the yahngorithm
Michigan State
Big Ten
@
3Notre Dame
FBS Independents
Week 3 · 2026 · Sat, Sep 19, 6:30 PM CT · NBC · Notre Dame Stadium
Market spreadND -29.5
Market total52.5
Model spreadND -28
Edge-1.5

Spread models

SP+efficiencymodel ND -28
market ND -29.5  ·  edge -1.5  ·  MSU +1.6 vs ND +27.1 + 2.5 HFA
SRSscoring margin
no games played yet — empty in week 1, noisy through ~week 3
YahnSP+ + EPA + rostermodel ND -28.7
market ND -29.5  ·  edge -0.8  ·  MSU +0.7 vs ND +26.6 + 2.9 HFA

The spread signal is SP+ only right now. Market is the consensus of 9 books. Positive edge = model likes Notre Dame. Guide §2.

How the Yahn number is built — not a separate model
SP+ base+ EPA+ roster= rating
MSU+1.6-0.5-0.4+0.7
ND+27.1-0.3-0.2+26.6

SP+ is the backbone. EPA nudges toward raw efficiency (weight grows through the season — near zero this early). Roster = talent + returning production + transfer-portal net, fading to zero by week 5. Venue home edge: 2.9 (2.7 base + altitude / hostile bump; SP+ and SRS use a flat 2.5). Weights un-calibrated.

Totals model

MSU expected
11.1
1 pts/poss
ND expected
39.1
3.6 pts/poss
Model total
50.3
market 52.5 · 21.8 poss, average pace
Edge
-2.2
under the 3.5-pt bar — noise

Only SP+ feeds this. Totals are noisier than spreads — the model's biggest UNDER edges cluster on blowouts and are mostly artifacts. Trust it most on games with a spread inside ~14. Guide §3.

Situational flags

No situational flags on this game.

Team trends · 2026 season to date

MSUND
ATS overall1-0-12-0
ATS at home1-0-12-0
ATS on the road
ATS as favorite1-0-12-0
ATS as underdog
ATS after a win1-01-0
ATS after a loss
W–L at home2-02-0
W–L on the road
Over / Under1O–1U1O–1U

Amber = an outlier split (≥65% or ≤35% ATS on 8+ games). Trends are context, not a signal on their own.

Current lines

BookSpread (ND)Total
betmgm-29.5 -10852.5 -105
betonlineag-29 -11552.5 -110
betrivers-30 -10952.5 -112
betus-29 -11552.5 -110
bovada-30 -10552 -110
draftkings-29.5 -11052.5 -102
fanduel-29.5 -11052.5 -110
lowvig-29 -11152.5 -108
mybookieag-29 -11052.5 -110

Best ND number -29 · best MSU number +30. Best over 52 · best under 52.5. Latest snapshot Sep 15, 8:01 AM. Odds shown where the source provides them (live pulls only). Spread is from ND's side.

Line movement

Showing the 5 most recent snapshots of 7.

Prediction market · Kalshi

MSU4%
ND96% 1
Implied lineND -23.7
Volume87k
Open interest76k
Traded 24h24k

Kalshi's market prices ND to win 96% — about ND -23.7 vs the book's ND -29.5. 5.8-pt gap — the market rates MSU higher than the book. Volume and open interest are total contracts on the game (each settles at $1), not a per-side split — they tell you how much to trust the price. Guide §9.

Showing the 5 most recent of 12 snapshots.

Weather

Forecast for the venue at kickoff time (nearest hour). Each row is a snapshot — expect it to firm up as the game nears; the timestamp is when that snapshot was taken.

Showing the 3 most recent of 5 readings.

Sustained wind ≥ 15 mph is the one weather factor that reliably moves a total (UNDER). Everything else is minor. Guide §4.

Injuries

No impact-player injuries listed. ESPN's CFB feed is thin — an empty report means "unknown," not "clean." Guide §4.

Picks

No pick logged. Most model disagreements never become picks — see guide §6 for the bar.

Decision support, not a guarantee. Read the interpretation guide.