The Citadel Bulldogs (0-3) travel north to take on the Army Black Knights (3-1) in a Saturday afternoon battle of military academies at historic Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y. Kickoff will be at 1:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze The Citadel-Army college football betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
The Citadel at Army: Betting odds and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 8:10 a.m. ET.
- Money line: The Citadel +1900 (bet $100 to win $1,900) | Army -10000 (bet $10,000 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: The Citadel +29 (-110) | Army -29 (-110)
- Over/Under: 46.5 (O: -110 | U: 46.5)
The Citadel at Army: Three things to know
- The Citadel has been overmatched in games against South Florida, Clemson and Eastern Kentucky. On average, the Bulldogs have been outscored 37.7-6.7. The bright spot for Citadel has been their option running attack which cranked out 200 yards against USF and 347 against EKU.
- Army outscored its first two foes (Middle Tennessee and Louisiana-Monroe) by a combined 79-7 margin. In and around a tough defensive game at Cincinnati, the Black Knights have averaged 36 points per contest. As is its standard M.O., Army has piled up rushing yards. The Knights have averaged 6.1 yards per carry and 350.5 yards per game. QB Christian Anderson is listed as probable (undisclosed) for Saturday’s home game.
- Army’s run defense has been stout. The Black Knights have yielded just one score on the ground (65.5 YPG, 2.6 YPC).
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The Citadel at Army: Odds, betting lines and picks
Prediction
Army 41, The Citadel 7
Money line (ML)
PASS. Focus on some value against the number and on the total.
Against the spread (ATS)
Both teams run the triple option. Army just does so with higher-rated recruits and a great deal more depth. The Bulldogs have been solid in staying on the field at times (33 minutes time of possession per game), but the Knights’ run defense and expected field-position advantage will force the visitors from Charleston, S.C., into some untenable situations.
Army won’t shy away from fourth-down tries near midfield, but the Black Knights have been hampered the last two weeks by a 25% (6-for-24) conversion rate. Look for them to stay on schedule, move the chains, and rack up as many as eight or nine scores.
Back the BLACK KNIGHTS -29 (-110) to win by at least 30 points.
Over/Under (O/U)
The Under has hit in five of The Citadel’s last six games and in four of Army’s last five, but Saturday’s tilt on the Hudson River has an accordingly low tag. Figure on Army creating big plays and a significant field-position advantage en route to getting to nearly 90% of the 47 points required. BAck the OVER 46.5 (-110).
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