Kicking off at 8:00 p.m. ET during the Week 9 college football slate, the Army Black Knights will face off with the Memphis Tigers.
This will mark the sixth meeting between these two programs, and the first matchup since 2002. Memphis holds a 4-1 advantage in the five previous meetings, with Army’s lone victory coming in 1985.
Looking at the odds for this year’s matchup, Memphis enters as a six-point favorite with -218 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Army is +180 to pull off the upset, with the game total set at 60.5 points.
This article previews both teams and offers a pick for the Week 9 CFB matchup.
Army vs. Memphis Preview
Army Black Knights
The Army Black Knights enter with a 5-2 record to start the season. Their pair of losses have come against South Florida and Louisiana Tech, while they have notched victories over Bryant, Temple, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, and Tulsa. Army has gone 4-3 against the spread, and the game total has gone over in five of its seven matchups this year.
As expected, Army leans heavily on its rushing attack for success. Starting quarterback Cale Hellums has completed 39 of his 69 pass attempts this season for 422 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. However, his impact on the ground has been far more significant, as he leads the team with 840 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Godspower Nwawuihe adds 355 rushing yards and three scores, while Samari Howard contributes 346 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Zach Mundell, Jake Rendina, Carson Smith, and Bryson Luter have each contributed more than 128 rushing yards. Brady Anderson leads the team in receiving with 163 yards through the air.
Army is averaging 35.3 points per game this season while generating 420.6 total yards of offense. Its commitment to the run is predictable, but the Black Knights are creative in how they attack opposing defenses and have found plenty of success. Army averages 345.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks first nationally. Defensively, opponents are scoring 22.1 points per game against Army, while the Black Knights are allowing 374.0 total yards of offense.
Memphis Tigers
The Memphis Tigers are off to a 6-2 start to the season. They have fallen short against Boise State and Tulane but have picked up victories over UNLV, Arkansas State, UT Martin, Charlotte, UAB, and East Carolina. Memphis has gone 4-4 against the spread to start the season, and the game total has gone over in five of its eight games played.
Marcus Stokes leads the production at the quarterback position, completing 67.0% of his pass attempts for 2,161 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and six interceptions through the first eight games. He has also added 231 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. Hunter Tipton and Stonka Burnside have each recorded 400+ receiving yards and combined for eight receiving touchdowns as his top offensive weapons. Jermane Hayes, Jemyri Davis, and Tychaun Chapman have each also recorded at least 233 receiving yards and two receiving scores. The rushing attack is led by Jaylin Carter, who has tallied 833 yards and eight touchdowns already this season.
Charles Huff’s squad is scoring 36.1 points per game, which ranks 23rd in the country. The Tigers have scored 56 or more points twice this season and recorded at least 17 points in every matchup. Memphis is generating 508.3 total yards of offense per game and has also found great success with its rushing attack, averaging 227.8 yards on the ground per game. Defensively, the Tigers are holding opponents to 23.8 points per matchup and allowing 378.5 total yards of offense.
Army vs. Memphis Pick, Best Bet
Both of these teams should be largely encouraged by their starts to the season and the level at which they have performed. Both sit in the top four of the American Conference standings, and this is a matchup that will have a major effect on how the final standings shake out.
My lean is toward Army showing enough grit and generating enough rushing success to keep this matchup competitive. Memphis has had some struggles stopping the run, allowing 171.4 rushing yards per game and 1.5 rushing scores per contest. This will be problematic against an Army team that almost exclusively attacks on the ground. But being dependent on the running game should not be confused with ineffectiveness. Army ranks among the top teams in the country in scoring and has tallied 94 total points across its past two games alone.
Ultimately, I am backing the game total to go over 60.5 points as my best bet for this matchup. Memphis has a high-powered offensive attack that has produced reliably all year and can score in a variety of ways. Army’s defense has shown some vulnerability and was gashed by Tulsa for 35 points just last week.
Especially given the notable implications for the conference standings, count on both teams digging into their offensive playbooks and scoring at a high rate throughout. Neither defense has consistently demonstrated the ability to put up the necessary level of resistance against opposing offensive attacks, and expect each side to have success putting up points. Count on both teams to clear 30 points, and for the 60.5-point combined game total to be within reach based on the context of this matchup.
