The annual Army-Navy game is so huge it needs its own weekend. The 119th tilt between the service academies is the only FBS game played this weekend and all eyes will be on the Cadets as they look for their 10th win of the season and their third straight over the Middies with a chance to claim the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. It’s been a magical season for the Black Knights, who entered the national rankings for the first time since 1996 with a win over Colgate a few weeks ago. Army has won seven in a row after losing in overtime to Oklahoma and opened as a 6.5-point favorite over the Middies.
This contest will go down on Saturday, December 8, 2018, at 12 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field and will be televised live on CBS.
NCAA Football Betting at BookMaker.eu
Army Black Knights -6.5
Navy Midshipmen +6.5
Over/Under 39.5
Live Betting Odds Analysis
The balance of power is shifting in the series and the Cadets will look to keep the train rolling. Navy won every game between 2002 and 2015, but Army is making up for lost time by winning the last two matchups outright as an underdog. The Knights ended the long losing streak with a 21-17 win as a 6-point dog two years ago and squeaked by the Middies 14-13 as a 2.5-point pup last year. The last time Army played as a favorite was the season before the streak started, winning 26-17 as 1.5-point chalk in 2001.
Run Like The Wind
Both teams are highly-ranked in rushing offense because that’s pretty much all they do. Army has the second-best ground game in the FBS averaging 303 yards per game led by Darnell Woolfolk, who has a team-best 823 yards. That alone gives you an idea of how balanced the attack is. Six different players have rushed for at least 240 yards on the season.
With Malcolm Perry totaling 1,035 yards and 6.2 yards per attempt, Navy has the third-best ground game in the FBS with just under 290 yards per game, and the Middies average 5.0 yards per carry to rank 28th in that category. For most teams that’s an acceptable number, but it isn’t for Navy. That’s their lowest average this decade and with not much of a passing game to speak of, the Middies average just 5.4 yards per play to rank 94th nationally.
The numbers are similar when it comes to running the football, so what’s the difference between the 9-2 Knights and the 3-9 Middies? Well, two things. First, Army is extremely efficient when throwing the football. It doesn’t happen often, but it usually works when the Cadets put the ball in the air. And second, Army has been stellar defensively this season. We don’t use the word defense in the same sentence with a service academy just because the differences and difficulties they face in the talent level against other football playing schools. After all, the men playing for Army, Navy and Air Force are being groomed for careers in the military, not in professional sports.
Matchup to Watch
Quarterback play is always a key in the game of football, but it’s more important for these teams that run the option attack. Army’s dual-threat leader Kelvin Hopkins Jr. runs the offense to perfection and he has 783 rushing yards and 10 scores to prove it. He can also deliver through the air when needed. He’s thrown just 81 passes but averages over 11 yards per attempt with six scores.
The threat of a passing game has been enough to keep opposing defenses honest and the Cadets are averaging nearly 31 points per game. It’s been a tough season defensively for the Middies and Hopkins could have another big game against a defense that surrenders nearly 7.0 yards per play and 34.9 points per game.
Free Live Betting ATS Pick
The teams are headed in opposite directions when they meet on Saturday, but don’t read anything into it. This is the game marked on the calendar every year for these guys and the records are meaningless. Still, the talent gap clearly tips to the Cadets, who have better passing and defensive numbers. Army will stop the run and Navy can’t pass the football, that adds up to a cover win for the Black Knights while covering the spread.
College Football Live Betting Odds Pick: Army Black Knights
College Football Live Betting Score Prediction: Army 23, Navy 13
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