Army is a massive 21.5-point favorite at home to Air Force Falcons on Saturday. FanDuel has also set the total for this game at 42.5 points.
Before we lay down the pick, gotta give you some numbers from last season's Armed Forces clash. The game was at a neutral site in Denver, not far from the Colorado Springs home of Air Force. Army was not playing well leading into the game, coming off five straight losses. However, the Black Knights ended the Falcons perfect season with a 23-3 blowout victory.
Air Force vs Army odds
Air Force vs Army, 12:00 pm ET, Nov. 2
Odds as of Oct. 30 at FanDuel
Air Force vs Army pick — Week 10
Air Force +21.5 (-110) at FanDuel
Note quite the spectacle of the Army/Navy game, but anytime the service academies get on the field, it's a great day. And as long QB Bryson Daily is on the field for Army, it'll be a GREAT day for the Cadets. Daily is a true dual-threat QB, and while the passing game is never the main focus, he did hit on 7 of 10 (70%) for 147 yards against East Carolina in the last game.
But it's his LEGS where the magic starts. Bryson ran for 171 yards against the Pirates in that game and is on pace for an ENORMOUS season. Last year, he had 215 runs for 901 yards, and this season, he is already sitting at 909 yards on just 138 carries. That's a 6.6 average per rush and oh yea, how about SIXTEEN TDs on the ground for this kid.
We're gonna take you into the way back machine now, and bring out some numbers from the last 10 years in this matchup. It's really important to get a taste of this rivalry, and that GINORMOUS 21.5 point spread might just be an issue. Why? We talked about last year's 23-3 Army win, a 20 point margin.
Going back to 2014, it was Air Force (-3) with a 23-6 win. In 2015, it was the Force (-16) with a 20-3 W. In 2016, the Falcons (+1) picked up a 31-12 win. In 2017, Army (+6.5) fed the Force a 21-0 bagel. In 2018, the Black Knights (+4) squeezed out a 17-14 win. In 2019, the Force (-17) posted a 17-13 W. In 2020, Army (+2.5) slipped past the Falcons 10-7. In 2021, the Knights (+2.5) picked up a 21-14 W. And in 2022, the Force (-7) won 13-7. So the margins of victory were 17, 17, 19, 21, 3, 4, 3, 7, 6 and 20. Biggest margin of victory was 21. Did we mention that the spread is 21.5?
In an odd coincidence, Air Force came into the game against Army last season with a perfect 8-0 record and the Black Knights posted that 23-3 victory. This Saturday, Army comes into the game with a 7-0 perfecto and we're asking, will history repeat itself?
If you get a chance to go to an Army game up at West Point, PLZ TAKE IT! West Point sits on high ground overlooking the Hudson River. Spectacular! And you better get to the game early. Approximately three hours before the game, a full-dress cadet parade takes place on 'The Plain,' and if you ain't tingling when these future heroes walk by, you AIN'T alive.
Then just before kickoff, a handful of cadets jump from helicopters with the game ball. CMON! We're gonna bank on the history of this rival and tickle the underdog even thought they are 1-6 and the Army is 7 and OH! Thinking that if the Knights get up really big, they'll just call off the dogs so they don't embarrass the Air Force. After all, they have to work together in a few years.