
- Jayden Maiava (USC): The junior quarterback has thrown for 1,852 yards, 13 touchdowns, and two interceptions this season. He is leading the nation's second-ranked passing attack and will try to end the playoff hopes of Notre Dame with his passing.
- C.J. Carr (Notre Dame): Carr has accumulated 1,622 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Carr has guided the Fighting Irish's 21st-ranked passing offense to four straight wins after an 0-2 start.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Both of these teams are 3-3 against the spread this season.
- Both teams are 4-2 to the over coming into this matchup.
- Notre Dame holds the edge in the all-time series against USC by a margin of 52-37-5.
USC vs Notre Dame Model Projection
- Score Projection: Notre Dame 38 – USC 27
- Win Probability: Notre Dame 78%, USC 22%
Final Thoughts
I do think that Notre Dame will ultimately win this game at home and keep their playoff hopes alive for a bit longer. But my best bet for this game is to take the over. Both USC and Notre Dame have prolific offenses and we should get above the 60-point mark between the two of them. I'll take the over and cheer for both offenses to perform in this one.
Jay Sanin
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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