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There are rivalry games and then there is the Army Black Knights against the Navy Midshipmen contest. This is more than a rivalry and with both teams left out of the bowl picture this is essentially the military bowl before the actual Military Bowl is played. Both squads enter with sub .500 records but you could say they are playing their best football of the season coming in. Army outscored UMass and Connecticut 78-24 winning its last two games while the Middies posted a big upset over Central Florida after near misses against ranked Notre Dame and Cincinnati. Both teams run the football effectively so don’t expect a shootout with Navy a slight 1-point favorite on the NCAA college football odds at BetRivers sportsbook.
Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen
Date and Time: Saturday, December 10, 2022, 3 p.m. ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
NCAAF Odds: Navy -1.5, O/U 32.5
Army vs. Navy TV Coverage: CBS
College Football Odds
Being the only college football game in Week 15 the annual tussle is getting plenty of attention, and deservedly so. Most shops opened with Army as a slight favorite on the college football betting line before jumping the fence in favor of the Middies, who settled as a 1.5-point favorite on the NCAA odds. Navy played strong opponents ahead of this matchup earning payouts against UFC, Notre Dame and Cincinnati improving to 7-2 ATS over its last nine games. The Middies won last year’s game 17-13 as a 7.5-point dog and they are 3-1 ATS in the last four matchups. Army is on a nice heater of its own as a nice college football bet with five straight payouts after going 1-5 ATS over its first six games.
Army Black Knights
Army comes in with a record of 5-6 needing another victory to meet the requirement for bowl eligibility. However, two of their wins were against FCS foes Colgate and Villanova and unfortunately only counts toward the total. So, for just the second time in the last seven seasons the Black Knights will not be bowling. At least they can get to .500, a nice accomplishment after starting the campaign with four losses in five games, and avenge last year’s 17-13 setback when they were a NCAAF betting odds converted touchdown favorite. Army will use a balanced ground game to try for the win. Seven different players have rushed for over 200 yards led by Tyhier Tyler with 601 yards and 12 TDs. Army has the second-best ground game in the FBS averaging 304 yards.
Peeling away some of the layers you can see how and why Army became the underdog in this matchup. Sure they have a better record and they enter following demolitions of UMass and Connecticut, who they beat by a combined score of 78-24. They failed against better competition, though, with the ground game looking normal against the likes of Coastal Carolina, UTSA and Air Force. The Black Knights lost those three games averaging just 151 rushing yards. And in their last four losses they averaged only 10 points. While the defense allowed plenty of points early in the year the group has stiffened holding the last four opponents to 17 points or less
Navy Midshipmen
I guess the big question is where was this team all season? Losers in five of their first seven games, including an excruciating 14-7 setback to FCS Delaware in the season opener, the Middies now have an opportunity to close the season on a positive. This is their final game of the campaign since there is no bowl invite with a 4-7 ledger coming in. But you could say Navy looks better than some bowl eligible programs at this point. They picked up an OT win over Temple in Week 9 and hung tight with AAC heavyweight Cincinnati before falling 20-10 as an 18.5-point dog on the college football point spread.
They dominated Notre Dame in the second half outscoring the Irish 19-0. Unfortunately the Middies were behind 35-13 at intermission and couldn’t complete the comeback. They did get a payout, though, catching 17-points on the closing line. Everything came together a few weeks ago with the Navy upsetting UCF 17-14 behind 114 yards from leading rusher Daba Fofana. Backup QB Xavier Arline attempted just one pass in the game but expertly ran the offense with no turnovers while doubling up possession time. You typically don’t think of defense with these teams, but John Marshall is a stud with 9.5 sacks and 17.5 TFLs for the nation’s fourth-best run defense.
College Football Best Bets
The teams have played below the closing total in 16 straight matchups and there isn’t anything that says that’s going to change this week. Both teams run the ball exceptionally well abandoning the forward pass. Oddsmakers have adjusted with the total set at 32.5. Army has struggled against stronger teams and Navy’s defense is stout giving the edge on the college football betting line the at BetRivers sportsbook to the Middies.
CFB Prediction: Navy Midshipmen -1.5 / UNDER 32.5
