Navy Midshipmen vs Kansas State Wildcats Picks, Odds, Liberty Bowl Prediction 12/31/2019

Game: Navy Midshipmen vs Kansas State Wildcats

Date: Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Liberty Bowl

Location: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, TN

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Kansas State -2.5

Total/Over-Under: 51

Malcolm Perry and the Navy Midshipmen head to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, December 31 where they'll meet the Kansas State Wildcats in the Liberty Bowl. Kansas State opens this contest as 2.5-point underdogs. The Midshipmen are 8-3-0 ATS and 7-4-0 when betting on the total. The Wildcats are 3-8-1 when wagering on the over/under and 9-3-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the Navy Midshipmen played the Houston Cougars and won 56-41. Running the show from under center for the Midshipmen was Malcolm Perry who went 2/4 with 107 yards through the air but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Jamale Carothers paced the team on the ground for that game. He had a long run of 75 yards and he tallied 5 touchdowns for the contest. He scurried for 188 yards by way of 18 carries which gave him an average of 10.4 yards per carry. Keoni-Kordell Makekau was the receiving yardage leader by earning 60 yards on 2 catches. He averaged 30.0 yards per catch for that game. The Midshipmen ran the ball 56 times and totaled 447 yards which gave them an average of 8.0 yards per attempt. Overall, they finished with a total of 60 plays which added up to 554 yards. Overall, the Midshipmen earned 20 first downs and they had 2 infractions for 15 yards which tells us that they had a disciplined week in practice. On the defensive side of the ball, Navy gave up 23 completions on 35 tries totaling 393 yards, and a completion percentage of 65.7%. On the day, they allowed 527 yards and earned 5 turnovers. On the ground, the Midshipmen gave up 134 yards on 30 attempts which gave them an average of 4.5 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Midshipmen step onto the field holding a record of 9-2 for the 2019 season. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation averaging 39.3 points per game, which has them at 10th in college football. As a unit, they have an average of 361.1 rushing yards per contest which is 1st in the conference. For total yardage, they are currently ranked 6th in the AAC and 51st in college football with 5,111 yards. The Midshipmen have one of the middle tier defenses in Division 1, allowing 24.2 points per game ranking them 4th in the American Athletic Conference. In terms of yards on the ground, Navy is giving up 109.9 yards per contest putting them 1st in the American Athletic Conference and 17th in the nation. Opposing teams are running for an average of 3.4 yards per rush putting them 1st in the conference and 16th in college football overall. In total, they have conceded 1,209 rushing yards through 11 games. When it comes to passing yards, the Midshipmen have allowed 1,139 yards. Opponents are completing 55.9% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.9 yards per try.

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In their last outing, the Kansas State Wildcats played the Iowa State Cyclones and earned the win by a score of 27-17. Leading the way at QB for the Wildcats was Skylar Thompson who went 5/12 with 57 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He gave away 1 pick on the day. Jordon Brown paced the team on the ground for that game. He broke a long run for 15 yards and he tallied 1 TD during the game. He ran for 91 yards via 19 carries which means he ran for an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Chabastin Taylor led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 22 yards on 2 receptions. He averaged 11.0 yards per catch for that game. The Wildcats ended up rushing 49 times and earned a total of 231 yards giving them an average of 4.7 yards per run. In all, they ran 61 plays for 288 yards. On the day, the Wildcats earned a total of 18 first downs and they totaled 5 penalties for 33 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. On the defensive side of the ball, Kansas State allowed 15 completions on 30 attempts totaling 185 yards, and a completion percentage of 50.0%. For this contest, they allowed a total of 236 yards but finished the game without a turnover. On the ground, the Wildcats allowed 51 yards on 24 carries which gave them an average of 2.1 yards per run allowed.

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The Wildcats step onto the field holding a record of 8-4. Kansas State has made teams respect their running game by averaging 190.5 yards on the ground per game, which has them at 37th in college football. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 2,286 rushing yards through 12 games, so they'll look to the run game to try to keep the opponents off balance so they'll have open receivers. The Wildcats average 376.2 yards per contest overall which has them at 92nd in D-1 and 9th in the Big 12 Conference. The Wildcats are giving up 21.5 points per contest ranking them 2nd in the conference and 28th in the country. In regard to points given up, they have allowed 258 points in total. In terms of yards on the ground, they are conceding 152.5 yards per contest which puts them at 64th in the country and 7th in the Big 12 Conference. In 2019, they have given up 1,830 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. Their pass defense is one of the middling groups in college football. They are giving up 211.7 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Wildcats currently sit at 3rd in the conference.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Wildcats -2.5

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