3:30 pm
December 22

Houston v. Army

Who will WIN this matchup?

Houston Cougars (8-4)

Army Black Knights (10-2)

 

Current odds:

Houston Cougars: (+225)

Army Black Knights: (-275)

 

• The line for the game is Army by 6.5 points.

• Army returns to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl looking to add to its eight-game win streak when it faces Houston on Saturday, Dec. 22, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The Black Knights, whose seven bowl games have been all been decided by a touchdown or less, beat San Diego State by a touchdown in this bowl last year. The Cougars, making their program-best sixth straight bowl appearance, lost three of their final four games to miss out on the American Athletic Conference title game.

• Houston’s beat-up defense will have its hands full with Army’s triple option attack that is ranked second nationally with 296.3 rushing yards. Houston will be without four defensive line starters – All-American Ed Oliver, who announced he would skip the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft, and injured Jerard Carter, Payton Turner and Isaiah Chambers. The Cougars have already faced two of the country’s top rushing teams in Navy and Memphis, allowing 344 and 401 rushing yards – respectively – during conference play.

• Freshman quarterback Clayton Tune will make his second start in place of injured Cougars quarterback D’Eriq King (2,982 passing yards, 675 rushing yards, responsible for 50 touchdowns ). Houston enters bowl season fourth in scoring (46.4) and sixth in total offense (528.6 yards) but Army’s tough defense can shut down high-scoring teams. The Black Knights, who use their ground game to control the clock (FBS-best time of possession at 38 minutes, 51 seconds), held opponents to 17.4 points, including FBS scoring-leader Oklahoma to 28 points.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Army Black Knights
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