Navy vs. Cincinnati Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for Liberty Bowl

Navy has a strong change to take the lead in its all-time series with Cincinnati.

Blake Horvath and Navy are favored against Cincinnati on Friday. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Cincinnati might be in for a rude awakening in the Liberty Bowl on Friday. The Bearcats will enter their matchup against Navy as an 8.5-point underdog in their last game of the season. They’ll be missing several key players against the Midshipmen.

Star quarterback Brendan Sorsby will be among the underdogs’ key absences. He has entered the transfer portal and could potentially enter the 2026 NFL Draft, so he’s decided to forgo this game and focus on his future elsewhere. That will deal a major blow to the Bearcats, as he’s thrown for 27 touchdowns and rushed for nine this season. No other quarterback has thrown more than six passes for Cincinnati. Generating offense could be tough against Navy if there’s no clear centerpiece.

Here’s our full betting breakdown ahead of kickoff.

Navy vs. Cincinnati Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Navy: -8.5 (-110)
• Cincinnati: +8.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Navy: +320
• Cincinnati: +260

Total: 53.5 (Over -122/Under +100)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Navy vs. Cincinnati How to Watch

• Date: Friday, January 2
• Game Time: 4:30 PM EST
• Venue: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium 
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN
• Navy: 10-2
• Cincinnati: 7-5

Navy vs. Cincinnati Key Players to Watch

Navy

Balke Horvath: Horvath can build on his strong performance against Army in this matchup. The quarterback notched 82 passing yards and a passing touchdown to  go along with 107 rushing yards and a rushing score on a season-high 34 carries. Horvath has gone over the century mark on the ground six times this year and has reached the end zone with his legs 15 times.

Cincinnati

Cyrus Allen: Allen is having a historic campaign and has recorded 49 receptions for 665 yards and 12 touchdowns. He can tie the school record for most touchdown catches in a season if he notches one more against Navy. The senior wideout has reached the end zone in five of his previous six games and will have a chance to do it again if Cincinnati’sbackup quarterback can get him the ball.

Navy vs. Cincinnati Prediction and Pick

Navy’s exceptional record straight up didn’t make it strong against the spread. In fact, the Midshipmen are just 4-8 against the spread this year.

The Midshipmen are 0-1 against the spread at neutral venues after beating Army by one as a six-point favorite in their last game and have failed to cover in four of their previous five games away from home. However, they have covered and won straight up as underdogs in their last two games against previously-ranked teams. 

Cincinnati’s 6-6 record against the spread isn’t impressive and its last straight up and against the spread in four straight contests. Sorsby played in those games and the Bearcats averaged just 18.8 points per outing during that stretch.

The underdogs seem bound to drop off even more on offense against a Navy team that can rely on an extremely consistent rushing attack on offense.

PICK: Navy -8.5 (-110 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

---

Create a new FanDuel Sportsbook account, and you can get $250 in bonus bets if you win your first $5 wager. Download the FanDuel app and deposit a minimum of $5 to claim your FanDuel promo code offer today.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.