Navy Midshipmen vs Cincinnati Bearcats Prediction, 1/2/2025 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Navy Midshipmen vs Cincinnati Bearcats

Date: Friday, January 2, 2026

Location: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, TN

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Bearcats (+7.0)

Total/Over-Under: 53.5

The Navy Midshipmen (10-2) are headed to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on Friday, January 2, 2026 where they will take on the Cincinnati Bearcats (7-5) in the Autozone Liberty Bowl. Navy opens as 7.0-point favorites. The total comes in at 53.5.

The Navy Midshipmen come into this game with a record of 10-2 this season. The last time they took the field, the Midshipmen took on the Army Black Knights and earned the victory with a final of 17-16. In the running game, the Midshipmen conceded 120 yards on 34 attempts, which is an average of 3.5 yards per run allowed. Navy allowed 5 pass completions on 10 attempts for 82 yards, and a completion rate of 50.0%. In all, they ran 66 plays which totaled 272 yds. The Navy Midshipmen ended up running the ball 52 different times and accrued 190 yds, which earned them an average of 3.7 yards per carry.

Regarding getting in the endzone, the Navy Midshipmen hold an average of 31.2 points per contest. As a unit they're maintaining an average of 289.3 yards rushing which has them sitting 1st in D-1. The Midshipmen have racked up 5,054 total yards for this campaign. In terms of getting the ball in the endzone, Navy has totaled 10 passing touchdowns and 40 touchdowns on the ground. Navy has accrued 244 first downs, and they have committed 72 penalties for 618 yards. They have surrendered the football 13 times.

In terms of yards via the pass, the Midshipmen are conceding 2,893 yds which has them sitting in 101st in the nation. They have given up 241.1 yards per contest via the pass and conceding a completion percentage of 64.5%. Over the course of this season, they are conceding 382.3 yards per contest which puts them 77th in the nation. They have yielded 20 touchdowns through the air in addition to 19 touchdowns pounding the rock. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.1 yards per run and 141.3 rushing yards per game on the year. For the year, they have given up 1,696 running yards through 12 games. The Midshipmen rank 76th in Division 1 when it comes to team defense, giving up 26.0 PPG.

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The Bearcats head into this matchup 7-5 for this year. When they last played, the Bearcats walked away with a loss by a score of 45-23 when they played the TCU Horned Frogs. Cincinnati gave up 52 running attempts for 238 yards (4.6 yds per carry). The Bearcats secondary allowed a completion percentage of 86.4%, surrendering 306 yds on 19 for 22 passing. The Bearcats finished with 397 yds and they ran 52 plays (7.6 yards per play). Cincinnati rushed the football for 6.1 yards per tote, totaling 115 yds on 19 attempts.

The Cincinnati Bearcats maintain an average of 421.3 yards per contest, which ranks them 31st in the nation. The Cincinnati offense has compiled 770 yards of penalties on 83 infractions, which has them sitting 38th in the nation in terms of making mistakes. They average 178.9 rushing yards per game and have rushed for 2,147 yards for the year. They have thrown 5 picks while allowing opponents to recover 7 fumbles and they have been able to record 244 first downs. When looking at their ability to score points, the Bearcats are sitting 35th in D-1 maintaining an average of 31.8 PPG. During the season thus far, the Bearcats have compiled 2,909 passing yards as well as holding an average of 242.4 passing yards per game, which has them ranked 56th in the nation.

Cincinnati has surrendered a total of 2,083 yards on the ground (173.6 yards/game) in addition to 17 touchdowns rushing on the season. They have allowed the opposition 18 touchdowns through the air as well as 229.8 yards per contest, which has them sitting 92nd in college football. Overall, they have conceded 298 pts. Their defense has tallied 7 fumbles and 2 picks so far this season. The Bearcats defense has been on the field for 860 plays, which is 108th in Division 1. The Bearcats are giving up 24.8 PPG, which has them sitting 68th in Division 1.

Who will win tonight's Midshipmen/Bearcats college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Midshipmen -7.0

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