Notre Dame vs. Penn State Touchdown Predictions & Odds: CFP Orange Bowl

The College Football Playoff semifinals get underway on Thursday evening when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Our Notre Dame vs. Penn State touchdown predictions highlight three individuals who could impact the outcome of this pivotal contest. Our best college football betting sites list the Fighting Irish as 1.5-point favorites. Will the efforts of the players we discuss be enough to confirm sportsbooks' suspicions or will the underdogs prevail?

Our College Football Playoff semifinal predictions expect this to be a lower-scoring affair. Nevertheless, some of the country's most consistent scorers will suit up for this showdown.

Notre Dame vs. Penn State touchdown predictions: CFP Orange Bowl

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• Riley Leonard touchdown prediction: Anytime touchdown scorer () ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Kaytron Allen touchdown prediction: Anytime touchdown scorer (+125 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Jeremiyah Love touchdown prediction: Anytime touchdown scorer () ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best Notre Dame vs. Penn State touchdown picks

Riley Leonard touchdown prediction ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -105 via BetMGM | Implied probability: 51.22%

Leonard's passing numbers look underwhelming at first glance. One wouldn't traditionally expect the starting quarterback of a semifinalist to have 2,383 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions. However, when added to his rushing stats, the full picture is revealed.

Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has tapped into Leonard's rushing potential, as he did with last year's Heisman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels, at LSU. Leonard's rushed for 831 yards and, more importantly, 15 touchdowns this season. He's found the end zone in 10 of his 14 games on the ground, which translates to a 71.43% clip.

Despite scoring touchdowns at an elite rate, the best sportsbooks give Leonard just a 51.22% implied probability of finding pay dirt in the Orange Bowl.

The Notre Dame signal-caller has gone back-to-back games without a rushing touchdown just once this season, so we'll take a flier (-105) on him not to make it twice against Penn State.

Kaytron Allen anytime touchdown scorer ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +125 via BetMGM | Implied probability: 44.44%

Anybody who has been following along with our College Football Playoff picks knows that I've had a favorite touchdown play recently: Kaytron Allen.

Allen's started to get his flowers for picking up the slack during Nick Singleton's injury, but he's not a household name, so I do my best to spread the gospel each week.

Despite Singleton being back at full strength, Allen's managed double-digit carries in his last four games. He's scored three touchdowns during that span to bring his season total to eight. The junior has also added a pair through the air, which means he's come through for anytime touchdown scorer bettors in nine of his 15 games (60%) this year.

While Allen was impressive against Boise State (17 carries for 134 yards), he failed to find the end zone. This has resulted in the best sports betting sites adjusting the running back's odds, meaning we get the star at plus money for the first time in weeks. Allen's +125 odds with BetMGM imply a 44.44% probability that he finds the end zone, so there's value to be had.

Jeremiyah Love anytime touchdown scorer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +100 via DraftKings | Implied probability: 50%

Jeremiyah Love kicked off the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff in style when he opened the scoring in South Bend with a 98-yard scamper. The run - likely to stand for some time - extended his 13-game touchdown streak on the season. The streak ended against Georgia when Love failed to find the end zone.

While a slow day at the office wasn't what Love had hoped for, it was music to bettors' ears.

Love is listed at even money as an anytime touchdown scorer against the Nittany Lions at DraftKings. This is almost unprecedented, seeing as the sophomore has found pay dirt in 13 of 14 games this season. While I expect points to be scarce in this showdown, I'm recommending this at five-star confidence because the odds attached to this pick are too good to pass up.

Notre Dame vs. Penn State touchdown scorer odds

Orange Bowl live odds & game info

• When: Thursday, Jan. 9
• Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
• How to watch: ESPN
• Weather: 52 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, wind 7 mph N
• Favorite: Notre Dame -1.5 (-110 via BetMGM)

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