Two schools that prefer to run the football, Midshipmen of Navy (+5.5) are prepared to welcome their AAC counterpart Temple Owls (-5.5) to Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Kickoff for this showdown is pegged for 3:30 p.m. ET and CBS Sports Network is scheduled to have the TV rights.
Betting Preview: Navy Midshipmen vs. Temple Owls
In this Saturday American Athletic Conference game, Temple is projected as the favorite and is currently giving up 5.5 points. The Owls are also receiving -235 moneyline odds while the Midshipmen are +185. If one team can catch a lucky break in the early stages, it’ll probably result in a worthwhile live betting opportunity.
The line originally opened at 5 but the early action has slanted toward the Owls.
The Owls are 4-2 against the spread (ATS) and have lost 2.1 units so far. The team’s posted an O/U record of 3-2.
The Midshipmen have been a disappointment to moneyline bettors this season, losing 7.9 units. The team is 1-4 ATS and has an even O/U record of 2-2.
The Owls have gone 3-3 straight up (SU), including 2-0 SU against AAC opponents. The Midshipmen are 2-3 SU overall and 1-1 SU in conference play.
The Owls are coming off a resounding 49-6 victory over East Carolina last week where the Owls completed 25-of-30 passes for 297 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Anthony Russo went 21-for-25 for 254 yards, four touchdowns and one interception while Todd Centeio completed four-of-five for 43 yards. Ryquell Armstead (91 yards on 20 rushes, one TD) led the running attack while Branden Mack (five receptions, 43 yards, one TD) and Sean Ryan (four catches, 57 yards, one TD) shared the receiving duties in the win.
On October 6, Air Force knocked off this Navy team by a score of 35-7. The Midshipmen defensive unit let the Falcons kill the clock by running for 257 yards on 55 rush attempts, including four rush TDs. Joseph Saucier had a solid showing in the win for Air Force, recording 62 rushing yards and a score on three attempts. As a group, the Midshipmen collectively completed three-of-12 passes for 49 yards. Malcolm Perry went two-for-six for 36 yards while Garret Lewis was one-of-six for 13 yards. Perry (54 rushing yards on 19 attempts) handled the running game while Mychal Cooper (one receptions, 27 yards) and Taylor Jackson (one catch, 13 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the loss.
Temple has run the ball on 52.9 percent of its offensive plays this year, including 62.2 percent across possessions in conference play. Navy has an overall run percentage of 86.1 percent, and has rushed the ball 93.8 percent of the time against AAC opponents. The Owls have run for 146.8 yards/game (including 182.0 per game against American Athletic Conference opponents) and have 10 scores on the ground this year. The Midshipmen are logging 310.4 rush yards per game (306.5 in conference) and have 18 total rushing TDs.
The Owls offensive scheme has tallied 229.3 yards/game in the air overall (203.0 per game versus conference opposition) and has 10 passing scores so far. The Midshipmen have produced 71.2 pass yards per contest (39 in the AAC) and have two total pass TDs.
On the defensive side of the ball, Temple appears to have the upper hand in both facets. The team has allowed 165.7 rush yards and 175.8 pass yards per game. The Navy defense has allowed 212.6 yards per game to opposing passers and 179.2 yards per game on the ground. The Owls are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 3.41 to opponents, while the Midshipmen have allowed a 6.81 ANY/A.
Offensively, Russo is up to 618 passing yards this year. The signal-caller has connected on 61 percent of his 74 attempts with five scores through the air and four interceptions. He’s got a 7.05 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 5.92 over the last two games.
Ryquell Armstead (455 rushing yards, two rush TDs on the year), Isaiah Wright (87 receiving yards, two receiving TDs) and Branden Mack (198 receiving yards, three TDs) have all played significant roles lately.
Garret Lewis has completed 11-of-22 passes for 172 yards, zero TDs and zero INTs for Navy. His ANY/A sits at 7.82 for the season and 5.70 across his last two games.
We’re thinking the Midshipmen will control tempo by pounding the defense with their running backs. Along with QB Malcolm Perry (17 receiving yards this season), Tre Walker (80 rush yards, one receiving TD) and CJ Williams (61 rush yards) have really been focal points in the Midshipmen’s recent offensive strategies.
These two squads faced off last year with the final outcome being a 34-26 win for Temple.
Temple Owls at Navy Midshipmen NCAA Tip
SU Winner: Temple, ATS Winner: Temple
Team Betting Notes
- The Navy offense has lost five fumbles this season while Temple has lost two.
- The Temple defense has sacked opposing QBs 20 times this season. Navy has registered just six sacks.
- Temple has produced 4.70338983050847 yards per carry across its past three outings and 4.4 over its last two.
- Navy has averaged 5.3 yards per carry over its last three matchups and 4.0 over its past two.
- Temple was favored by 10 points in its last game and the Over/Under was set at 53. The over cashed and Temple covered in the 49-6 win over East Carolina.
- In its last three contests, Temple is 3-0 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
- Navy was the underdog by 2 points in its last match and the Over/Under going into it was 47. The under cashed and Navy failed to cover in that 35-7 loss to Air Force.
- Temple has won four of its last five games SU, with a September 29th defeat to Boston College accounting for the only loss over that span.
