Navy Midshipmen vs. Army Black Knights: Betting Guide

· Dec 08 - 4 minutes read

The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy is not at stake when Army and Navy meet for the 122nd time. Army will retain the award win or lose. The Black Knights are a significant favorite in the college football odds , but in this rivalry, that distinction doesn’t necessarily carry much weight.

Game: Navy Midshipmen (3-8) vs. Army Black Knights (8-3)
Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Day/Time: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET
Television: CBS

Betting Lines

Team	Point Spread	Moneyline	Over/Under
Navy	+7½ (-115)	+250	34 (-110o)
Army	-7½ (-105)	-300	34 (-110u)

Head-to-Head

Army beat Navy 15-0 in the last get-together in 2020 at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y. The favored Black Knights weren’t covering 7½ in the college football spreads until Tyhier Tyler scored a touchdown to make it 10-0 with 11 minutes, 2 seconds remaining. The total was 36. Army has won four of the last five over the Midshipmen straight-up while going 3-1-1 against the spread. Navy leads the series 61-53-7.

Navy vs Army week 15 2021 — Patrick Smith/Getty Images/AFP

Navy Midshipmen

Next game: 2022

Last Game

Navy was a 13½-point favorite for those betting online as it defeated Temple 38-14 on Nov. 27. The Midshipmen were covering twice along the way and were for good when Isaac Ruoss scored on a 6-yard touchdown run to make it 31-14 with 9:04 to play. That score also sent over players into celebration mode as the total of 42 was exceeded.

Injury Report

There are no major injuries to report pertaining to this game.

Army Black Knights

Next game: vs Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22

Last Game

Army was a three-point underdog but played like a heavy favorite in a 31-16 victory at Liberty on Nov. 27. The Black Knights scored the first 24 points and enjoyed a 31-3 lead midway through the third quarter with Jakobi Buchanan rushing for three touchdowns. The total of 51½ was never seriously threatened with the final points being scored with 16 seconds left.

Injury Report

Sophomore running back Anthony Adkins missed the Liberty game with an undisclosed injury and is questionable to play. Adkins has 70 rushes this season, averaging 4.9 yards and scoring five touchdowns. Adkins’ 345 yards are fifth-most among the 22 players who have carried the ball for Army.

Betting on the Game

There is an overwhelming statistic to ponder: The Army-Navy game has gone under 15 times. It is a tricky read because the Black Knights have scored 35.4 points per game, more than Saturday’s over-under. Sometimes you can throw the records out the port hole in this rivalry. The favorite has won and covered in each of the last two games, and is 7-2-1 in the last 10 straight-up. But the choice is 3-6-1 ATS during that span. The Black Knights have won four straight, covering three during that span. They are 2-4 ATS as a favorite in the Las Vegas odds in 2021.

Navy was an underdog in its first 10 games of the season, going 6-4 ATS. The Midshipmen are also 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven neutral-site contests. The teams have combined to attempt 176 passes, so it’s no secret they like to run. The Black Knights are No. 2 nationally at 301.2 yards rushing per game; the Midshipmen are seventh at 228.2. A combined 37 players have at least one carry for the teams. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick wore a Navy mask in a pregame interview before his club beat the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football and then went with a game plan that included 46 rushes and three passes.

That turned out to be a sign of what will more than likely happen Saturday, especially with rain and wind in the forecast. It is difficult to bet an under 34, but perhaps harder to go over in this circumstance. A more appropriate play could be to side with a big underdog that seems to have played a tougher schedule – straight-up and ATS.