Navy is undefeated through the first five games of the season, but the Midshipmen struggled the most in their most recent outing.
Navy barely beat Air Force, a team that’s now on a four-game losing streak, 34-31. Granted, matchups between those two teams always seem to be competitive, but it’s also a sign that Navy hasn’t been overly dominant.
Still, the Midshipmen are the No. 4 team in the HERO Sports Group of Five Top 25 poll for a reason. They’re 5-0 and 3-0 in American Conference play.
This week may not be easy for them, though, as they go on the road to take on a Temple team that has shown a great deal of progress in KC Keeler’s first season as head coach. The Owls are 3-2 and 1-0 against American teams after beating UTSA 27-21 in their last game. Their only losses have been against Power Four programs.
Navy vs. Temple Betting Odds & Spread
Navy is a -10 college football betting odds favorite against Temple, with the Over/Under being 52.5 as of this writing.
The moneyline for Navy is -375, while it’s +290 for Temple.
Navy vs. Temple On TV
The matchup between Navy and Temple will be televised on ESPN2.
The game will kick off at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 11. The contest is taking place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Navy vs. Temple Prediction
I predict Navy will win and cover the 10-point spread. I also project the game will go Over 52.5 total points.
The Midshipmen aren’t just a team that runs the ball well. They do almost everything well.
Navy is top three in the American in scoring offense (37.4 points per game), scoring defense (19.6 PPG allowed), total offense (490.4 yards per game), and total defense (329.6 YPG allowed).
And yes, they also are the top team in the country in terms of rushing offense with 317.4 yards per game.
Blake Horvath is one of the best offensive players in the country, in my opinion. The quarterback has rushed for 485 yards and six touchdowns while throwing for 839 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions on a 72% completion rate.
But Navy also has so much talent around him. Eli Heidenreich leads the Midshipmen with 20 catches, 413 yards, and four touchdowns through the air and is third on the team with 232 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Alex Tecza has rushed for 379 yards and four touchdowns.
And on defense, Landon Robinson is one of the best defensive linemen in the G5, as he has five sacks and 28 tackles.
I know Navy hasn’t won by wide margins lately, but I think the Midshipmen will go on the road and take care of business in this matchup.
