Joel Klatt Discusses Betting Notre Dame's 2026 Win Total

Notre Dame football brings back more production than any team in the nation, after going 10-2 last year, and being within a single play here or there of being in the College Football Playoff.

It enters 2026 as a favorite to win the national championship, which would be its first since the 1988 season.

Notre Dame will have what should be an incredibly friendly schedule for 2026 as well, as its first six games come against teams that won fewer than six games last year.

Put it all together and you have a Notre Dame team that has a win total of 11.5 set for the 12 game slate according to Fan Duel.

So, does Notre Dame run the table and capture the over, or does it fall even once to someone like Miami or BYU, to have the under cash?

Joel Klatt Weighs In on Notre Dame's Season Win Total

Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt discussed Notre Dame's win total on his latest episode of The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast, and he's not sold on the Irish running the table.

Joel Klatt of Fox Sports during the 2026 Holiday Bow — Jan 2, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Fox Sports broadcaster Joel Klatt emcees the Holiday Bowl trophy presentation at Snapdragon Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"I just can't guarantee that Notre Dame is going to go undefeated,"Klatt said."You're telling me you cannot lose a football game. You get the wrong injury at the wrong time. You get a quarterback who goes down in the middle of the third quarter. Hopefully, it doesn't happen, but what if it does? ... For me, my pick is going to be under."

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway

I guess I would respond to Klatt's reasoning with a question.

What exactly can be guaranteed in college football ahead of the 2026 season?

For Notre Dame, injury luck has been anything but on its side in recent years, and it's still managed to go 24-4 over its last 28 games.

What is most surprising to me isn't that Notre Dame has a win total of 11.5, but instead just how big the point-spread is for its biggest game of the year.

Currently, FanDuel lists Notre Dame as a 6.5 point favorite over Miami in what is the biggest game of the year for the Fighting Irish. I tend to think that game should be closer to a three-point spread

Based off the early numbers though, it seems like Las Vegas likes Notre Dame even more than the public, which feels weird to say.

And also should tell you just how good this Notre Dame team is expected to be.

With that in mind, give me the over and a 12-0 regular season.

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