Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Virginia Cavaliers Matchup

Check out our free Virginia Cavaliers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish pick and preview for this CFB week 12 game in Notre Dame. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 12 CFB matchup.

Notre Dame is the heavy favorite in this week 12 non-conference matchup against Virginia, with the point spread set at -23 in their favor. The game is scheduled for 3:30 ET on Saturday, November 16th, at Notre Dame Stadium and will be broadcast on NBC. The over/under line is currently 50.5 points. Notre Dame comes in with an 8-1 record, while Virginia has gone 5-4 this season.

Cavaliers vs. Fighting Irish Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Virginia Cavaliers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Where: Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium
Date: Saturday, November 16th
Betting Odds ND -23, VIR +1073 | ND -2580 O/U 50.5

Cavaliers Preview:

Virginia enters Week 12 with a 5-4 record, ranked 67th in our power rankings. They have a 42.6% chance of becoming bowl-eligible but are out of contention for the Atlantic Coast title. The Cavaliers have been stronger on the road (3-1) compared to their 1-3 home record this season.

Against the spread, Virginia is 5-2-1, with a perfect 3-0-1 record on the road. They’ve been favored in five games, going 2-2-1 ATS as the favorite and 3-0 ATS as the underdog. Their average scoring margin this season is -0.7 points per game.

The over/under line for this week is 50.5 points. Virginia’s games have averaged 52.7 points, with an average over/under line of 55.3 points. They are 3-5 against the over/under this season, with eight games featuring higher lines than this week’s total.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdown

Virginia’s offense is averaging 26 points per game, placing them 58th in the nation. They are ranked 79th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 12. The Cavaliers have been focused on their passing game, ranking 40th in passing attempts and 34th in completions, averaging 254.4 yards per game. Their third-down conversion rate is low, at 35.3%, and their passer rating is 91.

Anthony Colandrea leads Virginia’s passing attack with 1,948 yards and a 63.2% completion rate. He has thrown 12 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, with a passer rating of 87. Malachi Fields is the top receiver with 665 yards and 4 touchdowns. On the ground, Kobe Pace has 442 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.

Cavaliers Team Defense

Virginia's defense had a solid performance in their recent game against Pittsburgh, allowing just 19 points and forcing two interceptions. They gave up 292 total yards, including 127 rushing yards on 32 carries and 165 passing yards.

On the season, Virginia ranks 61st nationally, giving up 26.7 points per game. They are 59th in rushing yards allowed at 133.7 yards per game, but have struggled against the pass, ranking 146th by allowing 262.9 passing yards per game.

Fighting Irish Preview:

Fighting Irish Offense Breakdown

Notre Dame’s offense is averaging 38.3 points per game, ranking 12th in the nation, and they are 19th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 12. Their rushing attack is the focal point, with 215.6 yards per game, placing them 16th nationally in that category.

Jeremiyah Love leads the ground game with 583 rushing yards and has scored 10 touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry. Quarterback Riley Leonard has thrown for 1,575 yards with a passer rating of 92, and he has nine touchdown passes with three interceptions.

Fighting Irish Team Defense

Notre Dame's defense has been impressive this season, ranking third nationally by allowing just 11.1 points per game. They also rank seventh in the country, giving up only 148.6 passing yards per game, and have held opposing quarterbacks to a 52.8 passer rating, the third-lowest in the nation.

In their recent game against Florida State, Notre Dame's defense gave up just three points and 208 total yards. They allowed 120 rushing yards on 43 attempts and only 88 passing yards, while also forcing two interceptions.

Cavaliers vs Fighting Irish Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past three road matchups, Virginia has an ATS record of 3-0 while averaging 32 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
Across their last five home contests, Notre Dame has been good against the spread posting a mark of 5-0. Their overall mark in these games was 5-0, while averaging 45 points per game.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Virginia Cavaliers have a straight up record of 2-3 and an ATS mark of 4-1.
In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a straight up record of 9-1 and an ATS mark of 8-2.