Notre Dame vs. Florida State Betting Odds: Total Just Announced

The start of the college football season is officially closing in as official spreads and totals are finally being posted.

One of the marquee matchups in Week 1 is a standalone matchup on Sunday, September 4th at 7:30 p.m. ET when Notre Dame travels to Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida to face Florida State.

Here are the details and odds that bettors should know.

Notre Dame vs. Florida State Betting Odds

• Spread: Notre Dame -9.5 (-110) | Florida State +9.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Notre Dame (-350) | Florida State (+285)
• Total: 56.0, OVER (-110) | UNDER (-110)

The Irish took out the Seminoles last year 42-26 in South Bend as Kyren Williams ran for 185 yards and two scores to lead the way.

Additionally, WynnBET is the first operator to release game totals for Weeks 0 and 1 for the 2021 college football season, with other key matchups including Alabama vs. Miami (Fla.), Georgia vs. Clemson and Louisville vs. Ole Miss.

Notre Dame Season Preview

The Fighting Irish are coming off an ACC Championship and trip to the College Football Playoff following a 10-2 season that ended with a 31-14 loss to Alabama. While heavily favored in a tough environment, Notre Dame may still have their hands full with several changes on the offensive side of the ball.

Ian Book is no longer in South Bend, along with nine total starters on offense, four of them on the offensive line. With former Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan now running the offense, expect the Irish to continue to rely on the ground game with Williams and Chris Tyree leading the way.

The Irish defensively a season ago were among the elite in college football. Among Power Five schools, only Northwestern, Iowa, Wisconsin and Alabama gave up less points/game than Notre Dame.

Cincinnati was also a team that allowed fewer points/game than Notre Dame, which is largely why the Irish brought on Marcus Freeman to replace Clark Lea as defensive coordinator. The loss of outside linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to the NFL will be tough to overcome, but Notre Dame brings back several notable starters including linebacker Drew White, safety Kyle Hamilton and corner Clarence Lewis.

Florida State Season Preview

What type of season will year number two be for head coach Mike Norvell? Year 1 was and up-and-down one as the Seminoles lost their first two games, including being blown out 52-10 at in-state rival Miami, but ended up beating No. 5 North Carolina three games later at home. Florida State finished on a somewhat high note at 3-6, culminating with a 56-35 win over Duke after seeing their matchups vs Clemson, Virginia and Wake Forest get cancelled due to COVID-19.

On offense, McKenzie Milton has transferred to FSU from University of Central Florida, but Jordan Travis is still the favorite to start the season at quarterback. Like Notre Dame, expect the Seminoles to rely on a run-heavy offense that was among the top teams in the ACC.

Defensively, Florida State lost five players to the NFL, a major concern considering their struggles a season ago. FSU only recorded 10 sacks all season, and gave up an average of 36 points per game. The Seminoles received several transfers including Jermaine Johnson from Georgia, who will be a key addition in improving the pass rush.

Notre Dame vs. Florida State Prediction

My initial lean on the newly released total is that it feels a tad bit high considering all the changes to Notre Dame's offense. Both teams will likely rely on the run, and if the Irish get off to a sizable lead like the oddsmakers anticipate, that will churn plenty of time off the clock throughout the second half. I'll lean under 56 points as the Irish look to make a statement defensively on the road.

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