[3:30 PM] Army @ Duke

Who will WIN this matchup?

Army Black Knights (3-1)

@ Duke Blue Devils (2-3)

Current odds:

Army Black Knights: (+213)

Duke Blue Devils: (-245)

• ESPN simulations have Duke as 52.3% favorites to win the game.

• 56% of sports bets are currently on Duke to win as (-245) favorites.

• Despite opening up with four of its first five contests away from West Point, Army enjoyed an average margin of victory of 28 points over its first three games on the strength of a ground game piling up a FBS-best 375 yards per game. The Black Knights appeared to be in a good position to move to 4-0 for the first time since 1996 as they held a 14-pont lead well into the fourth quarter against previously winless Buffalo on Sept. 24, but a missed field goal by their backup placekicker at the end of regulation and again in overtime proved to be their undoing in a 23-20 setback.

• The Blue Devils are off to their worst start since 2010 after committing six turnovers during last weekend’s 34-20 home loss to Virginia and appear to be in danger of missing the postseason for the first time in five years. Duke shut down Army’s triple-option attack in last year’s 44-3 rout, however, holding the Black Knights to a season-low 113 yards for the Blue Devils’ eighth win in the last 10 meetings in this series.

• Six players have at least 15 carries and seven have scored at least one rushing touchdown in an offense that has accumulated no fewer than 67 attempts or 329 rushing yards in any game, led by sophomore fullback Andy Davidson, who has run 80 times for 414 yards and six scores. Junior quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for a season-high 126 yards and a TD versus the Bulls and ranks sixth among FBS quarterbacks with 70 yards rushing per game.

• Freshman quarterback Daniel Jones had the worst game of his brief college career with five interceptions against the Cavaliers, but he is averaging 307.6 yards of total offense thus far – a mark trailing only 1988 ACC Player of the Year Anthony Dilweg’s school record of 337.6. Leading rusher Jela Duncan is listed as questionable for Army after missing last weekend with an ankle injury; he remains 111 yards shy of becoming the sixth player in school history to run for 2,000 in his career.

• Duke is one of only three teams with at least three sacks in every game and already has 20 for the season, three more than it had all of last year. Despite attempting only 29 passes all season, Army has allowed three sacks.

 
StreakSmarts Pick: Duke Blue Devils

Confidence: 4/10