Both of these teams have to be disappointed with where they’re at thus far.
With Tim Albin at head coach, Charlotte entered the season with some optimism. And yet the 49ers are 1-4 overall with their only win being over FCS Monmouth. They haven’t lost by less than 11 points in any of their other contests.
Army is doing better at 2-3 overall. The Black Knights lost to FCS Tarleton State then bounced back and defeated Kansas State. But then they dropped their next two games against North Texas and East Carolina before winning on the road at UAB.
The Black Knights still have bowl aspirations, but can they take care of business against Charlotte at home?
Charlotte vs. Army Spread & Betting Odds
Army is a -18.5 college football betting odds favorite against Charlotte, with the Over/Under being 46.5 as of this writing.
The moneyline for Charlotte is +600, while it’s -900 for Army.
Charlotte vs. Army On TV
The matchup between Charlotte and Army will be televised on CBSSN.
The game will kick off at noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 11. The contest is taking place at Michie Stadium in West Point, New York.
Charlotte vs. Army Prediction
I predict Army wins and covers the 18.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Under 46.5 total points.
I don’t have much faith in the 49ers’ offense. Against four FBS opponents, they’ve scored more than 17 points just once. And that was against USF, a 54-26 loss where the 49ers scored most of their points in the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach.
I also don’t have much faith in Charlotte’s defense. The 49ers are last in the American in total defense, allowing 466.2 yards per game, and they’re second to last in scoring defense, allowing 34.2 points per contest.
I specifically think this is a bad matchup for Charlotte because Army has one of the top rushing attacks in the country. The Black Knights average 278.4 yards per game on the ground, even if they average 4.4 yards per carry.
And Charlotte’s rushing defense hasn’t been fantastic. The 49ers allow the second-most rushing yards in the conference at 208 per game.
Army quarterback Cale Hellums ran for 81 yards and three touchdowns in the Black Knights’ last game at UAB. But no matter who sees the most carries for Army, I think the Black Knights’ offensive line will dominate up front. And I expect that should allow them to win the time-of-possession battle by a wide margin.
I anticipate Army will win the battle in the trenches on the other side of the ball, too, giving Charlotte’s offense fits. I think Army can win by three or more touchdowns, even in a lower-scoring clash.
