College football’s first full-slate Saturday will be capped by a must-see Top 25 matchup between the visiting No. 7 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
Below, FrontPageBets takes a look at Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame odds and makes a pick for the matchup on Saturday afternoon:
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The Aggies are 3-point favorites in the season opener. But chalk that up mostly to being the home team.
This one will be close, as both teams are looking to make a statement early.
Head coach Mike Elko makes his Texas A&M debut after being hired away from Duke to replace Jimbo Fisher.
Elko and his new Aggies team will have to face his former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard, who transferred to Notre Dame in the offseason.
Leonard will help bolster a veteran Fighting Irish offense, which returns eight starters from last year’s 10-3 team.
Speaking of returning starters, Elko will get to show off seven veterans on offense, including a healthy Conner Weigman at quarterback. Weigman started the first four games of 2023 for the Aggies before suffering a season-ending injury. In those four games, however, he threw for nearly 1,000 total yards and eight touchdowns.
Texas A&M also picked up Purdue defensive end transfer Nic Scourton, who led the Big Ten in sacks last season.
The Aggies, who finished disappointing 7-6 last year, need everyone to compete in the expanded SEC this year that welcomes in their former Big 12 foes (and rivals) Texas and Oklahoma.
Notre Dame looks to make the expanded 12-team College Football Playoffs, entering the season at No. 7. And Leonard can help get them there, especially with some of the talent that surrounds him.
In three seasons at Duke, Leonard threw for 4,450 yards and 24 touchdowns, most of those coming in his first year as the starter in 2022. That season, Leonard threw for 20 TDs, while also rushing for nearly 700 yards and 13 more touchdowns. Most importantly, he led Duke to a 9-4 record, which was their best since 2014.
Look for Leonard to be the difference in this one, even on the road.
Notre Dame wins in a close one, which definitely goes under the 47-point total.
Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M Predictions For Aug. 31
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Mike Szvetitz is the General Manager and Content Director for FrontPageBets.com. Szvetitz is a 24-year veteran reporter and editor, including serving 17 years as a sports editor in Florida, Alabama and Virginia, covering everything from preps to pros. His "View From The Lazy Boy" column won multiple state and national awards. He can be reached at mszvetitz@timesdispatch.com.
