Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Pick & Prediction College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl

ESPN will be covering this Notre Dame vs. Penn State matchup as the Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish face off at 7:30 ET on Thursday, January 9th. This game is being played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, serving as the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl. Notre Dame is the slight -1.5 point favorite, and the over/under line is currently set at 45.5 points. Both teams come in with 13 wins on the season.

NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH VS PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Penn State Nittany Lions +1.5

This game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium at 7:30 ET on Thursday, January 9th.

WHY BET THE PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS:

  • We have the Penn State Nittany Lions winning this one by a score of 27 to 25
  • Not only do we have the Penn State Nittany Lions winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +1.5
  • Look for this game to go over the line of 45.5 points

Can The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Pick Up A Win At Hard Rock Stadium?

Notre Dame enters the College Football Playoff semifinal with a 13-1 record, going 7-1 at home and 6-0 on the road. They’ve been favored in 13 of 14 games, posting a 12-1 record as the favorite. Their average scoring margin this season is +24.1 points per game.

Against the spread, the Fighting Irish are 12-2, including a perfect 6-0 mark on the road. They are 11-2 ATS as the favorite and have covered in all five road games when favored.

Notre Dame’s over/under record is 7-7, with their games averaging 51.3 points. Their average over/under line is 47.3 points, and this week’s line is set at 45.5 points.

Notre Dame’s offense is averaging 37.7 points per game, ranking 4th in the nation as they head into the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Penn State. They are also 14th in our offensive power rankings. Their rushing game is their strength, with 218.6 yards per game, placing them 6th nationally.

Jeremiyah Love leads the rushing attack with 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging 7 yards per carry. Quarterback Riley Leonard has thrown for 2,383 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions, and he has a passer rating of 95.

Notre Dame’s defense has been impressive this season, ranking third in the nation by allowing just 13.6 points per game. In their recent game against Georgia, they gave up only 10 points, holding the Bulldogs to 62 rushing yards on 29 attempts. Georgia managed 234 passing yards, but Notre Dame’s defense forced them into one passing touchdown.

Opponents have averaged 132.2 rushing yards per game against Notre Dame, while the secondary has allowed just 167.4 passing yards per game, the 11th-lowest in the country. Quarterbacks have posted a passer rating of 58.4 against Notre Dame, completing only 50.4% of their passes.

Can The Penn State Nittany Lions Take Care Of Business On A Neutral Field?

Penn State enters the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl against Notre Dame with a 13-2 record. They’ve been strong at home, going 7-1, and have a 5-1 mark on the road. The Nittany Lions have been favored in 12 of their 15 games, going 12-0 as the favorite this season.

Against the spread, Penn State is 8-6, with a 4-2 record on the road and a 4-4 mark at home. As the favorite, they are 8-4 ATS. Their average scoring margin this season is +17.9 points per game.

This week’s over/under line is 45.5, the lowest they’ve faced all season. Penn State’s over/under record is 5-9, with their games averaging 49.5 points. Their average over/under line has been 50.3 points.

Heading into the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl, Penn State’s offense ranks 20th in points per game, averaging 33.7. However, they are ranked 8th in our offensive power rankings. Their rushing attack is a key strength, with 203.5 yards per game on 37.8 attempts, both ranking 8th nationally.

Kaytron Allen leads the ground game with 1,026 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry, and has scored eight touchdowns. Quarterback Drew Allar has thrown for 3,192 yards with a passer rating of 107, completing 67.4% of his passes for 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Penn State’s defense has been strong this season, ranking 11th nationally by allowing just 15.8 points per game. They’ve given up only 103.1 rushing yards per game, which ranks 14th in the country, and 187.9 passing yards per game, with opposing quarterbacks posting a passer rating of 74.4.

In their recent game against Boise State, Penn State allowed 14 points but forced three interceptions. Boise State managed 412 total yards, including 304 passing yards, but Penn State held them to 108 rushing yards on 40 attempts.