It’s one of only a few FBS games this week, and to many it’s the most important game of the year.
Army will take on Navy in the 125th edition of one of the most storied rivalries in all of college football. And, arguably, it’ll feature two of the best squads this rivalry has seen in a long time.
Navy and Army were both ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 a couple months into the season, which is the first time that’s happened since 1960. With a few weeks left in the regular season, both programs had hopes of making it to the College Football Playoff.
However, both suffered lopsided losses to Notre Dame, which affected those CFP plans. Still, Navy and Army have been two of the best teams in the AAC this year, as the Black Knights won the conference championship in their first season in the league.
Now these programs will once again get the spotlight on Saturday.
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Navy vs. Army Over/Under & Betting Odds
The Over/Under for the Army-Navy game is 39.5. Navy is a +6 college football betting odds underdog against Army.
The moneyline for Navy is +200, while it’s -250 for Army.
Navy vs. Army On TV
The matchup between Navy and Army will be televised on CBS.
The game will kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 14. The contest is taking place at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
Navy vs. Army Prediction
I predict Army will win but Navy will cover the spread at +6. I also project the game will go Under 39.5 total points.
It’s very easy to look at the Over/Under and think the Over should hit. That’s especially true when considering how great the quarterbacks have been for Army and Navy.
Bryson Daily is tied for first in the FBS with 29 rushing touchdowns this season for Army. He’s also in the top 10 with 1,480 rushing yards and has thrown for 877 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception. Running back Kanye Udoh, who’s rushed for 1,064 yards, has helped the Black Knights rank first in the nation with 314.4 yards per game on the ground.
But Navy has also been successful offensively. The Midshipmen rank eighth in the FBS with 247.4 rushing yards per game.
Navy quarterback Blake Horvath has run for 895 yards and 13 touchdowns while passing for 1,154 yards and 11 TDs with four interceptions. He missed time due to injury late in the regular season but has said he expects to play against Army.
I ultimately think Army will win because the Black Knights’ defense has been a little better. They rank in the top 10 in the country for scoring defense (15 points per game allowed) and total defense (297.9 yards per game allowed). Navy isn’t in the top 50 for either category.
But in a game like this, where both teams have been mentally preparing for this matchup all season, I think it’ll end up being low scoring. Both have played Air Force, with Navy winning 34-7 and Army winning 20-3 – so both can defend the triple-option offense well.
I’m expecting this to be a great contest until the end. But I think Army will find a way to hold on for a victory.
