The 124th meeting between Army and Navy occurs on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET. Aside from the obvious rivalry between the two Armed Forces academies, the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy is also up for grabs, making this matchup even more special than it already is and hopefully a more competitive one at that.
By virtue of their 5-7 records, neither academy will be playing in a post-season bowl game, but an Army victory over Navy would give the Cadets the Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy.
Conversely, a Navy victory would force a three-way tie, and the Trophy would then go to Air Force as they are the current Trophy holders.
Join me as I break this down with a free pick for Saturday’s Army vs. Navy matchup on December 9.
Army vs. Navy Game Preview
Saturday’s game will be televised before a worldwide audience and will likely be the most viewed regular season college football game.
The best thing about this game from a handicapping standpoint is these two groups extensively run the football, throw when they have to, and hopefully, the defense steps up. They come away winners of what is typically a low-scoring affair.
Army is riding a three-game winning streak entering Saturday’s tilt. They are 4-6-1 ATS but are 2-5-1 ATS over their previous eight encounters. The Cadets are tenth nationally in rushing yards allowed, and opponents are converting an above-average 38% of their third-down conversions.
Meanwhile, the Navy is also 5-6 on the season and has covered the spread in just four of their 11 tilts. The Midshipmen are 14th in rushing yards allowed, while their foes convert just 32% of their third-down conversions.
Army vs. Navy Best Bet
This is a difficult game because neither team often covers the spread, and both rushing defenses are stout.
Army has a Commander-In-Chief Trophy to play for, while the Navy can only spoil the party for the West Point, NY-based military academy. The neutral field makes this game essentially a pick-em, but for whatever reason, the Navy is a +3 underdog.
I’m going to take the +3 points and roll with Navy. The Midshipmen are more multi-faceted on offense and have attempted at least 10 passes per game over their previous four. Army boasts a top-15 passing defense, but the Navy could catch them flat once or twice.
Army has a terrific rushing attack, but Navy has an equally stout rushing defense. The Navy will be able to hang with the Army and cover the spread in a close one.
My best bet: Navy +3 (-112) at BetRivers MD
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