Notre Dame vs. UNLV live stream, watch online, TV channel, kickoff time, football game odds, prediction

Notre Dame is looking to get back in the win column this weekend on the heels of a deflating loss to Stanford. The Fighting Irish, theoretically, should be able to get that job done as they welcome UNLV to South Bend, Indiana, in Week 8. 

Notre Dame stumbles into this game with a 3-3 record after falling to Stanford 16-14 in an ugly affair last weekend. With the exception of a game against a porous North Carolina defense, the Irish offense has been sputtering for much of the season. Perhaps a matchup against the Rebels defense, which has surrendered at least 40 points in each of the last two weeks, will be the cure for what ails Notre Dame. The Irish do need to score a win before back-to-back games against two teams from the ACC currently undefeated: Syracuse and Clemson. 

UNLV jumped out to a 4-1 start to the season but has gotten shelled in back to back games. In losses to San Jose State and Air Force, the Rebels have lost by a combined score of 82-14. UNLV might even be looking forward to facing a Notre Dame offense that’s only scoring 23.7 points per game, which ranks 100th in the country. Regardless of what the defense looks like, UNLV has to find a way to hit double digits on offense if it wants a prayer of pulling off the upset.

How to watch Notre Dame vs. UNLV

Date: Saturday, Oct. 22 | Time: 2:30 p.m. ETLocation: Notre Dame Stadium — South Bend, IndianaLive stream: Peacock

Three players to watch

Michael Mayer, Notre Dame TE: There’s not much to love about the Notre Dame offense these days, but Mayer is clearly a star. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound tight end moves well for someone his size, and that makes him the top weapon for Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, especially in the red zone. Through six games, Mayer has caught 38 passes for 411 yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Drew Pyne will throw in Mayer’s direction quite a bit on Saturday. 

Jack Kiser, Notre Dame LB: Kiser is coming off a strong game against Stanford in which he recorded five total tackles. Through six games, Kiser is second on the team with 34 total tackles, and he has added 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. The former three-star recruit has developed into a leader of this Notre Dame defense, and he will be tasked with slowing a strong UNLV rushing attack.

Aidan Robbins, UNLV RB: Robbins currently ranks third in the Mountain West with 591 rushing yards. His 84.4 yards per game rank fourth in the conference. Despite the Rebels’ recent offensive issues, Robbins has been a bright spot for much of the season. It will be interesting to see whether he can rebound against Notre Dame after rushing for just 30 yards against Air Force.

Notre Dame vs. UNLV prediction

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Both teams are limping into this game, and the Vegas oddsmakers seem to believe more pain is in store for UNLV. Notre Dame is currently a 27-point favorite, but its only double-digit victory of the season to this point is a 13-point win over North Carolina. The Fighting Irish haven’t exactly displayed any kind of killer instinct yet, and their offense hasn’t looked capable of hanging a big number on anyone in the last three weeks. UNLV hangs around long enough to cover the spread as Notre Dame pulls away late. Prediction: UNLV +27

Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 8, and which top-20 favorite will go down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $3,000 in profit over the past six-plus seasons — and find out.