The NCAAF regular season traditionally ends with a Navy-Army rivalry game on the second Saturday of December, so make sure you get the best Midshipmen vs. Knights betting pick and odds.

Navy and Army will battle for the Secretary’s Trophy when they meet at Lincoln Financial Field. The Midshipmen are slight -1.5 favorites on BetOnline Sportsbook, while the total is set at 32.5 points. These traditional foes have met on 122 occasions since 1890, and the Midshipmen lead 62–53–7. Navy also won the last year’s clash 17-13 in East Rutherford, NJ.

Midshipmen upset UCF on the road

The Navy Midshipmen (4-7-0, 7-4-0 ATS) were on a two-game losing run and in jeopardy to suffer the third consecutive defeat for the first time this season. However, after losing to Cincinnati and Notre Dame, the Midshipmen upset the UCF Knights 17-14 on the road. It was Navy’s first away victory in four games, while that was also UCF’s first home defeat in five.

Navy had just one passing attempt in this win and 63 carries for 248 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Daba Fofana led all the runners with a game-high 114 yards on 20 attempts. Vincent Terrell Jr. found the end zone on the ground, while quarterback Xavier Arline, who had that lone pass attempt, also recorded a rushing TD.

Mbiti Williams Jr. contributed defensively with an interception, while John Marshall had an outstanding game, the best of his career. He registered a career-high four sacks, led the team with ten tackles, and also had a forced fumble.

QB Tai Lavatai suffered a season-ending injury to his left knee in late October and is ruled out for the season.

The Black Knights are looking to conclude the year with the third win in a row

The Army Black Knights (5-6-0, 6-5-0 ATS) were impressive in the last two games in which they scored 78 points, winning against UConn and UMass in the process. Army justified the role of a big favorite against the UMass Minutemen with a massive 44-7 victory on the road.

The Black Knights dominated the total yards (396-235), first downs (18-12), and forced even four turnovers while committing none on the other end. Interestingly, UMass actually got a 7-0 lead at the start.  

Tyhier Tyler completed two of two passes for 67 yards. He was excellent on the ground, though, with a game-high 101 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 11 carries. Jakobi Buchanan added a pair of rushing TDs, while Bryson Daily and Markel Johnson combined for 146 yards and a score on 16 attempts. Army forced two interceptions and two fumbles, while Max Didomenico led the Black Knights with six tackles.

RB Tyrell Robinson (undisclosed) is out indefinitely and will not feature on Saturday against Navy. QB Cade Ballard (hand) is questionable.

Trends:

Navy:

  • 3-7 ATS in the last ten non-conference games
  • 2-7 ATS in the last nine games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game

Army:

  • 5-0 ATS in the last five games overall
  • 7-3-1 ATS in the last 11 neutral site games
  • 4-0 ATS in the last four games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game

Navy Midshipmen vs. Army Black Knights Pick  

I am aware that the current form has nothing to do with this particular rivalry game, but I am going with the Black Knights. Navy will play its first game in three weeks, and I expect the Midshipmen to be a bit out of the competitive rhythm, which should be Army’s advantage.

Army has a better offense that is scoring 29.4 points per game opposite Navy’s 22.5 ppg. The Black Knights have the second-best run offense in college football that is averaging 304.4 yards per contest. It’s going to be a great duel between Daba Fofana and Tyhier Tyler, and I am backing Tyler to come away with a victory.

Pick: Take the Black Knights at +1.5 (-110)

The Total

Not only that the Black Knights are fantastic in running, but the Midshipmen also have a top-10 run offense that is averaging 239.5 yards per game. We will not be going to see more than a couple of pass attempts from each side in this game. Instead, prepare yourselves for a run fest and multiple rushing touchdowns.

The total is quite low, but knowing these rivals and considering recent H2Hs, it’s not strange. Under is 18-3 in the last 21 H2H meetings; Under is 5-1 in the Midshipmen’s previous six non-conference games, while Under is 22-7 in the Black Knights’ last 29 neutral site games.

Pick: Go Under 33.5 (-130)