Army @ Air Force NCAA Football Betting Analysis

Posted by Daniel Strum on Friday,November 6, 2015 8:29, EDT in

The battle of gun-wielding forces will go down this weekend when the Air Force Falcons (5-3) take on the independent Army Black Knights (2-6)  in an enticing College Football odds duel to decide the biggest gunslinger of the two teams is. Headlining this game’s online sportsbetting odds is the fact that this encounter brings together teams that have had a contrasting turn of events in the recent weeks. On one hand, Army comes into this game in the wake of a loss to the Rice Owls and will be looking for a bounce-back win. On the other hand, Air Force are riding hot on a two-game winning streak and will be looking to make it three in a row.  In preparation for their encounter, below are some NCAAF odds insights to inform your online college football betting choices for the weekend.

Black Knights @ Falcons NCAAF Odds Game Information

Venue: Falcon Stadium, USAFA, Colorado
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2015
Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV: ESPNU
TV Stream: WatchESPN

Why Bet on the Army Black Knights

In their last game, the Knights allowed themselves to be run over by the Owls, losing 31-38 on the road in  a game that they could have easily won. The game was tight and Army looked on course for a road win, but the team switched off, allowing the Owls to sneak away with the win, thanks to a 13-yard pass from Driphus Jackson to Zach Wright late in the game.

Notably, the Owls outgained the Black Knights 432-396 to carry the day. Typically, Army did not throw much in the game, with quarterback A.J. Schurr passing for just 18 yards and a touchdown. However, Schurr pounded the ground well with 23 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown, while RB Aaron Kemper also chipped in handily, finishing with a team-high 129 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Ahead of Saturday’s game Schurr leads the offense with 684 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. Three of those touchdowns have come aerially, with the remaining seven coming on the ground. Meanwhile, the receiving is manned by Edgar Poe, who has 169 yards and three touchdowns. In total, the Army quarterbacks have brought home just six touchdowns and six interceptions, but fared much better in running the ball. For instance, the rushing attack accumulated 378 yards against the Owls last week. The onus will thus be on this rushing attack to hit the ground running as early as possible, or else the Air Force defense that allowed just seven points against the Warriors in Week 9 will condemn them to a third defeat in a row.

Why Bet on the Air Force Falcons

Speaking of the Warriors, the Falcons will come into this game with their heads high after thrashing them 58-7 last weekend. By the time they were 34-0 up, the game was pretty much over, allowing them to shift down on their gears. Still, they ended the game strongly with a 576-178 yardage edge, along with four forced turnovers and 45 minutes of possession.

Quarterback Karson Roberts is the breadwinner for this team, having brought home 924 yards and 8 TDs against four interceptions. Interestingly, only one of those TDs has come through the air, with the remaining seven coming on the ground There is therefore a high likelihood that their clash against Army will mostly be dominated by rushing than passing.

In essence, that means Jacobi Owens, who leads the running backs with 578 yards and four touchdowns, will need to offer solid ground support to Roberts in moving the chains. Garrett Brown leads the receivers with 393 yards and one touchdown, and he could be key to the team if Roberts decides to go airborne, though from the look of things, the runners will be taking center stage in this clash.

Statistically speaking, the Air Force offense is ranked 32nd in the nation, averaging 35.75 points per game, which should favor them against the Army defense that is ranked 76th, allowing an average of 28.5 points per game. In addition, the Army defensive front seven is ranked 47th in terms of stopping the run, allowing 152.75 yards per game when on the road, which should be pretty manageable for Air Force’s solid rushing offense that is second in the nation in generating rushing yards at home.

Which Are Each Team’s Main Injury Concerns?

• Army: Ahmad Bradshaw, Josh Jenkins, Andrew McLean, and Drew Hennessy
• Air Force: David Harris, Kalon Baker, Dexter Walker, Patrick Healy and Nate Romine

Army vs Air Force Key Betting Trends

• The Falcons are 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
• The Knights are 5-16 ATS in its last 21 games on the road
• The Falcons are 14-5 SU in its last 19 games
• The Falcons are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games
• The Black Knights are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 meetings
• The Falcons are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 meetings
• The UNDER is 4-1 in Black Knights last 5 games following a S.U. loss
• The UNDER is 7-1 in Falcons last 8 vs. INDEP
• The Black Knights are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 road games vs. a team with a winning home record
• The Falcons are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a SU win of more than 20 points

My Army at Air Force Week 10 Expert Predictions

This game looks pretty predictable with Air Force having the better chance. Army will be hoping to get their third win in eight games, but nothing looks to be in their favor, so take the home-favored Falcons for a big win plus cover in the NCAAF lines, though with an UNDER total because Army will probably not bring much to the scoring table.