Cadets Look to Claim Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy
Army vs Navy Betting Trends Are All Under
For many years, the big question was how low the total could get. This year, we have the answer. With Iowa’s offensive ineptitude and solid defense setting new lows, the sportsbook is no longer hesitant to hang a total in the 20s. That was the case here, as the Army is favored by 2 points (-115), and the total on the game is just 28. The Army vs Navy betting trends show last year broke a streak of 17 straight under. Army won 20-17 against a total of 32. Army can win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy outright with a win. A Navy win means all three service academy teams will finish with 1-1 records.
Army Cadets vs Navy Midshipmen 
Day/Time: Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
Streaming: CBS
Line: Army -2 (-115)
Total: 28
Cadets Stay True to Heritage
The Army Cadets haven’t changed much on offense over the years. The team stayed true to its running tradition again this season. The Cadets run 47.5 times per game for 210.2 yards and throw 13.6 times for 107.6 yards. The teams the Army played weren’t that good at stopping the run. So you would have expected the Cadets to do a little more damage offensively. Army averaged 4.4 yards per rush against teams that allowed 4.9 yards per carry. The Cadets averaged 20.8 points against teams that allowed 29.4 points on the season. Army was -4 in turnovers on the season, which didn’t help the offense. Kayne Udoh, who rushed for 436 yards, missed the last game and is on the NCAAF injury report this week as questionable.
On defense, the Army allowed 22 points to teams averaging 26 points per game. The Cadets weren’t bad against the pass, allowing 190.9 yards per game. But the run defense struggled, allowing 5.0 yards per carry to a team average of 4.6 yards. Army held teams to 20 total yards under the season average.
Midshipmen Make Few Changes
There was quite a bit of talk before the season started about how the new coaching staff would mix up Navy’s offense. But at the end of the year, it was pretty much the same Midshipmen. Navy rushed 46.1 times per game for 201.4 yards and threw 15.5 times for 99 yards. The Midshipmen averaged 18.3 points against teams that allowed 28.6 points per game. The Navy rushed for 4.4 yards per carry against teams, allowing 4.5 yards.
But who is going to play quarterback is the big question for the Navy. Tai Lavatai has missed the last four games and Xavier Arline left the game against SMU. Blake Horvath was injured in October, which could leave freshman Braxton Woodson to start. He isn’t much of a passer but is a pretty decent runner.
On defense, the Midshipmen finished +14 in turnovers. But that wasn’t enough to get them into a bowl game. Navy allowed 22.9 points to teams averaging 27.2 points. The Midshipmen were pretty solid against the run, allowing 3.7 yards per carry. But the Navy did give up some yards through the air.
What to Expect
Neither team will be going to a bowl game, despite the winner of the contest finishing with six wins. The college football standings 2023 show both teams at 5-6. The NCAA states a team has to have six wins by the time the bowl pairings are announced. That’s something both schools are aware of, but still play the game the week after the rest of the country finishes. But for these teams, the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy is more meaningful than worrying about the college bowl odds and a berth in a bowl game.
The one thing you can expect here is lots of rushing. That’s not a surprise. Both teams would run the ball every play if they could. In the Army’s last game, the Cadets attempted one pass that was incomplete. They still won. Whichever team attempts the most passes is probably going to lose the game, as that means they’re most likely behind and trying to gain yardage in a hurry.
Who to Bet On?
Those who are going to bet based on the Army vs Navy betting trends are most likely going to be on the under. You can’t blame anybody for following something that has gone 17-1 in the last 18 games. But the Army vs Navy betting trends don’t tell you three of the last four games have seen a minimum of 30 points. The teams aren’t playing 10-3 or 13-6 games every year.
Looking at this game from a matchup perspective, it seems to favor Navy a little bit more. The Midshipmen are strong against the run. Army had a few troubles slowing down the opposition’s ground game.
This is one of those games that if it was played on a typical week, many bettors would skip right over it. But it’s the only college football game of the day, so it’s going to be a bet. It’s a tough call, but Navy appears to have a few more things in its favor.
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