Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M Best College Football Prop Bets for Week 1

Reed Wallach | Aug 31, 2024

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) who is hurt, dresses and throws some pre-game passes with fellow quarterbacks Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. / MANDATORY CREDIT GREG SWIERCZ / USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame takes the trip to a raucous Kyle Field to take on Texas A&M in one of the top matchups of Week 1.

With a ton of intrigue around this primetime matchup, including turnover on both sides with Notre Dame landing transfer quarterback Riley Leonard and Texas A&M landing Leonard's former coach Mike Elko, let's hit the player prop market!

Keep reading for my three favorite player props on Saturday's primetime matchup.

Best Player Props for Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M 

• Riley Leonard UNDER 201.5 Passing Yards
• Le’Veon Moss OVER 53.5 Rushing Yards
• Noah Thomas Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+230)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Riley Leonard UNDER 201.5 Passing Yards

Much has been made about the injuries to the Notre Dame offensive line, as noted in our betting preview that you can read here, and I believe it’s going to limit the team’s effectiveness on offense against a sturdy Texas A&M defensive line. 

Leonard is a highly touted transfer from Duke, but his passing isn’t what makes him great, it’s his rushing ability. In five healthy games last season, he went over this mark in only two games, and on the year he only completed 57% of his passes with three big time throws. 

With a low total, this game will likely be tight throughout and each team will play conservatively to avoid any big errors that can give the opposition a short field. 

I believe the game skews towards a rush-heavy script as Leonard won’t have the requisite time to move the ball through the air. 

I’ll go under in this one. 

Le’Veon Moss OVER 53.5 Rushing Yards

The junior running back battle injuries last season, but when he got the pigskin, he was effective. 

Moss averaged five yards per carry, and when he got double digit carries last season he went over in three of the four with the other being a 49-yard effort. 

As the team transitions to new offensive coordinator Collin Klein, I believe we see more of a run-first presence that will give Moss the requisite volume to get to this mark. Klein comes from Kansas State, who has produced 1,000 yard rushers in the last three seasons. The Aggies will employ a run-first mindset and get Moss the ball at least 13 times, helping him get over this mark. 

Noah Thomas Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+230)

Conner Weigman had his season cut short last season, and while there’s a new offensive coordinator in Klein coming in, I believe that there is a real connection between the quarterback and returning wide receiver Noah Thomas. 

Thomas caught four touchdown passes from Weigman in two games. Yes, three were against a lowly New Mexico team, but I’ll buy into chemistry on a longshot anytime touchdown price. 

---

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all his college football bets on betstamp @rw33

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.