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2012 Army vs. Navy Gambling Prediction & Preview

Navy vs Army NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping

The Annual Army vs. Navy showdown is one of the oldest traditions in college football. The two teams have played 112 times leading into this week’s matchup, and there’s no shortage of history in this battle. Navy leads the overall series 56-49-7, and they come into this weekend’s contest having won the last 10.

Navy (7-4) vs. Army (2-9)
Saturday December 8, 2012
Lincoln Financial Field, PHILADELPHIA, PA
3:00 PM ET
Moneyline: Navy -270, Army +230 from GTBets.eu
Spread: Navy -7
O/U: 56.5

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Stopping the run will be key in this one, but the question is, which team will be able to do just that?

Navy Midshipmen

The Navy Midshipmen began their season with two tough opponents in Notre Dame and Penn State. They lost those two games by a combined 67 points, but they were able to turn things around with seven wins in their final nine games of the year.

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Navy’s offense is controlled solely by their freshman quarterback Keenan Reynolds. However, it’s not his passing game that fans are raving about—although he has completed eight touchdown passes to just one interception. His running game is what has propelled Navy to success this year.

The Midshipmen pass the ball for just 108.6 yards per contest. That’s only good enough for 121st in the country, but their running game has been outstanding. They average 285.5 yards per game on the ground, which is good enough for sixth in the nation.

Navy hasn’t been scoring the ball the way they’d like to, as they’ve only averaged 25.5 points per game, but their defense has helped make up the difference. They are ranked 36th in the country in points allowed, as they’ve given up just 23.5 points per game. Their rushing defense hasn’t been their strong point, but if they can outrun their opponent this week, they should find this game in their grasps late in the contest.

Army Black Knights

The Army Black Knights may have just two wins on the entire 2012 season, but they have one thing that nobody can take away from them—they are the No. 1 rushing team in the entire country.

Army has rushed the ball 369.8 yards per game this season, which is the best number put up by any team in college football. Senior quarterback Trent Steelman has been as ineffective as it gets as a passer, as evident by the team’s 124th-ranked passing offense; but his running game has been fun to watch. He has 16 touchdowns and 1,152 yards on 224 carriers. This team is as one-dimensional as it gets in their offensive attack, but their running game is undeniable. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

Unfortunately for the Black Knights, those rushing yards haven’t translated into points nearly as often as they’d like. The team is putting up just 25.3 points per game this year, which is only good enough for 85th in the nation. This wouldn’t be so bad if their defense had stepped up, but they’re allowing 37 points per game, which is 112th in the country. They are just 122nd in defending the run, which is going to be a problem against the ground game of the Midshipmen.

Navy has dominated this battle in recent memory, and quite frankly, there’s no reason to believe they won’t do the same this time around. Their offensive game is on the same level as Army’s, and their defense is far superior. Don’t expect a high-scoring game in this one, but don’t be surprised if the Midshipmen pull ahead to keep their double-digit win streak against their rival alive.

Trends

•Under is 8-0 in Midshipmen last 8 games on fieldturf.
•Under is 8-1 in Midshipmen last 9 games following a bye week.
•Under is 8-1 in Midshipmen last 9 vs. a team with a losing record.
•Under is 7-0 in Black Knights last 7 games in December.
•Under is 9-0 in Black Knights last 9 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
•Under is 4-0 in Black Knights last 4 vs. a team with a winning record.
•Under is 6-0 in the last 6 head-to-head meetings in Army.
•Under is 6-0 in the last 6 head-to-head meetings.

O/U Pick: Under 56.5
Score Prediction: Navy 24 – Army 17

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