Military Bowl Betting History

Held each year between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, the Military Bowl features an annual matchup of teams from the ACC and the American Athletic Conference at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

Originally conceived as a way to bring college football bowl game action to Washington, D.C., for the first time, organizers initially planned on branding the game as the Congressional Bowl, but sponsorship by Maryland-based EagleBank resulted in the first two editions of the contest being named the EagleBank Bowl.

Defense industry giant Northrop Grumman took over sponsorship of the game, which was rebranded the Military Bowl, starting in 2010. After drawing fewer than 18,000 fans for a 2012 matchup between San Jose State and Bowling Green, the Military Bowl ended a five-year run at Washington’s RFK Stadium, moving to its current home in Annapolis.

Starting with the 2014 edition, the Military Bowl features matchups between teams from the ACC and the American until at least 2019. ACC squads enjoyed early success in the first nine editions of the Military Bowl, claiming victory in four of six appearances. Four teams made multiple Military Bowl appearances during that stretch, but the Wake Forest Demon Deacons were the only squad to record multiple victories, posting wins in 2008 and 2016. The Navy Midshipmen won their second in 2017, blasting Virginia 49-7.

Underdogs have been historically strong performers in this contest. Wake Forest stunned Navy with a 29-19 win as a 3-point underdog in the inaugural edition of the EagleBank Bowl in 2008, starting a run of six outright victories by betting underdogs before the Virginia Tech Hokies become the first betting favorite to win and cover with a 33-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats in 2014.

The Hokies will play the Bearcats this year in the 2018 Military Bowl. For the latest odds, a free pick and handicapping information, visit our Military Bowl Game Center.