- What: 2025 Orange Bowl
- Who: Penn State vs. Notre Dame
- Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida
- When: Thursday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to watch: ESPN
Come Thursday night, college football fans across the planet are going to be fired up to see the first national semifinal take place. That's right, the Fighting Irish and Nittany Lions are ready to dance. With that said, Notre Dame is our pick to beat Penn State in the 2025 Orange Bowl. Will Marcus Freeman and Co. be able to get the job done?
That's what Irish fans everywhere are hoping for. In the quarterfinals, Notre Dame took on Georgia in a game that a lot of people thought the Bulldogs would win. However, led behind the strong play of the offense and quarterback Riley Leonard, Notre Dame was able to get the job done. They're underdogs against PSU, but Freeman is confident his team can answer the call.
| Orange Bowl odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame to win | -132 | -132 | -132 |
| Penn State to win | +110 | +110 | +110 |
| Over 42.5 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 42. 5 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
“I remember that same meeting that Riley was talking about, after the NIU game, I remember saying, ‘In two weeks, you’ve experienced the highest of highs of being the quarterback at Notre Dame and the lowest of lows.' And there’s no other position in this program that emulates the head coach than the quarterback at Notre Dame.”
Per the best sports betting sites, Notre Dame has been given -132 football betting odds to post a win and reach the National Championship Game. On the other side of the field, Penn State has been given +110 odds to come out on top. This could prove to be a close game and we think it could come down to the final possession. With that said, we're indeed going with the Irish as our pick to post a victory.
Notre Dame is SO GOOD at football
Riley Leonard is an ABSOLUTE DAWG and Marcus Freeman is an AMAZING coach #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/XSU8SnvcBV
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 6, 2025
The under should hit between Notre Dame and Penn State
While we're expecting a ton of points between Ohio State and Texas in the other semifinal, we think the under should hit between Notre Dame and Penn State. While both teams have great offensive playmakers, the exact same can be said about the team's defenses. We've seen both sides look great in the playoff, which has been awesome.
In the Orange Bowl, both Freeman and James Franklin are going to do whatever is needed to try and slow down the opposition. Quarterback Drew Allar has looked strong with the ball in his hands, while Leonard has looked strong too. With that said, something tells us both Notre Dame and Penn State will key in on them, respectively.
Haters will still say James Franklin hasn’t won a big game
He has now won back to back playoff games knocking off #10 and #9
But I know “ it’s Boise State “ “ it’s SMU “
This man wins football games and Nittany Nation is happy to have him
These are big games and he’s winning… pic.twitter.com/kFqGCeCMzF
— CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) January 1, 2025
"I think in a lot of ways, they are built similar to us," Franklin said about Notre Dame. "You look at their turnover ratio numbers, you look at their explosive play defense in terms of defending and limiting explosive plays. You look at the middle eight, they are built in a lot of ways that I think we are in terms of emphasizing the statistics that matter."
Entering kickoff for this one on Thursday night, the over/under has been set 42.5 points. While this doesn't seem like a ton of points, it just speaks to how great the defenses are for these teams. We think both Allar and Leonard could have head-turning showings, but we think both defenses will step up too. That's right, we're going with the under here. It will be interesting to see if that happens or not.
Notre Dame holds the second best odds to win the National Championship
It's important to keep in mind here that Notre Dame holds the second best odds to win the National Championship. Should the Irish take down Penn State in this one, they'd then face off against the winner of Ohio State and Texas for all of the marbles. Freeman knows what's at stake, which is why he's fired up to try and get the job done.
Per the experts in Las Vegas, Ohio State holds the best odds to win it all at -120, however, Notre Dame is No. 2 at +350. Something tells us that Ohio State and Notre Dame will go on to meet for all of the glory. Should that happen, who would come out on top?
While we do think Notre Dame will win and then face Ohio State in the natty, we're going to have to go with the Buckeyes as our pick. However, we'll see what Freeman and Co. will be able to get done. Looking to get in on the betting action? Check the BetOnline promo codes and promotions, as betting on the CFP is something fans won't want to miss out on.
