Central Florida vs. Navy Pick
Is No. 20 Central Florida in danger of a slip-up today when it goes on the road to face Navy at 3:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Central Florida is favored on the road, as the Knights are getting odds of -7.5 points against Navy. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 65 points. These two have no recent meetings to consider. The public is currently putting 76 percent of the wagers on UCF on the road. Today’s game takes place from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. The contest will air live on the CBS Sports Network.
Central Florida is 5-0 this season following a 63-21 win over ECU at home last week. The Knights are 3-0 in the AAC and 5-0 against the spread. UCF has been impressive on both sides of the ball, putting up 50.6 points and 547.2 yards per game on offense while allowing just 16.8 points and 333.2 yards per game on defense. Quarterback McKenzie Milton has thrown for 1,489 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 198 yards to lead this offense. Tre’Quan Smith has added 20 catches for 430 yards and seven touchdowns while Adrian Killins Jr. has 291 rushing yards.
Navy is coming off its first loss, a 30-27 defeat at Memphis. The Midshipmen are now 5-1 on the season and 3-1 in conference play. Navy is 3-2-1 against the spread this year and 1-2 ATS at home. Navy is putting up 35.5 points per game on offense, including 479.3 yards per game. The run game is producing 397.5 yards per game on the ground. Zach Abey has run for 1,016 yards and 12 touchdowns while also throwing for 491 yards and five touchdowns. Malcolm Perry and Chris High have combined for 816 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The Navy defense is allowing 28 points and 398.2 yards per game.
UCF has looked dominant this year, winning each game by at least 27 points. While that makes things impressive, it also has me questioning how the Knights will look when they find themselves in a close game. While Navy hasn’t been as dominant, the Midshipmen’s only loss is by 3 at Memphis, another good team. I know UCF rolled Memphis at home, but I think the Midshipmen are going to be tough to roll on their home turf. Navy is 15-5 against the spread in their last 20 at home. We should learn a lot about UCF today. The Knights may very well win, but I think Navy keeps it close.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: NAVY +7.5