Army vs. Wake Forest Odds
| Army Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+15.5 -108 | 65.5 -110o / -110u | +480 |
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-15.5 -112 | 65.5 -110o / -110u | -720 |
Slingin' Sam Hartman and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons will play host to the Army Black Knights this week.
The Deacons got back on track last week with a victory over a ranked Florida State squad. With Hartman at the helm, Wake Forest now boasts one of the most prolific offenses in the country, and it may be one that its opposition can't keep up with.
Speaking of the Deacs' opposition, Army has gotten off to a rough start this season despite having a tremendous amount of success with its triple-option offense.
Wake Forest will be the Black Knights' toughest test to date, and judging by their past performances, it may take a valiant effort to compete in this matchup.
If that's the case, can the Demon Deacons cover the spread? Let's take a closer look to find out.
Army Black Knights
Just like other military schools, Army runs a predictable — yet effective — offense. The Knights' triple-option has been one of the best this season amongst their military compatriots, yet it has not led to many victories.
Still, they'll present a unique challenge, as they come in with the 12th-highest Rushing Success Rate in the country.
Wake Forest will have had a week to prepare, which will undoubtedly help, as it's been middle of the road in terms of defending the rush this season. The Demon Deacons are 62nd in opponent yards per rush allowed and 55th in Rushing Success Rate.
However, the Demon Deacons have a significant edge in the talent department and will become more adjusted as the game progresses.
The key for Wake to slow the Army offense down is to get it into third-and-long situations. If the Black Knights get going, they will matriculate down the field. That is shown in their rank of 13th in Offensive Finishing Drives.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
This game will be decided when Wake Forest has the ball. As I alluded to in the open, Hartman has made Wake one of the nation's most feared offenses.
Through four games, Hartman holds a 15-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio and is 22nd nationally in QBR.
While Wake Forest has one of the best quarterbacks in the country, it runs the ball 55% of the time. The backfield duo of Justice Ellison and Christian Turner have not gotten a ton going on the ground this year, but they may run wild against the Black Knights.
Army's defense will determine just how ugly this game can get on the scoreboard. The Black Knights have been shredded defensively, allowing an average of 36.7 points per game and over 469 yards per game. Those numbers are good for 113th and 115th in the country, respectively.
It will be interesting to see just how well Hartman does against this Army secondary that ranks 126th in both opponent completion percentage allowed and yards per pass.
Army vs. Wake Forest Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Army and Wake Forest match up statistically:
Army Offense vs. Wake Forest Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 12 | 55 | |
| Line Yards | 22 | 47 | |
| Pass Success | 86 | 76 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 121 | 4 | |
| Havoc | 38 | 11 | |
| Finishing Drives | 46 | 77 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Wake Forest Offense vs. Army Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 125 | 125 |  |
| Line Yards | 107 | 128 | |
| Pass Success | 5 | 124 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 51 | 97 | |
| Havoc | 61 | 131 | |
| Finishing Drives | 13 | 83 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 96 | 77 |
| PFF Coverage | 104 | 22 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 42 | 40 |
| Seconds per Play | 29.6 (123) | 23.7 (20) |
| Rush Rate | 86.2% (2) | 54.1% (66) |
Data via CollegeFootballData.com (CFBD), FootballOutsiders, SP+, Pro Football Focus, and SportSource Analytics.
Army vs. Wake Forest Betting Pick
Even though the spread may not portray it, this is one of the biggest mismatches on the slate.
Army's defense has been ravaged against far less potent offenses than Wake Forest's. So while the triple option may help the Black Knights take time off of the clock, Wake Forest may not need much time to put up crooked numbers.
The market has recognized this mismatch as well, as we've seen the spread rise from 14.5 to 16.5. Getting the spread under the key number of 17 would be ideal, but I'd be comfortable laying 17 in this matchup — it may get there by kickoff.
Back the Demon Deacons in what should be a rout.
