College Football Best Bets for Sunday: Notre Dame vs. Miami, Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina

Two exciting matchups highlight the Sunday college football slate as Week 1 continues.

Virginia Tech takes on a familiar name — coach Shane Beamer — and No. 13 South Carolina at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 3 p.m. ET.

The night concludes with two old rivals meeting in Florida as the Miami Hurricanes host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Here’s a look at two best bets for Sunday’s college football action.

Virginia Tech Hokies (+7 at DraftKings)

South Carolina got off to a slow start last season, posting a 3-3 record through six games. Two of those defeats came in heartbreaking fashion, by less than a field goal to LSU and Alabama.

Shane Beamer’s squad rebounded with six consecutive victories, capped by a 17-14 upset of rival Clemson. The Gamecocks eventually fell to Illinois in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, but the program showed improvement from its 5-7 finish in 2023.

Virginia Tech went 6-6 in the regular season last year, then closed with a 24-10 loss to Minnesota in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

One notable difference from the start of last season: The Hokies closed as 13-point favorites at Vanderbilt and lost that game in overtime. They will be looking for a stronger start this year, this time in the underdog role.

Virginia Tech was an underdog twice in the regular season, covering in a narrow loss to Miami before falling by 10 at home to Clemson.

South Carolina went 9-5 against the spread last season, with five of those covers coming as an underdog. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers threw for a career-high 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns.

The Hokies lost five of six regular season games by seven points or fewer, and should be able to flip some of those close defeats into wins in 2025.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-3 at DraftKings)

The Fighting Irish and Hurricanes have a contentious history, and the rivalry resumes Sunday night.

Notre Dame advanced all the way to the national championship last season before falling short against Ohio State. Along the way, the Irish knocked off Penn State and Georgia as small underdogs.

Miami quarterback Cam Ward skyrocketed to the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft following a dynamic one-year stint in Coral Gables. The Hurricanes started 9-0 before back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and Syracuse ended their playoff hopes.

Now, former Georgia signal-caller Carson Beck steps in at quarterback, looking to guide Miami to the top of the ACC. The Hurricanes were never an underdog last season but have dropped three of their last four games in that role.

C.J. Carr takes over at quarterback for Notre Dame following Sam Hartman, who threw 24 touchdown passes last year. The Irish are 10-1 in their last 11 games away from South Bend, with the lone loss coming to Ohio State in the title game.

Carr remains a wild card under center, but Beck will be a downgrade from Ward. Back the Irish as a short road favorite to win in Miami.