The Navy Midshipmen take on the Army Black Knights in West Point, NY. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Army is favored by 2 points on the spread with a moneyline of -120. The total is set at 141.5 points.
Here’s my Navy vs. Army predictions and college basketball picks for January 26, 2025.
Navy vs Army Prediction
My Pick: Over 143 or Better
My Navy vs Army best bet is on the over, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Navy vs Army Odds
| Navy Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2 -112 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | +110 |
| Army Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2 -108 | 141.5 -110o / -110u | -130 |
- Navy vs Army spread: Army -2
- Navy vs Army over/under: 141.5 points
- Navy vs Army moneyline: Army -130, Navy +110
- Navy vs Army best bet: Over 143 or Better
Spread
I'm passing on the spread.
Moneyline
I'm passing on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I like the over in this matchup.
My Pick: Over 143 or Better
Navy vs Army College Basketball Betting Preview
Army is 5-2 in Patriot League play, mainly thanks to Jalen Rucker’s heroics.
Rucker is the best point guard you’ve never heard of, averaging nearly 20 points per game on over 50% shooting from 2-point range and 37% from 3-point range. He’s excellent as a ball-screen orchestrator, electric in transition and a lights-out spot-up shooter.
So, stopping Army is about stopping Rucker. Specifically, it’s important to deny the Black Knights’ dribble hand-off rim-attack-and-dish actions.
I’m uncertain Navy can do that. The Midshipmen are far from elite in catch-and-shoot denial, running a more compact defensive scheme, and they allow the second-most dribble hand-off points per game in the Patriot.
Plus, the Mids are woeful in transition denial, which will allow Army’s deadly open-court offense more than a few easy buckets.
On the other end of the court, Navy mainly tries to score through cutting and posting actions in the paint — although the Mids have their own elite guard in Austin Benigni, who scores over 18 points per game by shooting over 40% from deep while dishing out over four assists per game.
The good news for Navy is that Army is among the nation’s worst post-up and cutting defenses. The Black Knights can’t stop anything on the interior, ranking last in the Patriot League in 2-point shooting allowed (60%, per KenPom). The Mids should be able to run their offense here.
Therefore, I’m banking on a high-scoring ball game.
I expect both offenses — led by star point guards — to create efficient half-court offense consistently. The key to cashing the over will be Army controlling the pace and playing mostly in the open court.
