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After dropping their respective conference games last weekend, both the Navy Midshipmen and the SMU Mustangs will look to bounce back strong when doing battle in Dallas on Saturday.
In a battle of AAC unbeatens last Saturday, SMU fell flat in the second half en route to a 42-13 pounding at the hands of Cincinnati. Bearcat QB Desmond Ridder had his way with the Mustang defense, throwing for 126 yards, rushing for 179 and tallying four total touchdowns to hand Sonny Dykes’ ballclub their first defeat of the season. Quarterback Shane Buechele couldn’t match his counterpart, throwing for only 216 yards, a touchdown and a pick.
Navy also couldn’t keep pace late in its game last Saturday, falling 37-21 to Houston. The normally frustrating triple-option attack of the Middies couldn’t really muster enough explosive plays against the Cougars, tallying only 166 yards on 3.3 yards per rush.
Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming
You can watch Navy vs. No. 22 SMU on Saturday, October 31st at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, or you can stream it via the ESPN app with a with a cable or streaming service login.
Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends
Point spread: Navy at SMU (-13.5)
Point Total: O/U 59
Money line: Navy (+375), SMU (-500)
- Each of Navy’s last eight games as an underdog have gone OVER the total points line.
- SMU has failed to cover the spread in each of its last four October night games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Navy won and covered its 3.5 spread in last year’s matchup between the two teams.
The Best Bet
Other than being annihilated by BYU and Air Force earlier in the season (when they literally weren’t tackling at all in practice as a precaution), Navy has mostly been in the same neighborhood as their opponent throughout the year. SMU enters as the home favorite but expect the Middies to keep pace.
Pick: Navy +13.5
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