Wake Forest at Notre Dame Prediction - College Football Picks 11/18/23

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-3) vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-6)

Game Info: Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 3:30 pm (Notre Dame Stadium)

Betting Odds: Notre Dame Fighting Irish -23.5 -- Over/Under: 45.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons will head up to South Bend to meet the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this weekend from Notre Dame Stadium on NBC. Notre Dame has won all five matchups between the two schools.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons Preview

Wake Forest enters at 4-6 after losing to N.C. State in Winston Salem, 26-6. The Demon Deacons were bottled up by the Wolfpack, and they’ll look to avoid a fourth straight loss this weekend. The Wake offense is scoring 20.5 ppg, while passing for 200.7 ypg, rushing for 131.0 ypg, and converting 33.3% of their third downs.

Wake Forest Player Notes

• Michael Kern will move into the QB1 spot after Mitch Griffis picked up an injury in the loss to N.C. State. The junior quarterback naturally struggled last week, and went 14/26 for 137 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

• Sophomore RB Demond Claiborne wasn’t able to do much against the Wolfpack, but he still leads Wake with 586 rushing yards and five touchdowns for the season.

• Junior wideout Jahmal Banks he leads the team in receptions (47) and receiving yards (528), but he’s missed the last two games.

• The Wake defense has allowed 24.6 points per game.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview

Notre Dame enters at 7-3 after losing to Clemson on the road, 31-23. The Fighting Irish were on the wrong side of revenge, as the Tigers were able to pick up much needed victory, and they’ll look to respond strongly here. The Notre Dame offense is averaging 36.8 points per game, while passing for 252.0 ypg, and gaining 166.0 ypg on the ground.

Notre Dame Player Notes

• Sam Hartman struggled on the road in Clemson last week, only going 13/30 for 146 yards with a pair of interceptions. The Charlotte native turned the ball over twice and failed to produce a touchdown for the second straight contest, but he comes into the ultimate spot to strike revenge of his own against his former team. Hartman has passed for 2.272 yards, with 18 touchdowns to seven interceptions through ten starts.

• Junior back Audric Estime has scored in three straight games, and he leads the Irish in rushing with 988 yards on 163 touches.

• Chester native Chris Tyree leads ND in receptions (29) and receiving yards (466).

• The Notre Dame defense has allowed 16.9 points per game.

Wake Forest vs Notre Dame Trends

• WAKE is 4-6 against the spread, with a 3-6-1 O/U record.

• ND is 5-3-1 ATS, with a 6-3 over/under record.

Corey’s Free Pick

Sam Hartman has struggled since quarterbacking a victory over USC, and I believe he’ll get back to his reliable ways here against his former school. The real story will be the run game, which has carried the Irish through the season, and it should prove to be too much for Wake. The Demon Deacons will come into South Bend with their back up quarterback, and they may struggle to put up points, so let’s back a big bounce back win for Notre Dame here. The Under may also be in play due to the potential one-sided contest.