For years, Colgate and Bucknell have been the two most dominant teams in the Patriot League. So, with them being in opposite brackets, it would’ve made sense for those two to eventually meet up in the tournament finals on Wednesday. However, their respective semifinal opponents, Navy and American, had other plans.
One of the biggest upsets of Championship week to date was 4-seed Navy pulling off the 83-77 win over 1-seed Bucknell on the road. Austin Benigni only shot 2/12 from the field but went 20/22 from the FT line to score 24 points, one of five players in double figures. And while it wasn’t an upset since they were at home, American denied Colgate another bid to the NCAA Tournament, winning 72-62. It was a balanced effort for the Eagles, with all five starters in double figures.
How to watch Navy vs American
Date: Wednesday, March 12th
Time:7 p.m. ET
Venue: Bender Arena
How to Watch (TV): CBSSN
American: 21-12
Navy: 15-18
Navy vs. American Duke odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook (link: https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/ )
Moneyline
Navy +126
American -152
Spread
Navy +2.5 (-115)
American -2.5 (-105)
Total
132.5 (over -115/under -105)
Prediction
In the two regular season matchups, Navy swept American, including a 68-60 victory just a couple of weeks ago. 6’9 senior forward Matt Rogers, who leads the team in scoring overall, had 17 points, but it wasn’t enough. What’s interesting is that neither team is very potent on offense and plays at slower paces, so don’t expect there to be a blowout either way.
It’s been 12 years since American last made the NCAA Tournament, and with Colgate and Bucknell out, this is their best chance to get back to the dance in a while. Yet Navy hasn’t been dancing since 1998 themselves. If this was a neutral site game, the Midshipmen could be able to get a third win. But look for the Eagles to find a way to cut down the nets on their own floor.
Predicted score: American 64, Navy 61