Kicking off Saturday’s action on ESPNU at 12 p.m. ET, the Army Black Knights (4-0) and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-3) meet at H.A. Chapman Stadium for an American Athletic Conference showdown.
The Black Knights are off to a perfect start to the season, looking to win their first five games of a campaign for the first time since 1996.
Meanwhile, Tulsa has dropped three of its last four to enter this matchup at 2-3 with losses to Arkansas State, Oklahoma State and North Texas.
Army is favored by 12 points on the spread with a total sitting at 51. The Black Knights are also -450 on the moneyline.
This feels like a game between two squads going in opposite directions, and I feel that gives us great betting value. Here's my Army vs Tulsa predictions and my college football picks for Saturday.
Army vs Tulsa Odds, Lines, Pick
| Army Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-13 -110 | 50.5 -110o / -110u | -500 |
| Tulsa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+13 -110 | 50.5 -110o / -110u | +375 |
- Army vs Tulsa spread: Army -13
- Army vs Tulsa over/under: 50.5 points
- Army vs Tulsa moneyline: Army -500
- Army vs Tulsa pick: Army -13
Army Football vs Tulsa Football Preview
Army Football
Coach Jeff Monken has built Army into a winning program, and this looks like another solid squad for the school. This is only the third time in the last 28 years the Black Knights have started 4-0.
The victories haven't been fluky either. Army’s point differential of +103 is the most through four games since 1985.
The key to the fast start has been the play of the offense, which is graded as the best offense in the country by Pro Football Focus. This is the same unit that's second in the FBS in points per possession (4.68).
Quarterback Bryson Daily has been the standout player so far for the Black Knights. He comes into this matchup ranked in the top five in the country in rushing touchdowns with eight.
Daily’s touchdown tally is the most by an Army player through four games of a season since at least 1980. If he continues to efficiently lead this offense, it'll continue to cause problems for teams in conference play.
Tulsa Football
When Kevin Wilson was hired at Tulsa, he knew it was going to be a lengthy rebuild for all areas of the program. He was able to lead this Golden Hurricane team to four wins in his debut campaign, and it'll be tough to get back to that total again.
The biggest question coming into the year was the defense. It was a unit that only returned four starters and lost eight of its top nine tacklers.
As we saw last week, Tulsa’s defense is still a work in progress. North Texas rolled up 618 total yards on 10.3 yards per play to score 52 points in its win.
If there's something positive to take from the loss, the Golden Hurricane offense was productive, especially on the ground. Tulsa finished with 229 rushing yards and had five different players record at least 30 yards on the ground.
A good offense can help hide the deficiencies on defense. However, I still think Wilson needs another year of recruiting to try to get this program turned around.
Army vs Tulsa Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Army and Tulsa match up statistically:
Army Offense vs. Tulsa Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 2 | 34 | |
| Line Yards | 6 | 38 | |
| Pass Success | 60 | 133 | |
| Havoc | 2 | 60 | |
| Finishing Drives | 25 | 119 | |
| Quality Drives | 5 | 81 | |
Tulsa Offense vs. Army Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 78 | 70 | |
| Line Yards | 33 | 113 | |
| Pass Success | 109 | 77 | |
| Havoc | 58 | 94 | |
| Finishing Drives | 84 | 5 | |
| Quality Drives | 96 | 10 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 49 | 115 |
| PFF Coverage | 81 | 131 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 45 | 102 |
| Middle 8 | 24 | 113 |
| Seconds per Play | 34.0 (133) | 25.6 (34) |
| Rush Rate | 88% (1) | 51% (80) |
Army vs Tulsa Prediction
When I look at this game, this is a complete mismatch in all facets, and it leads me to betting a side.
My best bet is to take Army at -11.5, which I would play up to -13.5.
I also don’t hate the Black Knights to top their team total of anything under 31.5.
Let’s start when the visitors have the ball. Yes, Tulsa’s run metrics aren't that bad, but there are plenty of other issues that stand out.
The Golden Hurricane defense ranks 115th by PFF in tackling and is 119th in finishing drives. This isn't good against a triple-option attack that's inside the top 25 in finishing and quality drives.
Meanwhile, I don’t see much success for Tulsa’s offense, either. Wilson’s squad is outside the top 80 in finishing and quality drives, while Army is in the top 10 in both metrics defensively.
Admittedly, I don’t love laying double digits on the road with a service academy team, but this hasn’t been an issue so far this season. The Black Knights have covered this same spread in every game, which included wins in the AAC against Florida Atlantic, Rice and Temple.
Another advantage is at head coach; this is an inexperienced coach against the triple option. You have to go back to Indiana’s 2013 campaign — when Wilson was head coach against Navy — to find his last matchup against a service academy.
I wouldn't want to get in front of this Army train right now, and I’ll back the Black Knights here to keep rolling.
Pick: Army -13
How to Watch Army vs Tulsa Live: Streaming, Channel, Time
| Location: | Chapman Stadium |
| Date: | Saturday, Oct. 5 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN2 |
Tulsa vs Army Betting Trends
- 85% of the money and 62% of the bets are on Army to cover the spread against Tulsa.
- 58% of the bets are on the over.
- 60% of the money is on the under.
Tulsa vs Army Weather
