Army vs Navy NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 12/14/2019

Game: Army Black Knights vs Navy Midshipmen

Date: Saturday, December 14, 2019

Week 15

Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD

TV: CBS

Odds/Point Spread: Navy -9

Total/Over-Under: 45

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is the site where Malcolm Perry and the Navy Midshipmen will play the Army Black Knights on Saturday. Army opens this game as 9-point underdogs. The Black Knights are 5-7-0 ATS and 5-5-1 when betting on the total. The Midshipmen are 7-4-0 when wagering on the over/under and 8-3-0 against the spread.

In their last outing, the Army Black Knights took on the Hawaii Warriors and were beaten 52-31. Christian Anderson led the team on the ground for that game. He had a long run of 40 yards but he wasn't able to run one in for a touchdown. He rushed for 114 yards on 12 carries which meant he was running for 9.5 yards per tote. Artice Hobbs IV led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 69 yards on 2 receptions. He had an average of 34.5 yards per catch for that game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Black Knights was Kelvin Hopkins Jr. who went 3/5 with 69 yards through the air but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away with 1 interception in the game. The Black Knights ran the football 63 times and generated 411 yards which earned them an average of 6.5 yards per run. On the day, they ran 74 plays which added up to 538 yards. In the game, the Black Knights got 23 first downs and they had 3 penalties for 29 yards telling us that they had a strong outing in terms of discipline. When discussing the defense, Army gave up 26 completions on 41 attempts for a total of 359 yards, and a completion percentage of 63.4%. In the game, they gave up 492 yards but weren't able to add any takeaways. In the running game, the Black Knights gave up 133 yards on 19 runs which is an average of 7.0 yards per carry allowed.

The Black Knights come into this game with a record of 5-7 for the 2019 season. For total yardage, they rank 4th among Independent teams and 74th in the nation with 4,781 yards. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation averaging 30.3 points per game, ranking them 60th in the nation. As a team, they have an average of 311.7 yards on the ground per contest which is 1st among Independent teams. The Black Knights have one of the average defenses in college football, allowing 22.3 points per contest putting them 2nd among FBS Independent teams. When it comes to passing yards, the Black Knights have allowed 2,326 yards. Teams are completing 62.2% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.2 yards per attempt. In regard to rushing yards, Army is allowing 144.2 yards per game which has them at 1st among Independent teams and 51st in the nation. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.3 yards per carry ranking them 2nd among Independent teams and 74th in D-1 overall. In total, they have allowed 1,730 yards rushing through 12 games.

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In their last outing, the Navy Midshipmen faced the Houston Cougars and earned the victory by a score of 56-41. Running the show from under center for the Midshipmen was Malcolm Perry who went 2/4 with 107 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away with no picks. Jamale Carothers paced the team on the ground during the game. He broke a long run for 75 yards and he ran for 5 touchdowns for the game. He rushed for a total of 188 yards by way of 18 carries which gave him an average of 10.4 yards per carry. Keoni-Kordell Makekau led the team in receiving yardage by racking up 60 yards on 2 catches. He had an average of 30.0 yards per catch during the game. The Midshipmen rushed the ball a total of 56 times and racked up a total of 447 yards which gave them an average of 8.0 yards per carry. In the game, the Midshipmen racked up a total of 20 1st downs and they had 2 infractions for 15 yards telling us that this team was extremely focused in this game. In all, they ran 60 plays which gave them a total of 554 yards. In terms of defense, Navy allowed 23 catches on 35 throws totaling 393 yards, and a completion percentage of 65.7%. In the game, they conceded a total of 527 yards and earned 5 takeaways. Against the run, the Midshipmen allowed 134 yards on 30 tries which gave them an average of 4.5 yards per run allowed.

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The Midshipmen step onto the field holding a record of 9-2. Navy has made teams game plan around their running game by averaging 361.1 yards on the ground per contest, ranking them 1st in D-1. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 3,972 yards rushing through 11 games, so they'll look to continue their dominance on the ground to grind out wins. The Midshipmen average 464.6 yards per game overall putting them 16th in the nation and 4th in the conference. The Midshipmen are allowing 24.2 points per contest ranking them 4th in the conference and 46th in Division 1. In terms of points allowed, they have allowed 266 points in total. When it comes to yards on the ground, they are allowing 109.9 yards per contest ranking them 17th in college football and 1st in the conference. For this year, they have given up 1,209 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs. Their passing defense is one of the mediocre units in the nation. They are allowing 232.6 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Midshipmen are ranked 7th in the conference.

Who will win tonight's Black Knights/Midshipmen college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Black Knights +9

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