The UConn Huskies (9-3) and Army Black Knights (6-6) are set to face off in the 2025 rendition of the Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Saturday. The third of three bowl games at an MLB park will kick off at 2:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. It is familiar territory for UConn, who beat North Carolina 27-14 in the 2024 Fenway Bowl.
The Black Knights are 9.5-point favorites in Boston with -340 Moneyline odds, and the total has been set at O/U 43.5 points. Here is a preview of the bowl game featuring odds and lines from DraftKings Sportsbook.
UConn vs. Army Preview, Prediction
UConn Preview
After putting a 59-13 beatdown on Central Connecticut State, the Huskies lost by seven at Syracuse and lost by three at Delaware. Coach Jim Mora got his squad back on track from there, closing the season on an 8-1 run. Even the one loss during that stretch came by three points on the road at Rice. UConn went on the road and bested Buffalo, Boston College and Florida Atlantic, all while stringing together a perfect home record against Ball State, Florida International, UAB, Duke and Air Force.
Mora has since left UConn to coach Colorado State. He led the Huskies to three bowl appearances in four years after they reached the postseason just once in the previous 11 years. Gordon Sammis is stepping in as UConn’s interim coach, but he is going to take over as TCU’s offensive coordinator once the Fenway Bowl goes final.
Quarterback Joe Fagnano, who tossed 28 touchdowns and only one interception this season, opted out of the Fenway Bowl to get ready for the pros. Star receiver Skyler Bell, on the other hand, is playing after racking up 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns on 101 catches in 12 games. Running back Camryn Edwards should also suit up, looking to add to his 1,319 yards and 15 touchdowns from scrimmage. No other Huskies have more than 405 scrimmage yards on the season, although wideouts Reymello Murphy and John Neider and tight end Juice Vereen each came within 100 of that mark.
UConn ranks No. 12 in the country with 36.9 points per game this season. Their defense, meanwhile, ranks No. 75 with 25.8 points allowed per game. The Huskies struggle most against the run, with their 185.5 rushing yards allowed per game ranking No. 117 nationally.
Army Preview
The Black Knights’ second season in the American Conference wasn’t quite as successful as their first, when they won a program-record 12 games. They lost to Tarleton State in their 2025 opener and eventually fell to 1-3 following losses to North Texas and East Carolina. A road win at Kansas State was the only bright spot of Army’s nonconference slate. However, Tulane and Tulsa were the only teams that got the better of the Black Knights in October and November, while UAB, Charlotte, Air Force, Temple and UTSA were all wins. Army nearly pulled off the upset over Navy two weeks back, too, before falling 17-16.
Coach Jeff Monken is 5-1 in bowl games, with three of those wins coming in the Armed Forces Bowl. Now that Army has a conference tie-in, though, they will have to mix it up with their postseason trips. The American is 0-2 all-time at Fenway.
Quarterback Cale Hellums has only completed 50.6% of his 79 passes for 586 yards across 12 games this season. But as the keystone of Army’s signature triple option, Hellums has 1,178 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. Excluding quarterback Dewayne Coleman, who hasn’t seen action in over two months, five other backs have gone for at least 100 yards on the year. Running backs Noah Short and Hayden Reed have combined for 891 yards and four yards. The Black Knights’ offense is averaging 22.4 points per game, which puts them at No. 106 in the national ranks.
Army’s defense ranks No. 46 with 22.1 points allowed per game, led by linebacker Andon Thomas and his 108 tackles. The Black Knights’ opponents actually outrush them on a per-carry basis, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt to their offense’s 4.3 mark.
UConn vs. Army Pick, Best Bet
With their head coach and star quarterback already out the door, the Huskies are working at a disadvantage on Saturday. And yet, Army has tended not to run away from their competition this year. Four of their six wins in 2025 have come by three points or fewer. The tendency for the Black Knights to battle it out in low-scoring affairs also plays into the likelihood of a tighter final score. As for UConn, their three losses this season have come by three, three and seven points.
Plus, in each of the last two Fenway Bowls, the underdog won outright. Putting a moneyline bet down on a shorthanded UConn squad is certainly risky, so picking them to cover feels like the safer play.
