- Navy is favored by 6.5 points (-115), priced at -260 on the moneyline, with the total at 51.
- Navy ranks second nationally in both rushing offense and rushing defense through its first two games.
- UAB is 1-2, routed at Illinois before beating Louisiana-Monroe and losing at Louisiana last week.
- Backup Jackson Gutierrez, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third at Florida Atlantic, is the option if Woodson can’t go.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – UAB Navy odds favor the Midshipmen by 6.5 points and -260 on the moneyline for Friday night’s game at Protective Stadium, with starting quarterback Braxton Woodson’s ankle injury still unresolved the day before kickoff.
The Line
Navy’s spread sits at -6.5 (-115), its moneyline at -260 against UAB’s +215, and the total at 51. The moneyline says Navy wins this game far more often than not, while the spread, priced near even on both sides, is where the book splits the cover. Navy’s team total is 29.5 and UAB’s is 21.5.
A total of 51 is modest for a Friday night game and fits two teams built to run the ball and shorten the clock. The fewer possessions either offense creates, the more the under leans on Navy’s front, and the legal sports betting read here starts with that defense rather than the quarterback.
Navy’s 1-1 Start
Navy opened with a 42-15 win over Towson, an FCS opponent, behind Woodson’s 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The Midshipmen then lost 38-30 at Florida Atlantic on Sept. 12, trailing 31-7 at halftime and 38-7 late in the third quarter before Gutierrez nearly erased the 31-point deficit, throwing for 100 yards and two scores and running for 75 yards and a third.
Navy is 0-1 in the American Conference and ranks second nationally in both rushing offense, at 376 yards a game, and rushing defense, allowing 40.5. That defensive number is the one carrying the price. UAB has to earn every yard on the ground against a front that has given up almost nothing to two opponents.
UAB’s Uneven 1-2 Start
UAB lost 42-23 at Illinois, then beat Louisiana-Monroe 26-20 at home on a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Ryder Burton and four field goals from Jonah Delange. The Blazers lost 21-14 at Louisiana last week, scoring two touchdowns against a team that built a 21-7 halftime lead on the ground.
Through three games, UAB’s passing game has produced two touchdowns and three interceptions while averaging 159.3 yards, and running back Rod Robinson II has said a better ground game is what lets Burton throw with confidence.
Friday is UAB’s first American Conference game of the season under first-year coach Alex Mortensen and first-year defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.
The Quarterback Swing
Woodson sprained an ankle in the third quarter at Florida Atlantic, and an MRI showed no major structural damage, leaving him week-to-week, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported. Navy’s bye bought him an extra week, and his status remained uncertain this week. Gutierrez is the option if he can’t go.
The price carries the same read either way. Navy scored 23 second-half points with Gutierrez at FAU, and its defense is the reason the total sits at 51 and UAB’s team total at 21.5 against a Blazers offense that has scored two touchdowns in each of its last two games.
On the college football betting board, the under at 51 (-105) is the number that lines up with the data, and it holds whether Woodson or Gutierrez takes the first snap. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EDT at Protective Stadium, with the game televised on ESPN.
