The 2023 college football season is finally here and what a game to kick us off. The Navy Midshipmen and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish cross the pond to face off in Dublin, Ireland, rekindling one of the longest running rivalries in the sport.

As part of our on-the-ground coverage of the 2023 Aer Lingus College Football Classic, we bring you our Navy vs. Notre Dame prediction, odds, and picks for fantasy football purposes.

Navy vs. Notre Dame Betting Preview

All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Aug. 24, 2023.

• Spread
  Notre Dame (-21), Navy (+21)
• Moneyline
  Notre Dame -1200, Navy +750
• Over/Under
  49 points
• Game time
  2:30 P.M. ET
• Location
  Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
• Predicted Weather at Kick
  53 degrees, 8mph winds, partly cloudy
• How to Watch
  NBC and Peacock

Looking to make some money on the Midshipmen? Fancy some dollar on Notre Dame? Despite it being the first game of the 2023 college football season, it’s worth considering the past before you part with your hard-earned cash.

History heavily favors the Fighting Irish in what is one of the longest-running rivalries in college football. When the two teams do battle in Dublin on Saturday, it’ll be the 96th clash of these titans, and Notre Dame holds a 79-13-1 advantage (they vacated two wins.)

They’ve also won the last five, and boast a historic 43-game win streak from 1964 to 2007.

MORE: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Top 10 Returning Players in 2023 Including Joe Alt, Audric Estime

Navy came close to an upset last fall, but the smart money will be on the Fighting Irish, especially with what is expected to be akin to a partizan home atmosphere in their spiritual home. With a moneyline of -1200, betting straight up isn’t going to net you of a return to afford a pint of Guinness — the local beverage of choice if you’re making the trip across the pond.

Therefore, dabbling against the spread or over/under presents a better investment opportunity. Just five of the matchups since 2000 have featured fewer points than the 49-point line and our Navy vs. Notre Dame prediction suggests we could see another game surpass that mark. Keep on reading to discover which team can cover the spread on Saturday.

Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays

• QB Sam Hartman, Notre Dame: $11,400
• QB Xavier Arline, Navy: $6,000
• QB Tai Lavatai, Navy: $6,000
• RB Audric Estime, Notre Dame: $9,500
• RB Gi’Bran Payne, Notre Dame: $6,700
• RB Devyn Ford, Notre Dame: $6,500
• RB Daba Fofana, Navy: $5,800
• RB Amin Hassan, Navy: $5,200
• RB Anton Hall Jr., Navy: $5,300
• WR Tobias Merriweather, Notre Dame: $7,500
• WR Jayden Thomas, Notre Dame: $6,900
• WR Chris Tyree, Notre Dame: $5,200
• WR Jayden Greathouse, Notre Dame: $4,600
• WR Deion Colzie, Notre Dame: $5,900
• WR Jayden Umbarger, Navy: $5,400
• TE Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame: $5,400
• TE Holden Staes, Notre Dame: $4,900

It’s the first weekend of the college football season and if you’re anything like us you’ll be giddy to lay down your first DFS picks of the year. However, with seven games on the Week 0 schedule, picking carefully — particularly with your Navy vs. Notre Dame picks — will be more critical than normal to ensuring success.

Thankfully, we have some helpful hints to guide you.

Our first advice would be to avoid the Navy quarterbacks. Midshipmen head coach Brian Newberry has already asserted that he’ll operate a two-quarterback system in Ireland, with Tai Lavatai returning to the starting lineup after injury. A split workload halves your scoring opportunity, and Fanduel doesn’t even have a value for QB1b, Blake Horvath.

On the other hand, Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman is one of the two prime picks at the position in Week 0.

The record-setting former Wake Forest passer has a new OC and system to adapt to, but with his acclimation being praised by all and sundry within the program — plus a plethora of pass-catching options — he should be able to take advantage of a Navy secondary that had a torrid time against the passing game last fall. They might be improved, but Hartman should thrive.

Speaking of pass-catching options, Notre Dame has possibly too many to choose from but there is an obvious choice to make. A tight end has led the Fighting Irish in season receptions for the past three campaigns and Mitchell Evans is set to take over the mantle vacated by Michael Mayer. After shining in the Gator Bowl to end 2022, he’s ready to break out in the upcoming season.

At the running back position, Audric Estime is the pick of the Notre Dame rushers and will be the de facto RB1 for the Fighting Irish this fall. However, against a ferocious Navy run defense, his opportunity to rack up big points — despite averaging 6.1 yards per carry in this fixture last fall — may be limited.

Insert Navy fullback Daba Fofana into your lineup and thank us later.

Prediction for Navy vs. Notre Dame

So you have the Navy vs. Notre Dame odds, you have our Navy vs. Notre Dame picks for DFS, how about a little Navy vs. Notre Dame prediction? You can find our in-depth preview of what to expect when the Midshipmen and Fighting Irish lock horns in Dublin right here, but let’s break down the basics right now.

Navy’s biggest chance for success on Saturday will revolve around surprises from an offense that is expected to feature some “wrinkles” from the usual triple-option system they’ve deployed for years. The quarterback competition, and resultant two-QB scheme we’ll see in Dublin, appear to indicate finding a QB who can be a true dual-threat, both air and ground capable.

MORE: Navy Midshipmen Top 10 Returning Players in 2023 Include Daba Fofana, Colin Ramos 

The Midshipmen will try and dominate time of possession, be strong against the run, and will be defensively focused on securing a combination of six takeaways and three-and-outs — their “Get 6” philosophy that is set to continue under new defensive coordinator P.J. Volker.

However, with the combination of new quarterback Sam Hartman under center, a deep WR room, and one of the best offensive lines in the nation, the Fighting Irish are well-placed to take advantage of a Navy secondary that could be the weakness of the Midshipmen team once more, despite head coach Newberry describing them as the most improved unit for the program.

Prediction: Notre Dame 35, Navy 18