Army’s Thrilling Win Over Navy Broke An Incredible Betting Trend That’s Lasted Nearly Two Decades

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It took double overtime, but an incredible betting trend seen in the Army-Navy series has finally come to an end. The total score finished over the projected line set by the oddsmakers.

For 16 straight meetings, the final score finished below the mark set by Vegas, leading sharp bettors to an easy victory on the final week of the college football season. For those with the guts to roll over their winnings year after year, a hefty payout could’ve been seen.

It’s no surprise that these matchups are often low scoring. The familiar foes run the same triple option attack on offense, leading to long, methodical drives that can eat large chunks of clock. The ball is put in the air very little keeping explosive plays to a minimum and points off the scoreboard.

On Saturday, it appeared that viewers were in for another dog fight as the two teams failed to score an offensive touchdown in the first half. The second half was more of the same with just one player finding the endzone before regulation ended in a 10-10 tie.

For the first time in 123 meetings, Army and Navy went into overtime. And that OT session proved to be just what the doctor ordered for those that bet on the over.

The total was set at 34 points, and it fell to 32 before the opening kickoff. That point total was the lowest seen in the series in modern history. After totaling just 20 points in regulation, the two teams combined for 17 points in the two overtime periods to push the score to 37 points.

The outcome successfully ended the 16-year betting trend, though it probably had no business doing so. A blocked punt and a pair of extra sessions helped this total (barely) eclipse the mark. I wouldn’t expect the over to hit again in next season’s Army-Navy game.

Related: Cal-Stanford bettors suffered a bad beat on the final play of The Game