Notre Dame vs. Indiana: Jeremiyah Love, Howard Cross Expected to Play in College Football Playoff First Round

As kickoff approaches, questions have surrounded the availability of key Notre Dame players ahead of their College Football Playoff matchup against Indiana.

No. 14 Indiana will host Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoffs on Friday at Notre Dame Stadium (8 p.m. EST, ESPN). The Hoosiers and Fighting Irish both enter the game with a 10-2 record.

As kickoff approaches, questions have surrounded the availability of key Notre Dame players ahead of their College Football Playoff matchup against Indiana. The Fighting Irish have faced adversity due to injuries throughout the 2024 season, and the First Round game on Friday night is no exception. Running back Jeremiyah Love (knee) and defensive tackle Howard Cross (ankle) have been the most prominent names on Notre Dame’s injury list, creating uncertainty around their impact against the Hoosiers.

That’s changed.

Running back Jeremiyah Love is expected to play, despite injuring his knee during Notre Dame’s regular-season finale against USC on December 1st. Love’s availability will provide a significant boost to Notre Dame’s offense, as he has been one of the team’s most productive weapons this season.

Defensive tackle Howard Cross, who sprained his ankle in early December against Florida State and has been sidelined since, is also expected to be available. Cross’s return adds depth and strength to Notre Dame’s defensive line, which will be tasked with containing Indiana’s potent rushing attack.

Notre Dame will still be missing a key piece on defense, and star freshman linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa remains out with a knee injury sustained in the victory over Army. Meanwhile, reserve running back and kick returner Devyn Ford, who was dealing with injury issues late in the season, will also be available to provide depth.

In light of these developments, the data analysts at Dimers updated their Notre Dame-Indiana score prediction early Wednesday morning after conducting new simulations that took into account Notre Dame’s injury updates.

The results of Dimers’ simulations were compared to updated sportsbook odds to compile the data-driven Notre Dame vs. Indiana preview below.

Indiana vs. Notre Dame betting preview

This preview includes Dimers’ best bets and predicted scoreline for Notre Dame vs. Indiana. Fans of both teams can unlock a variety of betting boosts for Friday’s game with these betting deals from DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook, while Bet365′s $150 bonus bet offer has emerged as the most popular Notre Dame vs. IU betting promo among local fans in Indiana.

Explore the interactive widget below to view the latest spread, over/under, and moneyline odds and probabilities for the Indiana-Notre Dame game at Notre Dame Stadium.

Check out all the important details on tonight’s game, as well as the best odds sourced from the top sportsbooks in the country.

Game details

The key information you need before the Indiana vs. Notre Dame college football game.

Odds

Odds for the key markets in the Indiana-Notre Dame college football matchup.

The odds and lines presented in this article are the best available from selected sports betting sites at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Expert prediction: Indiana vs. Notre Dame

Leveraging advanced data analysis and advanced algorithms, the experts at Dimers have performed 10,000 simulations of Friday’s Indiana vs. Notre Dame matchup.

According to Dimers’ independent predictive analytics model, Notre Dame is more likely to defeat Indiana at Notre Dame Stadium. This prediction is based on the model giving Notre Dame a 66% chance of winning the game.

Furthermore, Dimers predicts that Indiana (+7.5) has a 58% chance of covering the spread, while the 51.5-point over/under has a 53% chance of staying under.

As always, these predictions and probabilities are accurate at the time of publication but are subject to potential changes.

Indiana vs. Notre Dame best bet

Our top pick for the Indiana vs. Notre Dame game on Friday is to bet on Indiana +7.5 (-110).

This expert betting advice is formulated through world-class simulations and valuable wagering intelligence, designed to bring you the best possible plays.

Score prediction for Indiana vs. Notre Dame

Dimers’ predicted final score for the Indiana vs. Notre Dame game on Friday has Notre Dame prevailing 28-22.

This expert prediction is based on each team’s average score following 10,000 game simulations, offering a glimpse into the potential outcome.

College football Week 17: Indiana vs. Notre Dame

Get ready for Friday’s college football game between Indiana and Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium, which is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EST. We emphasize that all of the college football best bets and college football predictions on this page are based on 10,000 data-driven simulations of the Indiana vs. Notre Dame game, and they are correct at the