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  "path": "/college-sports/2026/05/08/notre-dame-football-fans-in-vegas-have-some-tough-decisions-make-murray-freeman-irish-sportsbooks",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-08T17:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://chicago.suntimes.com",
  "textContent": "<p>LAS VEGAS — The last time Notre Dame won a national football title, in January 1989, Tim Murray was 15 months old.</p><p>Touchdown Jesus, the fists-up leprechaun and the rest of the Golden Dome lore would seep into his psyche, thanks to alum/father Chris and sister Beth, part of the Fighting Irish’s first female lacrosse team in the late 1990s.</p><p>His Nationals did win the World Series in 2019.</p><p>“But Notre Dame football is No. 1, and it’s not close,” Murray said. “Notre Dame football is the reason I’m a sports fan, the reason why I work in sports. A Notre Dame national championship . . .</p><p>“It would be hard to put into words what it would mean.”</p><p>The 38-year-old Maryland native co-hosts the Vegas Sports & Information Network’s weeknight ‘‘PrimeTime’’ show, with Matt Youmans.</p><p>Since Marcus Freeman took over as coach in 2022, Notre Dame’s legion of football aficionados have been spoiled by the squad’s 64.8% (34-18-2) record against the spread, best in the nation.</p><p>Ridiculous returns on their investments.</p><p>Only one element is missing.</p><p>Notre Dame last won it all when Lou Holtz guided it to that 34-21 victory over West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, 1989.</p><p><b>Caution</b></p><p>In tapping experts about Notre Dame’s chances to go undefeated this season and to win a national title, my first call went to Murray, due to his Irish fervor.</p><p>In an initial release of pigskin odds, FanDuel in mid-March made Notre Dame’s win total 11½ (+158 over, -196 under).</p><p>Only Texas Tech shared that projection, but has been downgraded after quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s gambling allegations.</p><p>William Hill tabbed the Irish as the early +600 national-title favorite.</p><p>Murray believes this Irish iteration is poised for its best shot at a national title since 1993, with its most-skilled quarterback, in sophomore CJ Carr, since the Brady Quinn era (2003-06).</p><p>“Notre Dame will be favored in every regular-season game, with an amped-up focus after last year’s playoff snub,” he said. “It will have, arguably, the best defense in the country. And no opponent, on a neutral field, would be more than a three-point favorite against the Irish.”</p><p>Still, he doesn’t gauge +160 as a rewarding return on an undefeated campaign.</p><p>To make the national playoff, though, BetMGM had the Irish at an overwhelming -700, trailed by Indiana (-300), and Miami and Oregon (both -275).</p><p>Murray will, at some point this preseason, “have a title ticket in pocket.”</p><p><b>Up to +750</b></p><p>On Tuesday, Circa and Station Casinos, at +750 (or risk $100 to win $750), had the best title odds on the Irish. BetMGM, DraftKings and the Westgate SuperBook were +700.</p><p>Youmans predicts Notre Dame to be a double-digit favorite in 10 games. He could only wager under that 11½ total, though, so he passes.</p><p>“As deep and talented as this Notre Dame team will be, what happens if CJ Carr gets injured?” he said. “If you bet over 11½, you need the best-case scenario to play out for three months.</p><p>“But in football, there are always injuries and bumps in the road. Hopefully, Carr stays healthy and develops, and we see this play out in the playoff this time.”</p><p><b>Land mines</b></p><p>Long Island handicapper Tom Barton believes Notre Dame’s opener against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field will be challenging.</p><p>Ultimately, Notre Dame’s coaching and talent is supreme, he says, but Miami, SMU and BYU also concern him.</p><p>“Too many land mines, and they only have to step on one,” Barton said. “Plus-600 is tempting . . . but I won’t bet anyone who isn’t at least 10-to-1.”</p><p>In Texas, Sean Higgs calls Miami the toughest test and BYU “tricky.” He forecasts that an undefeated Notre Dame might be “too cocky” for likely ranked SMU.</p><p>So he dodges the total, too, and discounts a national title.</p><p>“I like Texas and [quarterback Arch] Manning,” Higgs said, “to finally live up to all the hype.”</p><p><b>True value</b></p><p>Also in the Lone Star State, ’capper Paul Stone’s power ratings show Notre Dame being a double-digit favorite 10 times, favored by seven against Miami and BYU.</p><p>The schedule is enviable, Stone believes Carr could challenge for the Heisman Trophy and nine of the Irish’s top 10 tacklers return to that stout defense.</p><p>However, Stone dislikes both sides of that 11½ total. Most college teams, he says, have at least one unexpected “hiccup” in a season.</p><p>Notre Dame is among his typical national-title contenders, but he pinpoints 14-1 LSU and new coach Lane Kiffin as value.</p><p>“Kiffin is the self-proclaimed Portal King, and nobody did better,” Stone said, highlighting former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt’s transfer to Baton Rouge.</p><p>“If Leavitt can stay healthy and return to 2024 form, I could see the Tigers making a serious run at the title.”</p><p><b>The drought</b></p><p>Tim Murray has been figuring which Notre Dame game he’ll attend this season. He’s been to nearly three dozen.</p><p>He has replaced Manti T’eo, his devoted Lab mix that passed away last summer, with nearly identical Clover.</p><p>Wife Emily and he raise young son Sawyer who, of course, raves about Notre Dame football and covets the No. 4 Jeremiyah Love jersey he got for Christmas.</p><p>Sawyer is 8. Does Tim foresee Sawyer celebrating a Fighting Irish football national championship before he turns 38?</p><p>“God, I hope so!” Tim said with a laugh. “But yes!”</p><p><b>NOTRE DAME</b></p><p><b>2026 Football Season</b></p><p>9/6 Wisconsin (in Green Bay)</p><p>9/12 Rice</p><p>9/19 Michigan State</p><p>9/26 at Purdue</p><p>10/3 at North Carolina</p><p>10/10 Stanford</p><p>10/17 at BYU</p><p>10/31 Navy (in Foxborough, Mass.)</p><p>11/7 Miami</p><p>11/14 Boston College</p><p>11/21 SMU</p><p>11/28 at Syracuse</p><p></p><p><b>COLLEGE FOOTBALL</b></p><p><b>National Title Odds</b></p><p><b>Odds Team</b></p><p>+650 Texas</p><p>+750 Notre Dame, Oregon and Ohio State</p><p>+800 Indiana</p><p>+900 Georgia</p><p>11-1 Miami (Fla.)</p><p>14-1 LSU</p><p>Source: CircaSports.com</p><p></p><p><b>ATS RECORD</b></p><p><b>Since 2022</b></p><p><b>Pct. Team</b></p><p>.648 Notre Dame (34-18-2)</p><p>.632 Texas Tech (33-19-1)</p><p>.630 Troy (34-20)</p><p>.616 Ohio State (33-20-3) and Oregon (34-21-1)</p><p>.610 Hawaii (30-19-1)</p><p>.608 James Madison (31-20)</p><p>.606 Missouri (31-20-1)</p><p>Source: TeamRankings.com</p><p></p>",
  "title": "Notre Dame football fans in Vegas have some tough decisions to make",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-08T17:00:02.245Z"
}