The Navy Midshipmen will square off against the Arizona State Sun Devils later today in the 2012 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Start time in this afternoon’s meeting between the two teams is set for 4:00pm ET; the game will be played at San Francisco’s AT&T Park and broadcast live on ESPN2. The latest Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Odds are favoring Arizona State at -13 against the spread while the Over/Under is set at 53 points. Navy is drawing +400 odds ($100 wins $400) as a money line selection.
Navy saw its run of eight consecutive bowl appearances come to an end last season, but it wasted little time in getting back on track. The Middies, after a nasty 1-3 start, closed out the regular season with an 8-4 record.
Navy’s closing slate featured a number of patsies, but it also got the job done against three bowl qualifying schools. The Middies dropped Air Force, East Carolina, and Central Michigan and did so by an average of 17.7 points per game.
Arizona State should represent the Midshipmen’s biggest challenge since September, though, when they faced the likes of Notre Dame, Penn State, and San Jose State. The Sun Devils finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, but four of its five losses came against teams that either are or were ranked at some point during the season (Oregon, UCLA, Oregon State, and USC).
The numbers also showed Arizona State’s improvement under new coach Todd Graham as it ranked 21st in the nation in scoring at 36.4 points per game. The Sun Devils defense also acquitted itself well, ranking 27th in the FBS in total defense with a 350.8 yards per game allowed average.
Free Pick: Take Navy -13. While ASU is expected to win this game, the line seems a bit large. The Sun Devils, it should be noted, defeated just one winning team. Navy has also performed well as an undervalued commodity. The Middies are 4-2 straight up and 5-1 against the spread in their last six games as a dog between 11 and 13.5 points.
2012 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Odds:
Navy Midshipmen +13 (-110), Over 53 (-110), +400 (Moneyline)
Arizona State Sun Devils -13 (-110), Under 53 (-110), -500 (Moneyline)
College Football Free Pick: Oregon State vs. Texas Betting
What college football bettors need to know about Oregon State Beavers vs Texas Longhorns on Saturday (12/29/12) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Bryan Leonard, with Marco D'Angelo and host Scott Spreitzer.
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