Temple Owls at Navy Midshipmen Betting Odds - Free AAC Championship Pick

Temple Owls at Navy Midshipmen Betting Odds - Free AAC Championship Pick

David Schwab
Date: December 3, 12:00 pm
Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
TV: ABC

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Navy -3
Total: 63.5

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The 9-3 Temple Owls will square off against the 9-2 Navy Midshipmen for season bragging rights in the AAC this Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Game time for the 2016 AAC Championship is set for 12 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on ABC.
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Temple at Navy Game Overview<br />
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The Owls’ 7-1 straight-up run to the AAC’s East Division title has been a highly profitable one for sports bettors along for the ride. Following an opening day loss to Army as a heavy 15.5-point home favorite, Temple has covered the spread in its last 11 games as part of an overall SU record of 9-3. With last week’s 37-10 victory against East Carolina as a heavy 22.5-point favorite at home, the total has stayed UNDER in its last four games.
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This may not be the flashiest offense in the AAC, but the Owls have been equally effective at both throwing and running the ball this season behind quarterback Phillip Walker and running back Jahad Thomas. The good news for Temple is that Walker’s playing status for Saturday has been upgraded to probable in light of a recent ankle injury. If the Owls are going to pull off the upset in this championship tilt, it will be behind a defense that is tied for 10th in the nation in points allowed (17.8).
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Navy laid claim to the West Division title with a SU 7-1 mark in conference play as part of a 9-2 record this season. The Midshipmen buried SMU 75-31 their last time out as seven-point road favorites to extend their SU winning streak to four games while going 3-0-1 ATS. The total went way OVER the 66-point closing line in that lopsided win and it has gone OVER in six of their last seven contests.
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If Temple made its way to this title game with a stout defense, Navy’s claim to fame this season is a power running game that has helped this offense average 41.9 points a game. Will Worth has been a duel threat at quarterback with 1,363 yards passing and another 1,181 yards on the ground. This offense boasts four other running backs with at least 350 rushing yards this season. The big concern for Saturday has to be a defense that has given up an average of 32.3 points during this current four-game winning streak as opposed to a season average of 30.1 points allowed.
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Temple at Navy Game Betting Trends<br />
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The Owls have covered ATS in their last five games against a team with a SU winning record and they are 24-8 ATS in their last 32 games against a conference opponent. The total has stayed UNDER in seven of their last nine games against a team with a winning record SU.
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The Midshipmen are 21-8-1 ATS in their last 30 games following a SU win and they have covered in 19 of their last 26 home games. The total has gone OVER in their last seven games played at home.
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Temple has a 6-2 edge ATS in the last eight meetings overall and it has covered ATS in four of its last five road games against Navy. The total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in four of the last six meetings.
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Temple Owls at Navy Midshipmen Prediction

This game features a classic matchup between a shutdown defense trying to contain a high-scoring offense. Temple has played with better consistency down the stretch, but it is hard to ignore just how many points the Midshipmen have hung on their last four opponents.

I might be a bit old school with this pick, but I still believe that defenses win championships and that is why the Owls will be the champs of the AAC this season.

Free Pick: Take the Temple Owls +3
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