Two American Conference teams are ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 this week, but neither of them is Tulane. Yet the Green Wave may have an argument for having the best resume in the Group of Five.
Tulane is No. 3 in the HERO Sports 2025 Group of Five Top 25 with a 5-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in league play. The Green Wave have victories over two Power Four programs, Northwestern and Duke, while only losing at Ole Miss, one of the top teams in the country right now.
Tulane needs to keep winning if it wants to prove it’s worthy of a College Football Playoff spot, though. And this week won’t be easy. The Green Wave host Army, which is 3-3 and has won its last two games over UAB and Charlotte.
Army vs. Tulane Betting Odds
Tulane is a -6.5 college football betting odds favorite against Army, with the Over/Under being 45.5 as of this writing.
The moneyline for Army is +275, while it’s -350 for Tulane.
Army vs. Tulane On TV
The matchup between Army and Tulane will be televised on ESPNU.
The game will kick off at noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 18. The contest is taking place at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Army vs. Tulane Prediction
I predict Tulane will win but Army will cover the 6.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Under 45.5 total points.
Both of these teams have strong defenses and rely on their running games to move the ball on offense. I think this could be a close, low-scoring contest.
Both Tulane and Army are top five in the American in scoring defense, as the Green Wave have given up 23.2 points per game and Army has allowed 24 PPG.
They’ve been especially strong in that area lately. Army limited UAB and Charlotte to a combined 20 points in its last two games, and the Green Wave held Tulsa to 14 points and East Carolina to 19 points in their last two victories.
Army’s running game could be a problem for Tulane. The Black Knights are second in the league only behind Navy with 282.7 yards per game on the ground, and the Green Wave are in the bottom half of the conference in rushing defense (149.7 YPG allowed).
But I think Tulane, especially at home, will be just a little bit better.
Green Wave quarterback Jake Retzlaff has thrown for 1,167 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions while leading the team with 388 yards and seven TDs on the ground. I think he’ll make important plays – especially through the air in a matchup like this.
I also anticipate Tulane’s stars on defense, like defensive backs Jack Tchienchou and Bailey Despanie and linebackers Dickson Agu and Sam Howard, will step up to the occasion in a winning effort.
