Army vs Navy Odds

The Army-Navy contest is one of the nation’s longest-running rivalries, starting back in 1890 and featuring well over 100 meetings.

Typically when Army and Navy meet, the point spread is fairly low as the two sides have been fairly evenly matched. Bookmakers also take into account how much this game means to both sides given not just its historic nature but also the pride of one branch of the service vs. another.

For those reasons, sometimes it’s best to ignore the point spread and just pick the team you think will win as a moneyline bet. These games have a tendency to surprise as both teams bring their ‘A’ game – regardless of how good or bad they’ve been the rest of the season.

Army vs Navy History

The rivalry between Army and Navy started in 1890 and is a fierce, intersectional contest between two of the most revered factions of the United States Armed Forces, The teams vie for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, and the annual tradition is typically the final game of the college football regular season.

Great Army-Navy Games

• Battle of No. 1 & No. 2 In 1944 | In the 1944 Army-Navy battle, the teams entered as the top two ranked teams in the nation. Led by future Heisman trophy-winning running backs Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard, the Cadets outrushed their rivals 181-71 en route to a 23-7 victory.
• The Original Game Of The Century | The original Game Of The Century (before Alabama-LSU in 2011) was No. 1 Army’s 32-13 win over No. 2 Navy back in 1945. Felix “Doc” Bouchard led the top-ranked Cadets to a victory and later won the Heisman trophy. Army won that game and would go on to win the national championship that season.
• A Nation In Mourning | The 1963 Army-Navy game was postponed a week following the assassination of John F. Kennedy Jr. Army came back from 21-7 down, securing the win as time expired. At a time when the nation was desperate for a distraction, this Army-Navy game helped.

Infamous Army-Navy Moments

The First Game: When the two teams met for the first time in 1890, Navy had fielded an organized football team for more than a decade, so it had an edge. It easily beat an Army side that was playing its first official football game in a 24-0 shutout win.

The Comeback: In the second meeting, Army was hungry to avenge that series-opening loss. The Cadets responded with three first-half touchdowns on their way to a 32-16 win at Worden Field in Annapolis. The win helped push the rivalry into the national spotlight.

The Cuban Missile Crisis: At the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Army and Navy carried perfect records in to their 1962 meeting. President John F. Kennedy was on hand to see a young quarterback named Roger Staubach throw for two touchdowns and run for another as the Midshipmen won that game 34-14.

Notable Players

Dwight Eisenhower, Army

Eisenhower is easily the biggest name to ever participate in the historic Army-Navy rivalry. The future President was a letter-winning running back on the 1912 Midshipmen.

Roger Staubach, Navy

“Captain America” would become a unanimous All-American in 1963 when he won the Heisman and Sporting News Player of the Year. Later, he would go on to become a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL.

Slade Cutter, Navy

Cutter was a Navy kicker that was also known for becoming a World War II submarine commander who sank 19 Japanese military ships. He kicked a 20-yard field goal for the only points in Navy’s 3-0 win over Army in 1934.

Army vs Navy FAQs

• What is the Army-Navy All-Time record?
  Navy leads the all-time series with Army 60-52-7 entering 2019, and there have been 119 meetings between the teams.
• When Do Army and Navy Play Next?
  Army and Navy next meet December 14, 2019.
• When Did Army and Navy Last Play?
  Army last placed Navy on December 8, 2018. Army won that game 17-10.
• When Did Army and Navy First Play?
  The first meeting between Army and Navy happened on November 29, 1890.