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The Navy Midshipmen will travel to Dallas to take on the SMU Mustangs in an American Athletic Conference football matchup on Friday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our college football odds series, which includes a Navy-SMU prediction and pick, laid out below.
Navy has gone 2-3 to open their season, both wins coming against conference opponents. The Midshipmen opened their season with an embarrassing 14-7 loss to FCS Delaware. Wins over East Carolina and Tulsa gives Navy a 2-1 conference record.
SMU has also gone 2-3 to begin their season, losing their only conference matchup before this. After opening their season with two straight victories, SMU has lost their last three games, including a 41-19 blowout at the hands of UCF. Head coach Rhett Lashlee has been touted for his work with quarterbacks before coming to SMU.
Here are the Navy-SMU college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Navy-SMU Odds
Navy Midshipmen: +12.5 (-110)
SMU Mustangs: -12.5 (-110)
Over: 57.5 (-105)
Under: 57.5 (-115)
Why Navy Could Cover The Spread
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Like the other service academies, Navy runs an unconventional offense that can be tough to prepare for. Tai Lavati has thrown for 524 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Still, Lavati has attempted just 56 passes this season, less than twelve per game, and has completed only 48 percent of his passes. The running game is what sets Navy apart from other schools. The Midshipmen have totaled 1,159 yards on the ground, led by 275 and three touchdowns from Daba Fofana. Maquel Haywood is second with 203 rushing yards but has not scored a touchdown. Lavati is third with 147 rushing yards and has also scored three touchdowns. Navy has scored nine touchdowns on the ground. Vincent Terrell II leads the team with 146 receiving yards and a touchdown on five catches. Navy is averaging 21.2 points per game.
Navy's defense has surrendered 21 points per game this season and 349 yards of offense per game. John Marshall leads the team with 39 tackles and four and a half tackles for loss, adding two sacks. Navy has totaled 14 sacks on the season, led by four from Jacob Busic. Navy has intercepted four passes on the season, with Nicholas Straw highlighting the group with an eighteen-yard return. Navy has scored 24 points off turnovers this season.
Why SMU Could Cover The Spread
Tanner Mordecai has been a strong presence for this offense for a long time now, throwing for 1,680 yards with twelve touchdowns and six interceptions. Velton Gardner leads the team with 230 rushing yards, adding a touchdown on the ground. Tre Siggers is second with 229 yards, leading the team with four rushing touchdowns. As a team, the Mustangs have totaled 726 rushing yards and ten touchdowns. Rashee Rice leads the team with 46 catches for 687 yards and four touchdowns. Jake Bailey ranks second with 205 yards, scoring once on twelve catches. Kelvontay Dixon is second on the team with two receiving touchdowns. SMU is averaging 34.6 points per game and 500.2 yards of offense per game.
SMU's defense has struggled, surrendering 28.6 points per game and 416.8 yards of offense per game. Jimmy Phillips, Jr. leads the team with 34 tackles, including four tackles for loss. Nelson Paul leads the team with five tackles for loss and three sacks. Elijah Chatman is also tied for the team lead with three sacks. SMU has sacked their opponents twelve times. Three different Mustangs have intercepted a pass this season.
Final Navy-SMU Prediction & Pick
SMU should be okay, but may not have the ball long enough for the over to hit.
Final Navy-SMU Prediction & Pick: SMU -12.5 (-110), under 57.5 (-115)
