Army vs. Navy Game 2025 prediction, pick, odds, spread, where to watch live
Army and Navy are set to face off once again in one of the most anticipated matchups of every college football season, this year in Baltimore as the storied military academies enter the 126th chapter of their storied rivalry. The Midshipmen lead the all-time series with a 63-55-7 record against the Black Knights as we enter this year’s highly anticipated matchup.
Both teams then head to bowl games, with Army taking on UConn in the Fenway Bowl and Navy taking on Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl, but before entering the postseason they will face off for bragging rights at M&T Bank Stadium. It’s the culmination of a strong year for both programs, but players on both sides know that season success is often defined by the outcome of the game. Army-Navy game.
Army comes in at 6-5, after a slow start to win five of its last seven games to get above .500 heading into its finale with Navy. The Black Knights returned to good defensive form in the second half of the season, allowing 24 points or fewer in six of the final seven games, and their offense found some traction under first-year starter Cale Hellums.
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On the other hand, Navy has a chance to make program history, as a win would give it back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time. The Midshipmen got off to a 7-0 start and looked like a threat to reach the U.S. title game, but a loss to North Texas — and then to Notre Dame — slowed their momentum somewhat. They bounced back to close out the year strong with wins over South Florida and Memphis to enter the Army-Navy game at 9-2, and did so thanks to an explosive offense led by quarterback Blake Horvath.
Army versus Navy 2025: what you need to know
What offense can cause explosive plays? Anyone who has ever watched the Army-Navy game knows that it will be a grueling physical battle in the trenches. These are two option teams who know exactly what the other wants to do and have more experience maintaining eye discipline and runs than any other opponent. This tends to create a low-scoring field position battle.
It’s so difficult to sustain offenses for touchdowns in this game because defenses are so disciplined against the option, which also means that any explosive play takes on added importance. In this department, Navy has been much better this season. The Midshipmen are fourth in the nation in runs of 20-plus yards (30), while Army is 84th (12).
Navy’s passing attack has been a much more potent weapon this year than Army’s, as Horvath has thrown for 1,390 yards and nine touchdowns, compared to just 504 yards and three touchdowns for Hellums. No one will confuse the Midshipmen with the Air Raid this season, but Horvath’s arm provides them with an added threat they can use on defenses that get too aggressive in trying to stop the run.
That’s not to say the Army can’t dial something up at the right time to create a block play, but Midshipmen pose a more consistent threat for explosives on the ground and in the air – as we saw in this game a year ago. Limiting this big play potential will be the biggest challenge for this Black Knights defense which has been extremely solid of late, while the offense will have to find a way to prepare an explosive or two of its own.
Special teams include: Field position is always critical in this matchup, and there are usually a number of punts as both teams attempt to push others back deep. Start-to-finish execution from punt units will be paramount. The coverage unit that can execute and pin the other team in their own 10 can set their team up for success, while a punt block or muffled return can flip the field and swing the outcome.
Points are valuable in Army-Navy play, and this puts added pressure on placement units when they are eliminated – although both teams tend to be aggressive in fourth-and-short situations. Army’s Dawson Jones is 12 of 17 on field goal attempts this season and a perfect 29 of 29 on extra points. Navy’s Nathan Kirkwood was also perfect on XP, making all 46 attempts he attempted and hitting 9 of 10 field goal attempts.
It will be cold and a little windy Saturday afternoon in Baltimore, and the special teams units on both sides will need to be at their best.
Ball is the program: Explosive plays don’t have to happen only on offense. Ball security is always of the utmost importance in the Army-Navy game. Horvath and Hellums will need to be precise in their ball handling on the option, both up and down the field, as putting the ball on the ground is the cardinal sin in this matchup.
Even though they run the ball and how many throws and pulls are involved in each play, both of these offenses do a great job of protecting the football. Army only lost five fumbles all year, while Navy gave it up six times. That means don’t expect either team to cough up, but any opportunity a defense gets, whether on a mishandled give/throw option or hitting the ball, could be a huge swing.
Where to watch Army vs. Navy 2025 live
Date: Saturday December 13 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: M&T Bank Stadium – Baltimore, Maryland
TV: CBS | Live broadcast: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app, Paramount+ Premium
Army vs. Navy Prediction 2025, Picks
So many points in Navy’s favor in this game, but when it comes to this rivalry, it’s rarely that simple. The old adage “throw away the record books” is firmly in play here, and with the form Army has shown in the second half of the season on defense, I expect them to stay close throughout the fourth quarter. We haven’t seen Navy in a grind-it-out defensive game since the Rice game in late September, and if history tells us anything, that’s what we expect on Saturday.
The army is going to try to limit possessions and make it a tough fight, and I think the Black Knights can largely succeed. That said, even in a game played at this preferred pace, Navy’s offense simply has more firepower and Horvath can create some big plays that make the difference in a victory for the Midshipmen. Choice: Navy -6
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