It’s the final time we get to see Blake Horvath play college football as the Navy Midshipmen take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Liberty Bowl on Friday.
The dynamic Midshipmen QB not only gets one more chance to ply his trade, but with Bearcats QB Brendan Sorsby entering the transfer portal, it is one more opportunity for a Service Academy Under.
My Navy vs. Cincinnati predictions and college football picks are targeting the total for the Liberty Bowl.
Navy vs Cincinnati predictions for the Liberty Bowl
Who will win the Liberty Bowl?
Navy. Blake Horvath caps his college career in style with a win over Cincinnati. Not only are the Bearcats without their starting QB, Brendan Sorsby, but five defensive starters as well.
Navy vs Cincinnati best bet: Under 53.5 (+100)
The Liberty Bowl marks the end of a great career for Navy Midshipmen QB Blake Horvath.
The senior signal caller revolutionized the Midshipmen offense, leading them to consecutive 10-win seasons. He’s won the Commander-in-Chief Trophy in back-to-back years. It’s pretty much the perfect career for a Navy QB.
Now, he’ll look to cap his career on a high note with a win over the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Liberty Bowl.
Navy is nearly a double-digit favorite in this game. But it’s not just because of Horvath and this dynamic Midshipmen offense. Cincinnati star QB Brendan Sorsby has entered the transfer portal and won’t play in this game.
Like Horvath for Navy, Sorsby was the engine that made the Cincy offense go. Without him, expect the Bearcats to lean on their running game in this one.
More running the ball means fewer possessions. And all of a sudden we have an unintentional Service Academy Under on our hands.
With a total of 53.5 Navy would have to put up some crooked numbers to send this one Over that number. So, at even money sign me up for one more Service Academy Under.
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Navy vs Cincinnati same-game parlay
Back to Horvath. What made him so dynamic in this Navy offense is that he could actually throw the ball. On top of rushing for 1,147 yards and 15 touchdowns, Horvath also threw 1,472 yards and 10 more scores.
Those are the kind of numbers typically unheard of at a triple option program like Navy, and Horvath should continue to put up big numbers against this Cincinnati defense.
This was a unit that was already struggling, ranking 95th in the country in defensive success rate, and now they’ll be missing five starters on that side of the ball.
With no starting QB and little resistance for Horvath, combining Navy to cover the spread with the Under looks like the best way to go with our Liberty Bowl SGP.
Navy vs Cincinnati SGP
- Under 53.5
- Navy -8.5
Navy vs Cincinnati odds
- Spread: Navy -8.5 | Cincinnati +8.5
- Moneyline: Navy -320 | Cincinnati +260
- Over/Under: Over 53.5 | Under 53.5
Navy vs Cincinnati trend to know
Navy has hit the Team Total Over in five of their last eight games for +1.40 Units and a 15% ROI. Find more college football betting trends for Navy vs Cincinnati.
How to watch Navy vs Cincinnati
| Location | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN |
| Date | Friday, January 2, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 4:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
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