The Army Black Knights (3-0, 2-0 AAC) look to move to 4-0 when they make the short trip to Philadelphia to take on the Temple Owls (1-3, 0-1) on Thursday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the game streaming live on ESPN+ and YouTube TV.
Army is a consensus 12.5-point favorite over Temple (Army -12.5), with the over/under currently at 46.5. Army is a -500 favorite to win outright, while Temple is +380 to pull off the upset.
The Black Knights are coming off a dominant 37-14 win over Rice and have the option humming on all cylinders, which is a big reason why they are averaging over 30 points per game despite playing at one of the slowest paces in the country. Temple seemingly has things heading in the right direction after picking up their first win of the season over Utah State last week. The question is, can Temple stop the triple option? After all, it was unable to do so against Navy in Week 2 and now enters this game as a +12.5 underdog.
So, where does the college football betting value lie tonight? Let's dive into my Army vs. Temple predictions and college football picks for Thursday, Sept. 26.
Army vs. Temple Odds, Picks, Predictions
| Army Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -110 | 46.5 -110o / -110u | -520 |
| Temple Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -110 | 46.5 -110o / -110u | +390 |
- Army vs. Temple spread: Army -12.5
- Army vs. Temple over/under: 46.5 points
- Army vs. Temple Moneyline: Army -500, Temple +380
- Army vs. Temple pick: Over 45.5 (bet to 47)
My Temple vs. Army best bet is on the over, with the best line currently available at BetMGM, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
How to Watch Army vs. Temple
| Location: | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA |
| Date: | Thursday, Sept. 26 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN / ESPN+, YouTube TV |
Temple vs. Army is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night, with the game airing on ESPN and streaming live on ESPN+ and YouTube TV, along with other streaming platforms.
College Football Thursday Night Preview
Army Black Knights Preview
When the triple option works, it's one of the hardest offenses to stop in college football.
The problems the Black Knights have run into over the years come when they're simply overmatched talent-wise and aren't able to block teams that have size.
Plus, the NCAA has implemented rules that make blocking for the triple option significantly more difficult.
That means Army has had to adapt. And after a three-win season in 2023, it has seemingly figured out how to run a more modern option offense that's really effective.
The key to the triple option is getting a push up front. If the offense fails to generate a push, there won't be any running lanes or options to make the pitch. Well, Army owns the best Offensive Stuff Rate in the country and ranks third in Offensive Line Yards.
The Black Knights have four starters back on the offensive line, which makes running their specific offense a lot easier. That has allowed them to play under center more after primarily lining up in shotgun for their first 10 games last season.
Quarterback Bryson Daily has been the key to this whole thing working. He started last season and rushed for almost 1,000 yards while averaging over four yards per carry.
He's also a pretty effective passer when he does throw it. He has attempted only 19 passes this season but is averaging close to 10 yards per attempt. That's big because the run game could open up even more if the defense has to think about defending the pass as well.
Perfection. Bryson Daily ➡️ Noah Short for 6 #ArmyFootball
— Sal Interdonato (@salinterdonato) September 21, 2024
The Army defense brought only back three starters from last season, and even though they allowed just seven points against Rice, they're struggling.
The Black Knights feature one of the nation's worst run-stopping defensive lines, ranking 128th in Stuff Rate and 132nd in Defensive Line Yards.
The secondary hasn't fared much better, ranking 69th in Passing Success Rate, which isn't great considering the opponents it's faced.
Temple Owls Preview
Temple has seemingly figured some things out offensively over its last few games, and a lot of it has to do with the switch at quarterback.
Forrest Brock started the first two games against Navy and Oklahoma, but it did not go well at all. In fact, the Owls managed to score only 14 total points in those two games.
Evan Simon was then inserted as the starter against Coastal Carolina, and things started moving in the right direction.
The Rutgers transfer has averaged 8.8 yards per attempt and thrown for seven touchdown passes compared to only one interception.
He's been especially effective in the short passing game with an 80.9% adjusted completion percentage on throws under 10 yards. He'll be a big key to this game because the Temple rushing attack hasn't made a major impact this season.
The Owls have a completely revamped offensive line after losing three key starters from last season.
Now, they sit outside the top 120 in Rushing Success Rate. That said, they did rush for over four yards per carry against Utah State last Saturday, and considering how bad Army has been against the run, they could find some success on the ground.
However, Temple's best player has been kicker Maddux Trujillo.
He transferred in from Utah Tech and has one of the biggest legs in college football. He showed that last week when he hit a 64-yard field goal, which gives Temple a great chance at scoring three points whenever it crosses the 35-yard line.
Temple's defense has been better the last two games, but if its game against Navy was any indication, Army's triple option is going to run wild. The Midshipmen ran for almost 300 yards on 5.8 yards per carry against the Owls in Week 2.
For the season, Temple ranks 115th in Defensive Line Yards, so it's most likely going to be a long night for the Owls.
Temple vs. Army Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Temple and Army match up statistically:
Army Offense vs. Temple Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 4 | 91 | |
| Line Yards | 3 | 115 | |
| Pass Success | 61 | 94 | |
| Havoc | 2 | 132 | |
| Finishing Drives | 56 | 100 | |
| Quality Drives | 1 | 105 | |
Temple Offense vs. Army Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 122 | 118 |  |
| Line Yards | 86 | 132 | |
| Pass Success | 99 | 69 | |
| Havoc | 116 | 103 | |
| Finishing Drives | 40 | 3 | |
| Quality Drives | 119 | 9 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 44 | 35 |
| PFF Coverage | 73 | 67 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 30 | 61 |
| Middle 8 | 15 | 107 |
| Seconds per Play | 34.1 (135) | 28.6 (96) |
| Rush Rate | 87% (1) | 52% (89) |
Even though the Owls have already faced it once this season, preparing for the triple option on a short week is a nightmare for any team — especially when Temple couldn't stop Navy the first time.
If Army can find as much success as it did against Rice last week, it'll put over 30 points even though it plays at a slow pace.
Meanwhile, Temple has seemingly found something offensively with Simon at quarterback. With the run game also facing a poor Army defensive front after showing improvement last week, the Owls will pull their weight.
On top of that, Temple has found ways to put points on the board when it crosses its opponent's 40-yard line, ranking 40th in Finishing Drives.
Even though the pace of this game will be really slow, both offenses have a lot of advantages. I'll take over 45.5 in this Thursday night college football clash.
Pick: Over 45.5 (Play to 47)
Temple vs. Army Betting Trends
- Army has landed 59% of the bets but generated 78% of the money.
- The over has taken 73% of the bets and 69% of the cash.
NCAAF Weather for Thursday Night
