It’s been a tough season for the Navy Midshipmen, but they can make it a success by taking down their rival Army Black Knights in the annual battle on Saturday. They only game on the Week 15 betting schedule will attract plenty of attention and the Black Knights are getting most of it. Since losing 14 consecutive games in the series Army has turned the tide with four victories in the previous five encounters. The Knights have won their last four games and they are a 7.5-point favorite to earn their second straight Commander in Chief’s trophy.
This Week 15 college football matchup takes place on Saturday, December 11, 2021, at 3 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ and will be televised on CBS. College football odds are available at BookMaker.eu for this and every game this season.
CFB Odds at BookMaker.eu
Army Black Knights -7.5
Navy Midshipmen +7.5
Total 34.5
Odds Analysis
Considering their records it isn’t a surprise to see Army as a touchdown-plus favorite. The Black Knights withstood a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season winning their final four games to improve to 8-3 SU. They had payouts in three of those four games and are 6-5 ATS overall. Navy enters with some momentum in what has otherwise been a down season. The Middies trounced Temple 38-14 in their most recent outing and split their last four games while going 4-1 ATS in their previous five. Stats and records are meaningless in this rivalry, but we need a starting point and that has Army positioned as a 7.5-point favorite. If that number holds it’ll be the third time in the last four years the Knights were favored by more than a touchdown.
The number to look at is the total, which opened at a minuscule 34. There has been some action on the over driving the number up to 34.5. Still, it’s the lowest in any game between the teams since at least 1995. And there’s a good reason why the total is where it is. The teams have played below the closing total in 15 consecutive games while combining to average just 34.1 points in those matchups.
Army Black Knights
Both teams run the football a lot, which tends to keep scores a little lower. The difference this season is that Army has been better on the ground averaging over 301 yards to rank second nationally. Five different players have amassed more than 340 rushing yards with none of them having more than 590 yards, showing just how balanced the attack is. Tyrell Robinson leads the option attack with 582 rushing yards and 9.9 yards per carry. The workhorse is Jakobi Buchanon, who scored a team-best 11 rushing touchdowns.
Army recovered from a mid-season slump that saw them lose three in a row, including a 70-56 slugfest to Wake Forest. They tightened up defensively allowing an average of just 15 points over the final four contests, all wins, and the Knights enter the game 11th nationally against the run and 16th in total defense yielding 324.2 yards per game.
Navy Midshipmen
It’s been a rough few seasons for Navy with longtime coach Ken Niumatalolo put on the hot seat. The Middies were 3-7 last year and totaled just three victories in 2018. They need a win Saturday to avoid their third three-win season in the last four campaigns. They look to finish this season on a positive note and it doesn’t get any better than beating Army. The Middies split their previous four games after going just 1-6 SU to open the campaign.
If it’s any consolation they played the top two teams in the AAC tough losing 28-20 to Houston and falling 27-20 to CFP participant Cincinnati. And we saw the offense finally come together in the last two games. Navy beat Temple 38-14 in Week 13 scoring their most points in two seasons. They scored 35 points in a loss to East Carolina the week prior. Navy’s option attack has been successful averaging nearly 230 rushing yards to rank seventh nationally. Isaac Ruoss paved the way with 608 yards while Carlinos Acie totaled 241 yards in the last two games. Defensively the Middies aren’t nearly as strong and they will have a hard time containing Army’s relentless attack.
Army vs. Navy
Since both teams run the option it only makes sense that they are well prepared to defend it. And as such we haven’t seen many dominant ground games recently, which is why the UNDER has cashed in the last 15 meetings. The total is low and that has mean leaning toward the over. Army has been able to throw the football, though they do it sparingly. That gives them an edge in this game and I can see the Knights covering the line for a payout.
BookMaker Pick: Army Black Knights -7.5 / OVER 34.5
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