A thrilling showdown is on the horizon as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl, where a chance to compete in the National Championship is at stake!

Both teams have shown their strength in the quarterfinals, with Notre Dame narrowly defeating Georgia in a tough defensive battle, while Penn State easily took control against Boise State right from the start.

This exciting semifinal game is scheduled for January 9 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, and it promises to be a fantastic matchup between two teams eager to continue their respective seasons. It also gives us an opportunity to make some #5 Notre Dame vs. #4 Penn St. picks!

 

 

 

#5 Notre Dame vs. #4 Penn St. Predictions For The Orange Bowl

Notre Dame is slightly favored to win, with betting lines around -2, but Penn State has a history of surprising everyone when they’re the underdogs.

The sunny weather in South Florida is a nice break from the cold for fans coming from South Bend and Happy Valley, and the atmosphere is expected to be electric for this one.

Who will step up and secure their place in the National Championship? Let’s dive into our #5 Notre Dame vs. #4 Penn St. predictions for the Orange Bowl!

 

 

 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Looking Determined As Ever

The Fighting Irish did what many believe they couldn’t do: beat Georgia in a CFP game. But in reality is it really that surprising? Not because the Bulldogs are bad, but because of how well ND is playing right now.

Since stumbling to NIU early in the season, the Irish have yet to be tripped up and don’t appear to have any intentions of doing so. Riley Leonard is in complete command of the offense, even if he isn’t putting up monster numbers through the air, and the defense continues to remain stout.

 

 

 

Penn State Nittany Lions: James Franklin, Winner Of Big Games

And just like that, James Franklin has maybe gotten rid of his “can’t win the big game” tag. Penn State hasn’t just defeated SMU and Boise State in the CFP, they’ve dismantled them.

For a team that was already rising high after an electric regular season, there’s no reason for the Nittany Lions to feel anything but confident heading into the Orange Bowl. If their defense continues to play like this, it’s hard to envision them taking a loss.

 

 

 

#5 Notre Dame vs. #4 Penn St. Odds, Spread, Total & Betting Lines

The #5 Notre Dame vs. #4 Penn St. odds for the game below are provided by FanDuel Sportsbook:

  • Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-122) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (+102)
    • Spread: Notre Dame -1.5 (-110) vs. Penn State +1.5 (-110)
    • Game Total: Over 45.5 (-104) vs. Under 45.5 (-118)

 

 

 

How To Watch The Orange Bowl

The Orange Bowl featuring the Fighting Irish and the Nittany Lions is set to start at 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, January 9th.

You can catch all the action live on ESPN, so fans of both teams and college football lovers can watch, regardless of if they’re making any #5 Notre Dame vs. #4 Penn St. predictions or not!

 

 

 

#5 Notre Dame vs. #4 Penn St. Pick: Fighting Irish ML (-122 at FanDuel)

The Fighting Irish are rightly favored in this game because of their strong defense and well-rounded offense. They give up only 13.6 points per game while scoring an average of 37.7 points, showing they can control both offense and defense. 

Penn State has had a good season too, with a solid defense and an offense that can make big plays. However, the Nittany Lions haven't faced the same tough competition as Notre Dame, at least recently, and have shown to struggle in at times critical moments against the big dogs. They also have a few key players banged up from their quarterfinal matchup against the Broncos. 

With Notre Dame’s experience, depth and ability to adjust to different game situations, Notre Dame has a significant advantage in this matchup. So, our #5 Notre Dame vs. #4 Penn St. picks expect the Irish to control the game and win (-122 at FanDuel Sportsbook), albeit maybe not decisively.

 

 

 

#5 Notre Dame vs. #4 Penn State Injury Report

There are definitely some players to keep an eye on regarding injuries for the Orange Bowl before we make any #5 Notre Dame vs. #4 Penn St. predictions. 

Here’s a look at how both teams are doing:

Notre Dame Injury Report

  • C. Flanagan (TE): Out - Foot
  • J. Love (RB): Questionable - Knee
  • R. Mills (DL): Out - Knee
  • B. Morrison (CB): Out - Hip
  • B. Traore (DL): Out - Knee
  • C. Tucker (CB): Out - Knee
  • G. Payne (RB): Out - Knee
  • C. Jagusah (OL): Out - Pectoral
  • T. Bennie-Powell (S): Out - Shoulder
  • S. Prescod (OL): Out - Shoulder

Penn State Injury Report

  • A. Carter (DE): Questionable - Arm
  • K. Winston (S): Questionable - Undisclosed
  • A. Donkoh (OL): Out - Knee
  • K. Wylie (LB): Questionable - Undisclosed
  • C. Wallace (RB): Questionable - Lower Body
  • K. Saunders (WR): Questionable - Undisclosed
  • A. Rappleyea (TE): Questionable - Undisclosed
  • T. Denmark (WR): Questionable - Undisclosed
  • K. Artis (DT): Questionable - Undisclosed
  • A. Ford (DT): Out - Lower Body
  • Z. Fisher (DE): Out - Undisclosed

 

 

 

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