Cal vs. Notre Dame Betting: Golden Bears, Golden Domers set for intriguing showdown

After losing the game and their starting quarterback last Saturday against Marshall, Notre Dame will try to rebound against the Golden Bears of Cal tomorrow afternoon at home.

Last week, the Fighting Irish became one of three big names to lose to a member of the Sun Belt Conference, falling 26-21 to the Thundering Herd.

On top of losing the game and their top-ten ranking, Notre Dame also lost starting quarterback Tyler Buchner. Buchner suffered a severe injury to his non-throwing shoulder on a hit in the fourth quarter, and he is unlikely to return this season.

#NotreDame coach Marcus Freeman says QB Tyler Buchner suffered a significant sprain in his AC joint (left shoulder) and will undergo surgery. Buchner is out four months, so most likely the rest of the season. Drew Pyne to start.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) September 12, 2022

Will new starting quarterback Drew Pyne be able to lead the Irish to their first win of the season? Another challenging contest could be in the cards, as Cal has gotten off to a nice 2-0 start, led by their new transfer QB, who has experience playing against Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium.

California Golden Bears vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Cal vs. Notre Dame Matchup Information

• Matchup: California Golden Bears (2-0) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-2)
• Venue & Location: Notre Dame Stadium (Notre Dame, Indiana)
• Date: Saturday, September 17, 2022
• Game Time: 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• How to Watch Cal vs. Notre Dame: NBC & Peacock

Cal vs. Notre Dame Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from our other recommended sports betting sites may also appear in this article.

Spread

• Cal +11.5 (-105)
• Notre Dame -11.5 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 40.5 (-106)
• Under 40.5 (-114)

Moneyline

• Cal +350
• Notre Dame -465

California vs. Notre Dame Prediction and Betting Picks

Cal vs. Notre Dame Prediction: Cal 24, Notre Dame 17

Cal vs. Notre Dame Picks: Cal to cover (Best Value: +12 @ -110 at Bovada Sportsbook) & Cal/Notre Dame over 40.5 (Best Value: -106 at BetOnline)

Buchner hadn’t been overly effective against Ohio State and Marshall, but his injury and Pyne’s elevation to the starting role put even more pressure on the ground game and defense to come up big tomorrow and going forward.

Right now, the Irish are really missing Kyren Williams, who early left for the NFL after last season following back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

Through two games, Notre Dame’s leading rusher is Buchner, with 62 yards. Running backs Audric Estime, Chris Tyree, and Logan Diggs have combined for just 115 yards on 39 carries (2.9 yards per carry).

Leading Rushers for Notre Dame

• QB Tyler Buchner (out for season): 24 carries, 62 yards (2.6 YPC), 2 TD
• Audric Estime: 19 carries, 54 yards (2.8 YPC), 1 TD
• Chris Tyree: 9 carries, 45 yards (5.0 YPC), 0 TD
• Logan Diggs: 11 carries, 16 yards (1.5 YPC), 0 TD

Defending the run has been a struggle thus far, however. Ohio State ran for 172 yards on 35 attempts, and Marshall racked up 219 yards, with Khalan Laborn picking up 163 of them on 31 carries.

If Cal can churn out yards on the ground, it will only make life easier for Purdue transfer Jack Plummer. Through two games, Plummer has thrown for 546 yards and four touchdowns and has completed 68.9 percent of his passes.

Last year, Plummer went 25 for 36 for 187 yards and a touchdown in Purdue’s 27-13 loss at Notre Dame. With a game in that environment under his belt and a good amount of experience to his name, Plummer is unlikely to be overawed at Notre Dame Stadium.

Cal squeaked by UNLV 20-14 last week, and though it wasn’t an overly impressive win in terms of profile or performance, the Bears’ defense allowed zero points off of four forays into their territory in the second half, including one that ended at the 8.

With an experienced quarterback and a tough defense, Cal has the pieces in place to mount a serious upset bid against a team with a lot of questions on both sides of the ball. I like their chances to not only cover but to come away with the win and go into Pac-12 play with a 3-0 mark.