Saturday, December 5, 2020, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland, 3:30 p.m. ET
Golden Hurricane at Midshipmen Betting Preview: Golden Hurricane (-10.5), Midshipmen (+10.5)
Tulsa Golden Hurricane Betting Preview
No. 24 Tulsa will look to lock up its first berth in the American Athletic Conference title game with a win over Navy.
The Golden Hurricane (5-1, 5-0 AAC) have won five straight games since losing at then-No. 11 Oklahoma State 16-7 to open the season. Tulsa can also secure a spot in the conference title game even with a loss to Navy, provided it beats unbeaten Cincinnati next week.
“I feel like we should be in decent shape,” Tulsa coach Philip Montgomery said Tuesday, via the Tulsa World. “Everybody’s got bruises and banged up a little bit this time of year, but for the most part I think everybody else will be available.”
Tulsa has never beaten Navy in AAC play. The Midshipmen are 5-0 against Tulsa since they joined the league in 2015.
Quarterback Zach Smith will be back in the Tulsa lineup after a torso injury sidelined him for most of Tulsa’s last game against Tulane on Nov. 19. He has completed 98 of his 162 pass attempts for 1,266 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Josh Johnson (32 catches, 408 yards, 5 TDs) and Keylon Stokes (31 catches, 446 yards, 2 TDs) are his favorite targets.
Deneric Price, who has 356 yards and a pair of scores on 71 carries, and T.K. Wilkerson (73 carries, 300 yards, four touchdowns) pace the ground game.
“What they do on offense presents everybody with trouble,” Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “They spread you out a ton and pound the football. If you don’t shore up the run game, they’ll keep pounding you. If you try to get people involved with the run game, they’ll get you on the edges.”
Navy Midshipmen Betting Preview
Navy (3-5, 3-3 AAC) has played at least two quarterbacks in six of its eight games, with the only exceptions being against Temple and Houston, when Dalen Morris played every snap.
Morris and Tyger Goslin split time in the team’s last game, combining to complete 4 of 11 passes for 88 yards and an interception. Navy rushed for 233 yards on 52 carries, led by Nelson Smith, who had 29 carries for 142 yards and a touchdown.
Navy and Tulsa were initially scheduled to meet on Nov. 7, but the game was postponed after a coronavirus outbreak swept through the Naval Academy, preventing the Midshipmen from traveling for the contest.
The Midshipmen dominated Tulsa last season as quarterback Malcolm Perry rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries in a 45-17 win. But Perry now plays for the Miami Dolphins, and the Midshipmen haven’t been able to replicate his production under center this year.
For the season, Morris has rushed for 54 yards and passed for 570 in seven appearances and Goslin has rushed for 31 yards and thrown for 333 in just four games.
By moving the game to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, it will allow Navy to have Senior Day for its 26 Midshipmen to play one more home game.
Navy, which closes the season at Army on Dec. 12, has won 17 straight games on Senior Day.
Golden Hurricane at Midshipmen Betting Pick for December 5, 2020
Navy has won six of the seven meetings with the Golden Hurricane, including the last six. Tulsa won the inaugural meeting in 2006 24-23 in overtime.
Golden Hurricane at Midshipmen Betting Pick:
Golden Hurricane 31, Midshipmen 24
Golden Hurricane at Midshipmen Best Bet for December 5, 2020
Close games have marked the meetings in Annapolis. The average score of the three games shows Navy with a 34-31 scoring margin. Navy’s season high came in a 51-37 loss to SMU.
The Golden Hurricane has demonstrated a remarkable penchant for comeback wins, the latest a 30-24 overtime affair against Tulane in which they rallied from a 14-point third quarter deficit.
Golden Hurricane at Midshipmen Best Bet: OVER 51.5
–Field Level Media
