Notre Dame vs Penn State Free Picks, Free College Football Picks, College Football Predictions 1/9/24

PENN STATE vs. NOTRE DAME (ND -1, 45.5)

CFB ODDS, CFB PREDICTIONS, CFB PREVIEWS

Notre Dame vs Penn State Free Picks, Free College Football Picks, College Football Predictions 1/9/24

NITTANY LIONS @ FIGHTING IRISH 1/9/25

The Orange Bowl showdown between Notre Dame and Penn State tonight has both teams teetering on the edge of ending their national championship dry spells that have stretched over three decades.

This high-stakes battle forms one of two College Football Playoff semifinals and features Penn State, the sixth seed, duking it out with Notre Dame, the seventh seed. The winner of this inaugural 12-team bracket clash will go on to face either Texas or Ohio State in the CFP national championship slated for Jan. 20 in Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Longhorns and the Buckeyes will test their mettle against each other on Friday night at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Riding high on a 31-14 quarterfinal win over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve, and a 38-10 home win against SMU in the opening round, Penn State is chasing its first national championship since bagging their third in 1986.

Notre Dame, hot on the heels of their 12th national title and first since 1988, brought a 10-game losing streak in major bowl games or national championships to a halt with a 23-10 quarterfinal victory over the No. 2 seed, Georgia, in the Sugar Bowl last Thursday.

Both teams have impressive turnover margins; Notre Dame sits at third place nationally with a plus-18 margin and Penn State follows closely at 20th place with a plus-10 margin. Of particular note is Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts who has contributed significantly to his team's takeaway count with six interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Penn State's track record in the Orange Bowl is impressive with a 4-1 all-time record, making their first appearance since 2006. Conversely, Notre Dame's last game in Miami was during the 2013 BCS National Championship, with their last Orange Bowl appearance dating back to 1996. Notre Dame is 2-3 in five Orange Bowls.

The teams last went head-to-head on Sept. 8, 2007, when Penn State triumphed with a 31-10 home win. Their all-time series is a stalemate at 9-9-1 and they've only faced off in a bowl game once before. That was the1976 Gator Bowl which saw Notre Dame emerge victorious.

Penn State's potent ground game is fueled by Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton who together have churned out 2,041 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. Their defensive spearhead is Abdul Carter, credited with 21.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks, though his Orange Bowl presence remains uncertain due to an arm injury.

For Notre Dame, quarterback Riley Leonard has clocked 2,383 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions through the air, along with 831 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. The Irish are 10-0 SU and ATS since a surprising early season loss to Northern Illinois.

Get free CFB Picks and CFB Predictions for the top games on the weekly 2024 CFB schedule from JA Cavalier, one of the industry's premier expert CFB handicappers. J.A. Cavalier has been  bringing the CFB betting community the best CFB free picks and predictions for nearly three decades. Visit daily for the best CFB moneyline and run line odds and game totals.

COACH RICK FREE PICK:

RILEY LEONARD ANYTIME TD

RB Jeremiyah Love failed to score a TD for the first time this season last week against Georgia. He only had 16 yards rushing too, but Leonard took over. He had 80 yards on 14 carries. He didn’t score a rushing TD against the Bulldogs, but he has rushed for scores in 10 of Notre Dame’s 14 games this season. Leonard has 15 rushing touchdowns on the season and he is always a threat with his legs. If Love is still hampered by a knee injury, look for Leonard to have a few more carries than normal. He can also take off when he drops back to pass.