Ohio State vs. Navy Odds
BALTIMORE, MD (The Spread) – No. 5 Ohio State will see what it can do without Braxton Miller on Saturday at Noon ET when it takes on Navy on CBS Sports.
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Ohio State is coming off a 12-2 season in 2013 and was hopeful for a run at the title this year, but lost quarterback Miller to a shoulder injury. Navy is coming off a 9-4 record in 2013. These two last met in 2009 with Ohio State getting a 31-27 win with the Midshipmen covering a 22-point spread.
Trends show that Ohio State has failed to cover the spread in their last five games overall and their last four on fieldturf. Navy is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 non-conference games and they have hit the under in 14 of their last 18 games on fieldturf.
According to oddsmakers from Bovada.lv, Ohio State is still the clear favorite in this game, as the Buckeyes have a point spread of -14 against Navy. The over/under total for the game is listed at 55.5 points. (View Matchup) The opening odds for this game had Ohio State as a 19-point favorite, but the spread quickly dropped with Miller’s injury. It hit a low of 13 points before climbing up to OSU -14. The over/under total opened at 63 points, but quickly fell with Miller’s injury as well. It bottomed out at 55.5 points and hasn’t changed since.
The Buckeyes had one of the top offenses in the country last year, averaging 45.5 points and 511.9 yards per game. Even with the injury to Braxton Miller, the Buckyes could still be okay on offense. He missed the first few games of the 2013 season and Ohio State put up at least 40 points in each game. Urban Meyer hasn’t named the starter for Saturday and may even use two quarterbacks. While Miller is out, the Ohio State defense may be more relied on. It held opponents to 22.6 points per game last year, but has a strong defensive line this year, led by Noah Spence. The junior defensive end had eight sacks in 2013.
Navy is coming off a 9-4 season in 2013 with two losses coming by four points or less. The Midshipmen have 14 starters back this season, including seven on offense. Keenan Reynolds is back to lead the offense after rushing for 1,346 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2013 and throwing for 1,057 yards and eight scores. Navy also has four back on the offensive line, which will need to be ready to face the strong OSU defensive front. Defensively, Navy has seven starters back from a group that allowed 24.4 points and just under 400 yards per game. A strong point for Navy should be the secondary, which has three starters returning.
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In terms of Injuries, aside from the season-ending injury to Miller, Ohio State has running back Ezekiel Elliott listed as probable with a wrist injury. Navy guard Cam Henson is out for the season with an undisclosed injury while split back Dishan Romine is questionable with an ankle injury.
The Public Bets are supporting Ohio State, as the Buckeyes are getting 71% of the wagers with point spread odds of -14 against Navy on Saturday.