Army vs Navy Betting Sees 64% of Wagers on Midshipmen, But 55% of Sharp Money on Black Knights
- Navy is getting 58-percent of the handle and 64-percent of total bets against Army
- Sharps are leaning towards the Black Knights with 55-percent of bets
- Why is Army seeing the majority of sharp money?
No. 23 Navy is looking to reclaim the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy when they play Army at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, December 14, at 3:00 pm EST.
The public is backing the favorite in the Army vs Navy Odds, but sharp money is coming in on the Black Knights.
Why are professional bettors leaning towards Army in this matchup?
Army vs Navy Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total | Handle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army | +10.5 (-110) | +341 | O 40.5 (-106) | 42.0% |
| Navy (#23) | -10.5 (-110) | -435 | U 40.5 (-114) | 58.0% |
Odds taken Dec. 13
Betting Breakdown
Oddsmakers report that Navy is receiving 58% of the handle and 64-percent of all bets. While the public is backing the Midshipmen, oddsmakers report that 55-percent of sharp money is on Army.
24 Hours. #GoArmy #BeatNavy pic.twitter.com/pqiS1yE4xP
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) December 13, 2019
Bettors are backing Navy due to their excellent 9-2 season that earned them a spot in the Liberty Bowl. Army missed out on bowl eligibility for the first time in four seasons due to a disappointing season that saw them go 5-7.
Are there good reasons for sharps to back Army, or does Navy deserves to be such big favorites?
Navy Double-Digits Favorites
Navy opened as 10.5-point favorites and are still favored by the same amount heading into Saturday’s game. The line actually fluctuated throughout the week with Navy dropping to a 9-point favorite early on and later going all the way up to -11.
Forged by history, bound by ???????????.
?: https://t.co/ghF7hF76yS#NavyFB | #BuiltDifferent | #BeatArmy pic.twitter.com/1oD7Nlbq3a
— Navy Football (@NavyFB) December 5, 2019
Navy comes into this game with the top rushing offense in the country, averaging 360.8 yards on the ground per game. QB Malcolm Perry generated some longshot Heisman buzz thanks to a stellar season in which he’s recorded nine 100-yard rushing games.
The Midshipmen are also playing much better football than Army right now. Navy has earned consecutive victories over SMU and Houston, while the Black Knights lost 52-31 to Hawaii in their most recent outing and have just two victories in their last eight games overall.
Why Army Could Cover
Sharp money is fairly divided, but professional bettors are leaning towards the Black Knights. There are a few reasons Sharps may be confident in the underdog.
Army has the second-best rushing offense in the country and have won three straight games in this series. Games between these two teams always seem to be played very closely, as all five prior meetings have been decided by one possession.
Sharps also know that Army put up a great fight against Michigan early in the season. The Black Nights took the Wolverines to overtime, and while they ended up losing, they would have won in regulation had they not missed a 50-yard kick late in the game.
Verdict
It’s no surprise the public is backing the favorite in this matchup. Navy has been the better team this season and have more momentum heading into Saturday’s game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Sharps know that Army has a three-game winning streak in this series and these games always seem to be played tightly.
Navy seems like a great bet to cover on paper, but pro bettors aren’t discounting Army due to their history against Navy and the fight they showed against another ranked opponent early in the season.
Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
