Plays On: Army +24 (-110)

Game Analysis: New head coach Stan Brock has stepped into the unusual situation of coaching an experienced West Point team. Granted the Black Knights aren’t that quick and weigh in a little light but this season the team has a vitality that is proving to be valuable. The chemistry of this team, along with their diligence, is giving Brock some advanced coaching opportunities that make the big numbers of this season alone equal to the combination of value in years past. When you throw the assistance of wide receiver Jeremy Trimble and punter Owen Wilson into the mix; playmakers that really raise the bar, you get a team that is unusually competent for one in this range. Owen Wilson had 18 punts downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line this season alone; totaling 52 for his career.

As a basic rule of thumb, when you pass the halfway mark of the college football season you should not favor a team by more points than their average score. The Yellow Jackets are currently at -24 even though their average is 20.3 points per game for their first 6 lined games; only counting scores against board opponents. Georgia Tech was unsuccessful at beating the spread in 4 of those 6 games. What’s more, in a game against Maryland they achieved only 26 points and 7 of them were the result of a fumble return by the defense for a touchdown. The quick strikes required to make it as a favorite are virtually nonexistent in this team which ranks 113th in the country for efficiency. Their passing game hasn’t yet been able to compensate for the loss of Calvin Johnson.

The topper is that Chan Gailey doesn’t care too much about a cover since their big win against Vanderbilt; his introductory competition as the Yellow Jackets head coach. Georgia Tech is just 3-9-1 against the spread when laying double figures. Coming off 5 straight conference games, especially against Maryland and Miami, the Yellow Jackets won’t be trying to get anything spectacular. Doing well enough and giving a few key players a needed break is all that Brock has in mind for this week’s game against the Black Knights.