The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and North Carolina Tar Heels play on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in a game on the college football Week 5 schedule.
Which team will win the college football Week 5 game?
Check out these college football Week 5 picks and college football Week 5 predictions for the game, which can be seen at 9 a.m. MST on ESPN (stream with FUBO).
Notre Dame is a 21-point favorite over North Carolina in college football Week 5 odds for the game, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Fighting Irish are -2000 on the moneyline, while the Tar Heels are +1100. The over/under (point total) for the game is set at 47.5 points.
Watch Notre Dame vs North Carolina on FUBO (free trial)
Sporting News: Notre Dame 34, North Carolina 10
Bill Bender writes: "This
is the best opponent the Tar Heels have faced under Bill Belichick, one that will test a defense that allows 13.7 points per game. Xavier Watts leads the Tar Heels with six sacks. Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr has a 70.5% completion percentage with nine TDs and one interception, and the Irish can create points off turnovers. The Irish are 3-1 ATS this season, and this feels like another statement game."
Bookies.com: Bet the under in North Carolina vs Notre Dame game
Bill Speros writes: "Bill Belichick may ponder a second retirement once C.J. Carr and Notre Dame's offense get through with the Tar Heels. The Irish Show-No-Mercy College Football Playoff Snub Revenge Tour tour rolled through West Lafayette on Saturday, crushing the 26-point line in a 49-10 Shillelagh Trophy triumph. Belichick's Heels crumbled in a 28-20 loss to Clemson two weeks ago. Notre Dame dominated in all three phases — as Belichick likes to say. Our model puts the spread a half-point higher than the market. The Irish could keep UNC out of the end zone. The early start pushes us toward the under."
Dimers.com: Notre Dame 35, North Carolina 14
It writes: "After extensive simulations, our model gives Notre Dame a win probability of 94%, while North Carolina has a win probability of 6%."
ESPN: Notre Dame has a 91.3% chance to defeat North Carolina
The site gives the Tar Heels an 8.7% shot at winning the college football Week 5 game.
Sports Betting Dime: Notre Dame 24.5, North Carolina 11.3
The site's formula predicts that the Fighting Irish will beat the Tar Heels in the Week 5 college football game.
Picks and Parlays: Bet Notre Dame to cover vs North Carolina
Kim Smith writes: "Notre Dame is laying a substantial number on the road, but the Fighting Irish have consistently demonstrated the ability to create large margins. They have scored at least 27 points in every game while allowing only 8.3 points per contest through four games. North Carolina deserves credit for remaining competitive against Clemson, but Notre Dame presents an even more difficult challenge on both sides of the football. If the Irish continue generating defensive stops at their current rate, North Carolina could have trouble staying within three touchdowns."
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Notre Dame vs North Carolina picks, predictions, odds for Week 5 game
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