Can undefeated Army keep dream season alive vs. Notre Dame?

Notre Dame and Army have a lot at stake for this Saturday's marquee matchup at Yankee Stadium.

Notre Dame must win its remaining two games to secure its spot in the College Football Playoff. Meanwhile, Army hasn't received much playoff consideration despite its best start in decades. A win over Notre Dame would propel the Black Knights into the conversation for an automatic bid as the highest-ranked Group of 5 champions.

No. 24 Army vs. No. 8 Notre Dame (-14.5, O/U 44.5)

Case for Army

• Army is having a historic 9-0 season, but it hasn't seen an opponent nearly as talented as Notre Dame.
• However, Army leads the nation in total rushing yards by a sizable margin.
• The Black Knights must dominate Notre Dame's defensive line and effectively control the clock. It'll be a long night in the Bronx if they can't limit Notre Dame's possessions.

Case for Notre Dame

• Notre Dame has decimated opponents since an embarrassing upset loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2, winning its last eight games by an average of 32.5 points.
• Riley Leonard has been steady after a shaky start. He's thrown for over 200 yards in four of his last five games while totaling 24 total touchdowns and only two interceptions in Notre Dame's last eight wins.
• Army allows the third-fewest rushing yards per game, but its pass defense falls behind. Notre Dame also has an elite rushing attack.
• The Black Knights haven't faced a top-50 defense or top-75 offense thanks to arguably the nation's easiest schedule.
• The Fighting Irish will earn a trip to the playoffs if they beat Army this Saturday and USC next Saturday.

Key trends

• Army is 7-1-1 ATS, the best ATS win percentage in the country.
• Notre Dame is 7-2-1 ATS and has covered five straight.
• Army is an underdog for the first time this season.
• Notre Dame is 2-0-1 ATS versus ranked opponents.
• The Fighting Irish are 6-1 ATS at a neutral site under Marcus Freeman.
• Army is 14-6 ATS at a neutral site under Jeff Monken.
• Notre Dame has received 59% of the bets and 54% of the handle.
• Over 70% of the bets and handle are on the over.

Best bet - Notre Dame -14.5

The line indicates Army isn't a serious undefeated team. But Notre Dame has failed to cover large spreads before, even losing outright as a 28.5-point favorite this season.

However, Notre Dame is playing its best ball in November, and all its goals are in front of it. The Fighting Irish have the defensive front to stymie Army's run game. The Black Knights' offense won't keep up with the Fighting Irish, who should cover the two-touchdown spread.

Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.