Navy vs Army College Football Betting: Midshipmen’s Run Game Can’t Be Stopped

Although most college football teams’ regular season is finished, that isn’t the case for two specific programs. The Navy Midshipmen and Army Black Knights are set to duke it out in their 123rd rivalry game this weekend, once again getting the whole week to themselves. As usual, the upcoming Navy vs Army matchup is one that fans won’t want to miss.

There's nothing like the Army-Navy game 🤩 pic.twitter.com/a0cdpklYdV

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) December 4, 2022

Navy’s campaign has been largely forgettable, playing sub-.500 football throughout the fall. The Midshipmen do have some momentum heading into this matchup, though, picking up a 17-14 win over UCF in their last outing.

Army has also played well ahead of this rivalry, picking up back-to-back wins in its last two games. The Black Knights’ latest win came in the form of a 44-7 blowout over UMass, highlighted by quarterback Tyhier Tyler rushing the ball 11 times for 101 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Here are BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest Navy vs Army betting odds, as well as a prediction and best bet for the upcoming annual rivalry game.

Navy vs Army Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Navy Midshipmen (4-7) vs. Army Black Knights (5-6)
• Venue & Location: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Date: Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022
• Game Time: 3 p.m. Eastern Time
• Where to Watch Navy vs Army: CBS

Navy vs Army Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline Sportsbook as of Friday, Dec. 9 at 8:56 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Navy Midshipmen -2.5 (-118)
• Army Black Knights +2.5 (-104)

Over/Under

• Over 32.5 (-110)
• Under 32.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Navy Midshipmen -146
• Army Black Knights +122

Navy vs Army Betting Trends

• Navy is 2-10 straight up in its last 12 games against Independent FBS opponents.
• Army is 4-16 straight up in its last 20 games against Navy.
• Navy is 7-2 against the spread (ATS) in its last nine games.
• Army is 1-5 ATS in its last six games against the AAC.
• The total has hit the over in five of Navy’s last seven games.
• The total has hit the under in each of Army’s last 10 games against Navy.

Navy Midshipmen vs Army Black Knights Prediction and Picks

Navy vs Army Prediction: Navy 17, Army 14

Navy vs Army: Navy -2.5 (Best Value: -118 at BetOnline) & Under 32.5 Points (Best Value: -110 at BetOnline)

Navy and Army have met 122 times since 1890. The Midshipmen have won 62 of those meetings compared to the Black Knights’ 53 victories, along with seven games ending in a draw.

While there was a point from 2002 to 2015 where Navy won 14 consecutive matchups, Army has been victorious more often than not lately. In fact, the Black Knights are 4-2 straight up in the last six matchups against the Midshipmen.

Even with Army’s recent success, I’m leaning towards Navy on this one. The Black Knights are the definition of a one-trick money: their offense completely resolves around the run game, averaging 267.2 rushing yards per contest (No. 2) compared to just 81.1 passing yards (No. 130).

Unfortunately for Army, Navy has a fairly strong frontline, allowing just 93.1 rushing yards per game (No. 5) and 3.4 yards per carry (No. 16).

The Midshipmen also boast a run-heavy offense, averaging the fifth-most ground yards in the nation (245.1). The difference here is that the Black Knights aren’t that effective at stopping the run, giving up 196.0 rushing yards per game (No. 109).

At the end of the day, I predict that Army’s underwhelming run defense will be the team’s downfall, leading to Navy win this weekend. Winning by at least a field goal shouldn’t be too tough for the Midshipmen, so I’m going with Navy at -2.5 as one of the best bets to make.

It’s also worth pointing out that Army is an abysmal 1-5 against the spread in its last six games against AAC schools. Navy hasn’t been perfect this season, but it is 7-2 ATS in its last nine outings overall.

I’m also backing the under on the 32.5-point total. After all, the total has gone under one each of the last 10 Navy vs Army matchups, yielding an average of 31.1 points, finishing under 32.5 in six of those matchups.