Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Purdue Boilermakers Prediction, 9/26/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Purdue Boilermakers

Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026

Location: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, IN

TV: Peacock

Odds/Point Spread: Boilermakers (+26.5)

Total/Over-Under: 57.5

The Purdue Boilermakers (1-2) will take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0) at Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday, September 26, 2026. Notre Dame is 26.5-point favorites from oddsmakers. The over/under is 57.5.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish come into this matchup with a record of 3-0 for this season. In their last game, the Fighting Irish stepped onto the field against the Michigan State Spartans and earned the victory with a final of 27-10. Against the run, the Fighting Irish conceded 44 yds on 27 attempts, which is 1.6 yds per run allowed. Notre Dame gave up 9 pass completions on 18 tries for 123 yds, and a completion rate of 50.0%. When the final whistle blew, they ran 67 plays which gave them a total of 395 yds. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish ran the football 43 times and accounted for 161 yards, earning them an average of 3.7 yds per carry.

Concerning getting in the endzone, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are averaging 40.0 points per game. As a unit they have an average of 130.0 yards rushing ranking this team at 107th in Division 1. The Fighting Irish have racked up 1,223 total yards this year. When it comes to getting the ball in the endzone, Notre Dame has earned 6 passing touchdowns and 7 rushing touchdowns. Notre Dame has tallied 64 1st downs as a team, and they have been called for 9 penalties for 91 yds. They have yet to turn the ball over.

Regarding yards through the air, the Fighting Irish have given up 404 yards which puts them in 15th in D-1. They have yielded 134.7 yards per contest through the air and allowed a completion percentage of 60.0%. In total, they have relinquished 193.0 yards per game putting them at 3rd in the nation. They have surrendered 1 touchdown through the air and 1 touchdown via the ground game. They are allowing an average of 1.9 yards per rushing attempt and 58.3 rushing yards per contest this year. Overall, they have given up 175 yards via the ground game in 3 contests. The Fighting Irish are ranked 5th in the nation when it comes to the opposition scoring, giving up 7.7 points per game.

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The Boilermakers head into this game 1-2 for this season. The last time they took the field, the Boilermakers took a defeat with a final score of 52-38 when they played the UCLA Bruins. The Boilermakers finished the game with 488 yards and they ran 59 plays (8.3 yds per play). Purdue rushed for 2.3 yards per carry, finishing the game with 63 yards on 28 carries. Purdue conceded 48 rushing attempts for 369 yds (7.7 yards per rush). The Boilermakers passing defense conceded a completion percentage of 59.4%, relinquishing 276 yds on 19 out of 32 through the air.

The Purdue Boilermakers maintain an average of 488.7 yards/contest, which is good for 27th in Division 1. The Purdue offense has compiled 180 yards of penalties on 23 infractions, which is good for 39th in the country in terms of hurting your team. They average 122.0 yards per game via the ground game and have rushed for 366 yards for the season. They have tossed 1 interception while letting opponents recover 2 fumbles and they have been able to earn 80 1st downs. In relation to their ability to score points, the Boilermakers are 35th in Division 1 by tallying 39.3 points per game. For the season so far, the Boilermakers have racked up 1,100 passing yards as well as an average of 366.7 passing yards per contest, which is ranked 3rd in Division 1.

The Boilermakers are allowing 36.3 points per game, which has them ranked 128th in Division 1. Purdue has given up a total of 621 yards via the ground game (207.0 yards per game) in addition to 8 touchdowns rushing on the year. They have allowed 5 touchdowns through the air as well as 239.7 yards per game, ranking them 106th in college football. The Boilermakers defense has been on the field for 194 plays, which has them sitting 75th in the country. Their defense has compiled no fumbles and 1 pick on the campaign. Overall, they have conceded 109 points in total.

Who will win tonight's Fighting Irish/Boilermakers college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Boilermakers +26.5

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