America’s Game: Army-Navy 2025 Odds, Picks, Pageantry And Patriotism

The storied series between Army and Navy continues Saturday, Dec. 13, for the 126th meeting on the football field. One of the great rivalries in college sports, Army and Navy are enemies on the ball field, but brothers in arms on the battlefield. 

Record Ratings

The 2024 Army-Navy Game on CBS drew a record-breaking 9.4 million average viewers, making it the most-watched Army-Navy game in over 30 years and CBS’s best audience for the rivalry ever, a 31% jump from 2023. Navy (+6) upset Army last year 31-13. This year’s game will be one of the most-watched college football games of the season, joining the top SEC teams biggest watch and wager games ahead of the College Football Playoff. 

Pageantry And Patriotism

The Army-Navy game is a spectacle and showcase of college sports in its purest form. The magnitude of the event is pageantry and patriotism, with a revelry of cadets and midshipmen bouncing and cheering for their branch. Hours before the most meaningful game, the event is highlighted by the Army Corps of Cadets and the Brigade of Midshipmen marching onto the field. 

This year’s press conference with Army head coach Jeff Monken provides some insight into the purity, pageantry and patriotism of this game. 

“The emphasis that’s placed on this game throughout the year, and from the mental and emotional standpoint, this game is thought about far more than just the days and weeks ahead of the game.” He adds that “there is a huge emphasis on playing Navy and our academy opponents.”

On a question about the counter culture of the Army-Navy game, and how important this game is in the college football landscape. 

“This game will always be important to American and college football. It is so unique,” Monken said. “Before revenue share, NIL, transfer portal, and playoff, this game will always be important. It is for pure pride, There is nothing selfish about this game. It’s not about a particular player or compensation. The only reward being sought is a victory.”

Dale Kurtz, President of the West Point Society of New England, said this previously about the Army-Navy game. 

“This is not another football game. This is America’s Game, because every one of those players on the field, every one of those Cadets and Midshipmen in the stands, they’re going professional…profession of arms. They’re going to be standing tall to defend this country. That’s what makes it so special.”

Army-Navy Watch And Wager Coverage And Odds

• Army Black Knights (6-5) vs. Navy Midshipmen (9-2)
• Saturday, Dec. 13 – 3pm ET from  M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. (home of NFL Ravens)
• TV and Streaming on CBS, Paramount+ and CBSSports.com
• Listen Live on SiriusXM College Sports Radio Channel 84 and other national coverage
• Betting Line: Navy (-6) and game total 38 points

Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson provide the play-by-play and color analyst coverage for CBS. This will be Danielson’s 17th and final call of the Army-Navy game, as he is retiring at the end of this year.

Game Matchup, Series Trends, and Anniversary

The Army and Navy military branches are celebrating their 250th anniversary. Along with the pregame pomp and pageantry, Army and Navy players will take the field in special commemorative uniforms. The designed display “historical symbolism and modern aesthetics,

giving Saturday’s game a fitting visual tribute to 250 years of American military heritage.”

Both teams will be playing in bowl games following this huge rivalry game. That will be just the fourth time in the teams’ combined 36 bowl game appearances that Army and Navy play in a bowl game the same year (1985, 2016, 2024). 

This is also the first time the game has been played in Baltimore since 2016, when Army (+5.5) upset Navy 21-17 to snap the Midshipmen’s 14-game winning streak over the Black Knights. 

The Army-Navy matchup features heavy run-centric offenses that grind the clock and reduce overall play volume. There are longer stretches without scoring opportunities as the game becomes a battle of discipline, leverage, and field position. The coaching staff and players on both teams are well-versed and prepared for the option offense, which results in better defensive performances as well.  

Both teams beat Air Force this season by 3-points, so the winner of the Army-Navy game will win the Commander-In-Chief Trophy. But Army only managed 20 points and less than 300 yards offense against an Air Force team and defense that was torched for huge yardage and at least 34 points in their first six games including Navy’s 34-31 win over Air Force. 

This year’s Navy team holds some advantages in the matchup, including bigger edges on special teams and at quarterback with Blake Horvath providing more efficiency as a reliable leader who can finish drives. Navy’s ability to generate more push at the line of scrimmage tilts the edge in their favor. So despite the Middies being outgained in each of their last four games, against winning teams North Texas, Notre Dame, South Florida and Memphis while also allowing at least 500 yards offense to three of their last six opponents, Navy is the preferred play to win and get the money.  

Despite very low posted totals in this series, the game had gone under in 16-straight Army-Navy games until the 2022 overtime game won by Army, 20-17. Army won again in 2023 with a 17-11 final before Navy pulled out all the stops to beat Army 31-13 last year as nearly a touchdown underdog. That was the first time since 2013 that the Army-Navy game produced more than 40 points.  

The Pick: Opinion on Navy and under the game total. 

Plenty of live/in-game betting options beyond just the point spread, total and moneyline wagering on this game and college football. Follow all the matchups, odds and sports news and betting information at BetOnline.