American vs Navy 2/16/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds
Navy Midshipmen (17-8) vs. American Eagles (7-18)
February 16, 2022 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: American Eagles +9.5 / Navy Midshipmen -9.5; Over/Under: 123.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Navy Midshipmen will travel to Bender Arena to take on the American University Eagles this Wednesday night in College Basketball action.
The Navy Midshipmen won their 3rd straight game and improved to 17-8 on the season after defeating the Army Black Knights, 52-49, this past Saturday. Navy was outstanding on the defensive end against Army and was able to hold off the Black Knights after taking a 47-40 lead with 3:14 left in regulation. Navy shot 33.3% from the field & 22.2% from beyond the arc while allowing Army to shoot 29.6% from the field & 14.3% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Tyler Nelson who had 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, & 2 steals.
On the season, Navy is averaging 65.6 ppg on 44.3% shooting from the field. The Midshipmen are averaging 5.8 three-pointers per game on 33.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Navy has been led by John Carter Jr. (13.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.0 spg), Greg Summers (9.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.2 spg), Tyler Nelson (8.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg), & Daniel Deaver (7.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.0 apg).
Defensively, Navy is holding their opponents to an average of 59.2 ppg on 40.9% shooting from the field. The Midshipmen have a rebound margin of 5.8 and a turnover margin of 0.9.
The American University Eagles snapped a 5-game losing streak and improved to 7-18 on the season after defeating the Holy Cross Crusaders, 60-54, this past Monday night. American University was outstanding defensively in the 1st half, holding Holy Cross to just 14 points, and was able to pull away later in the 2nd half after taking a 51-44 lead with 4:14 left in regulation. American University shot 39.6% from the field & 25.0% from beyond the arc while allowing Holy Cross to shoot 36.4% from the field & 28.6% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Eagles was Matt Rodgers who had 20 points, 8 rebounds, & 2 assists.
On the season, American University is averaging 63.8 ppg on 44.7% shooting from the field. The Eagles are averaging 5.2 three-pointers per game on 33.0% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, American University has been led by Stacy Beckton Jr. (12.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.4 apg), Colin Smalls (10.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.0 spg), Matt Rogers (10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.7 apg), & Johnny O’Neil (8.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.6 apg).
Defensively, American University is allowing their opponents to average 72.7 ppg on 49.0% shooting from the field. The Eagles have a rebound margin of -3.8 and a turnover margin of -1.7.
The Midshipmen are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a losing home record, however, are just 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win. The Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games following three or more consecutive road games, however, are just 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Navy is no doubt the better team in this one, however, it’s hard to trust the Midshipmen offense, which ranks just 301st in scoring offense, to be able to cover such a high road spread. American University was able to give Navy all they could handle earlier this season in a 47-45 loss at Navy and as I expect a similar low-scoring battle in this one, I think the play here is to take American University and the points. Good Luck!
