SportsLine expert Mike Tierney shares his expert picks for the Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2025 College Football Playoff Championship game on Monday, Jan. 20
The No. 7 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish and No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes will square off in the College Football Playoff Championship game on Monday, Jan. 20. Notre Dame opened the playoff with wins over Indiana and Georgia before sneaking past Penn State in the Orange bowl last Thursday. Ohio State suffered a disastrous loss to Michigan in its regular-season finale, but it has responded with double-digit playoff wins over Tennessee, Oregon and Texas. These teams met in 2022 and 2023, with Ohio State winning both games.
Kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Notre Dame vs. Ohio State odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 46.5. Before making any Notre Dame vs. Ohio State picks, check out the college football predictions from SportsLine Notre Dame expert Mike Tierney.
A veteran sportswriter and handicapper whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney is 58-37 in his last 95 college football betting picks, returning $1,689 to $100 players. In addition, he is 13-5 in his last 18 sides picks in games involving Notre Dame, returning nearly $800. Anyone who has followed him at sportsbooks or betting apps could be way up.
Now, Tierney has set his sights on Notre Dame vs. Ohio State. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the FBS college football lines and trends for Notre Dame vs. Ohio State:
- Notre Dame vs. Ohio State spread: Ohio State -8.5
- Notre Dame vs. Ohio State over/under: 46.5 points
- Notre Dame vs. Ohio State money line: Ohio State -365, Notre Dame +286
- OSU: The Buckeyes are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games
- ND: The Fighting Irish are 10-0 ATS in their last 10 games
- Notre Dame vs. Ohio State picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Notre Dame vs. Ohio State streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Ohio State can cover
Ohio State has been perhaps the most impressive team in the College Football Playoff, winning its first two games in comfortable fashion and then finding a big play late against Texas to pull away in that one. Senior quarterback Will Howard had 289 passing yards and a touchdown against the Longhorns, headlined by a 75-yard screen pass to running back TreVeyon Henderson right before halftime. Jack Sawyer’s late 83-yard scoop and score closed the door in that one.
The Buckeyes have an explosive, balanced attack, averaging 35.8 points per game. Howard has completed 72.6% of his passes for 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns, while Henderson and Quinshon Judkins have both gone over 950 rushing yards. Ohio State has covered the spread in four of its last five games, and it is 4-1-1 ATS in its last six games against Notre Dame. See which team to pick here.
Why Notre Dame can cover
While the Buckeyes have been the most dominant team in the CFP, Notre Dame has been the most profitable team in college football since early in the season. The Fighting Irish have covered the spread in 10 consecutive games, including all three of their playoff games. They beat Georgia by 13 points in the quarterfinals, as quarterback Riley Leonard had 90 passing yards and 80 rushing yards.
Leonard had 223 passing yards and a touchdown in the semifinals, helping Notre Dame advance to the title game with a 27-24 win over Penn State. Sophomore wide receiver Jaden Greathouse had his biggest game of the season, catching seven passes for 105 yards and a score. The Fighting Irish are 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight games against Big Ten opponents. See which team to pick here.
How to make Notre Dame vs. Ohio State picks
Tierney has analyzed Ohio State vs. Notre Dame from every possible angle. He’s leaning under on the point total and has also discovered an X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. Find out what it is, and which team to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Notre Dame vs. Ohio State on Monday, Jan. 20, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Ohio State vs. Notre Dame spread to back, all from the expert who is an incredible 58-37 on his college football picks, returning well over $1,600 for $100 players.
