The Navy Midshipmen (-6.5) are heading southwest to face their in-conference foe SMU Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. ESNN will broadcast the action and this afternoon game is scheduled to kick off at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Betting Preview: SMU Mustangs vs. Navy Midshipmen
SMU is a live dog in this one and is currently getting 6.5 points. The Midshipmen are also receiving -270 moneyline odds while the Mustangs are +210. Oddsmakers have set the over/under (O/U) at 67 points. If the underdog strikes early on, it will likely generate a nice live betting opportunity.
The Midshipmen are 1-2 against the spread (ATS) and have lost 3.9 units so far in 2018. The team has posted an O/U record of 1-1.
The Mustangs have lost 1.0 unit for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 1-2 ATS and have an O/U record of 1-2.
The Midshipmen are 2-1 straight up (SU), including 1-0 SU against conference opponents. The Mustangs are 0-3 SU overall and 0-0 SU in conference play.
The Midshipmen are coming off a resounding 51-21 victory over Lehigh last week. The passing game could’ve been better as the Midshipmen completed 6-of-14 passes for 145 yards and one interception. Malcolm Perry went two-for-9 for 65 yards and one interception while Garret Lewis completed four-of-five for 80 yards. Perry (223 rushing yards on 19 attempts, three TDs) also spearheaded the running attack in the win. CJ Williams (three receptions, 104 yards) and Ryan Mitchell (one catch, 24 yards) handled the receiving duties.
One week ago, Michigan got the victory against this SMU crew by a score of 45-20. The Mustangs defensive unit allowed the Wolverines to kill the clock by running for 197 yards on 41 rush attempts, including two rush TDs. Zach Gentry had a good showing in the win for Michigan, recording 95 yards on four catches. As a group, the Mustangs collectively completed 19-of-34 passes for 209 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. William Brown went 11-for-17 for 82 yards and two touchdowns while Ben Hicks was seven-of-16 for 113 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Xavier Jones (50 rushing yards on 13 attempts) spearheaded the ground attack in the defeat while James Proche (11 receptions, 166 yards, two TDs) and Braeden West (three catches, six yards) led the pass-catching attack.
Navy has run the ball on 84.8 percent of its offensive possessions this year while SMU has an overall rush percentage of 46.1 percent. The Midshipmen have produced 358.0 rush yards per game and have 14 touchdowns via handoffs this year. The Mustangs are totaling 81.7 rush yards per game and have two total rushing TDs.
If 2018 results are any indication, then it’s looking like the Midshipmen could hold an edge when it comes to quarterback protection. Their offensive line has given up only 13 sacks while their D-line registered 16 sacks. The Mustangs offensive line has given up 23 sacks and their defense has sacked opposing QBs just 31 times.
The Midshipmen offense has tallied 94.0 yards per game in the air overall and has only one passing TDs so far. The Mustangs have recorded 190.7 pass yards per game and have five total pass scores.
Defensively, Navy seems to have the upper hand when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has let opponents run for an average of 160.3 yards and throw for 251.7 yards per game. The SMU defense has given up 284.0 yards per game to opposing passers and 168.0 yards per game to opposing runners. The Midshipmen are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 5.98 to opposing QBs, while the Mustangs have given up a staggering 8.74 ANY/A.
Offensively, Lewis has amassed 146 passing yards on the year, and has connected on 64 percent of his 14 attempts with zero scores through the air and has yet to throw an interception. He has a sparkling 10.43 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 13.29 over the past two outings.
In the other huddle, Ben Hicks has connected on 19-of-40 passes for 365 yards, three TDs and two INTs. Hicks’ ANY/A stands at 6.26 for the year and 2.77 over his past two games.
These two teams met last year with the final outcome being a 43-40 win for Navy.
Navy Midshipmen vs. SMU Mustangs Free Pick
SU Winner: Navy, ATS Winner: Navy, O/U: Over
