The Navy Midshipmen and the Air Force Falcons meet Saturday in college football action from Falcon Stadium at the Air Force Academy. Here’s an Air Force vs Navy prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Air Force vs Navy pick.
Navy Midshipmen Betting Preview
The Midshipmen only have three games in the bag so far this year. First was an opener versus Towson back on September 5. Navy scored 28 points in the first half there, rolling to a 42-15 victory. As for game two, that one was against Florida Atlantic. The Midshipmen were down 31-7 by the end of the first half but did manage to make things semi-interesting in a 38-30 loss.
In their matchup versus UAB last Friday, the Midshipmen were down 17-13 at the break but went into the fourth quarter on a 20-17 advantage. After giving up an unanswered touchdown from there however, Navy had a 24-20 loss on the road. QB Jackson Gutierrez was 4-of-13 for 104 yards and also led the rush attack with 34 carries for 134 yards and a touchdown.
Air Force Falcons Betting Preview
Over on the Air Force side, they got started with a pretty easy matchup versus Duquesne in the opener this year. The Falcons cruised in that one, posting a 34-0 blowout shoutout win. In game two versus North Dakota State however, Air Force earned their first loss. The Falcons gave up 21 points in the second quarter along the way to a 38-32 outcome.
Matched up against Nevada last weekend, the Falcons were in trouble heading into the fourth quarter trailing 17-13. Air Force managed a couple of touchdowns to force overtime, then fought their way through two extra periods for a 36-33 win in the end. Liam Szarka was 5-of-12 for 92 yards, one TD and one pick while adding 33 carries for 171 yards and two scores.
Navy Midshipmen @ Air Force Falcons Betting Trends: Week 5
Air Force Falcons Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 5, Will Duncan ranks 1st amongst qualified players for gross average yards per punt (52.0) this season.
Navy Midshipmen Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 5, MarcAnthony Parker ranks T10th amongst FBS players for sacks (4.0) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- Air Force ranks T1st among FBS teams for 4th down conversion percentage this season (100.0).
- Air Force ranks T2nd among FBS teams for rushing yards per game this season (333.7).
- Navy ranks T1st among FBS teams for red zone percentage this season (100.0).
- Navy ranks 137th among FBS teams for Q2 opponent points per game this season (15.3).
Air Force vs Navy Prediction
I’ll take a crack on Navy but realistically I’m probably staying away. The Midshipmen have had an extra day to prep for this one and they need a good bounce-back after a limp effort versus UAB. Navy posted 353 yards in that one with 249 rush yards, 24 first downs and 7-of-15 on third downs but also had a couple of lost fumbles. The defense did a pretty solid job overall with 290 yards, 15 first downs and 6-of-13 on third downs allowed.
As for Air Force, they get credit for fighting through an overtime win on the road versus Nevada. The Falcons posted 363 rush yards and 24 first downs on offense, while the D gave up 411 yards and 20 first downs with 5-of-15 on third-down tries. This weekend’s matchup is going to be an interesting one if both teams play well.