2017 NCAA Football Picks & Predictions – Week 2 Temple @ Notre Dame Odds & Free Pick 9/2/17

2017 NCAA Football Picks & Predictions – Week 2 Temple @ Notre Dame Odds & Free Pick 9/2/17: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish kick off their 2017 NCAA Football season in week 2 action on Saturday, September 2nd against the Temple Owls. The game is set for a 12:30 PM EST kick off at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN and the odds makers at Bovada Sportsbook have made Notre Dame a strong -15 point favorite. The total for the game has yet to be released at any of the top USA online sportsbooks but we will have it on our LIVE 2017 college football odds page as soon as it is released at the major online sportsbooks and top Las Vegas strip sportsbooks. Continue reading our Temple @ Notre Dame NCAA Football game preview below along with our free pick on who to bet on. Be sure and visit NSAwins.com all season long for the best free college football picks and predictions online. Bar none.

2017 NCAA Football Picks & Predictions – Week 2 Temple @ Notre Dame Odds & Free Pick 9/2/17

Game: Temple @ Notre Dame
Line: Notre Dame -15 at Bovada Sportsbook
Where: Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN
Time: 12:30 PM EST
Date: Saturday, September 2nd, 2017

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly begins his 8th season in South Bend and is 59-31 overall after his first 7 seasons on the job. Kelly has a strong nucleus returning this season as 15 starters are back from last season’s disappointing 4-8 team. The heat is on Kelly to get the ship turned around this season and there should be no excuses as the talent is there to have a successful season and finish in the Top 25 at minimum.

The Fighting Irish offense welcomes back 8 starters on a unit that scored 30.9 points per game to finish 53rd nationally last season. The offense only averaged 417.6 yards per game and that was a mediocre 62nd in the country last season. The offense will have a new signal caller this season as sophomore Brandon Wimbush looks to be the starter on opening day at quarterback. Wimbush was a highly recruited talent out of high school and appears to have the size and physical tools necessary to excel at the position in offensive coordinator Chip Long’s offense. Wimbush will have help as junior running back Josh Adams is back after rushing for 933 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2016 and junior wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown returns after catching 58 balls for 961 yards and 9 touchdowns last season.

The Notre Dame defense also has plenty of experience returning with 7 starters back from a unit that allowed 27.8 points per game to finish 62nd nationally. The unit was better in yards allowed as they finished 42nd after giving up 378.8 yards per game. Defensive coordinator Mike Elko should be able to get this unit to elevate their game this season as the back 7 of the unit is really strong and fast. However, the defensive line is a question mark and will need to be stout if Notre Dame is to field a strong defense this season.

Temple comes into the 2017 season with a lot of question marks as they only return 8 starters from last season’s 6-6 team. The Owls will also have a new head coach in Geoff Collins as he takes over for Matt Rhule who took the Baylor job. Collins was the defensive coordinator for the Florida gators the last two seasons and is a good friend of Rhule’s.

The Owls offense only returns 4 starters from last year’s unit that ranked 43rd nationally in scoring at 32.4 points per game and 66th in yardage at 413.6 yards per game. The offense will have a new quarterback in sophomore Logan Marchi who only threw for 29 yards on 6 attempls last season in garbage time work. Marchi will have some strong help, however, as junior running back Ryquell Armstead returns after rushing for 919 yards and 14 touchdowns last season and junior wide receiver Ventell Bryant is back after catching 54 balls for 895 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Defensively, the Owls welcome back 4 starters from last season’s stout unit that finished 11th nationally in points allowed at just 18.4 points per game. The unit was an absolute monster in yardage allowed as they gave up just 282.5 yards per game to finish 3rd nationally. Defensive coordinator Taver Johnson should put together another strong defense this season as three starters are back in the secondary and the new starters at linebacker are all fast and athletic. The defense won’t be as good as last season but they will be very solid again.

Temple @ Notre Dame Free Pick and Score Prediction: Temple to cover the spread at +15 but Notre Dame to win the game outright, 24-16.

Bet on the Temple @ Notre Dame NCAA Football game at Bovada Sportsbook