The Baylor Bears will take on the Air Force Falcons in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth as Bowl Season continues to roll on. It’s time to continue our college football odds series with a Baylor-Air Force prediction and pick.
Baylor has struggled to a 6-6 record, going 4-5 in the Big Ten. The Bears enter this contest on a three-game losing streak, including a heart-breaking one-point loss to TCU. Nothing was easy for Baylor, as five of their six losses came against ranked teams.
Air Force finished their regular season at 9-3, going 5-3 in Mountain West play. The Falcons ended their season on a four-game winning streak. At home, the Falcons were an impressive 6-1. Head coach Troy Calhoun is seeking his seventh bowl win at the helm.
Here are the Baylor-Air Force college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Armed Forces Bowl Odds: Baylor-Air Force Odds
Baylor Bears: -3.5 (-112)
Air Force Falcons: +3.5 (-108)
Over: 43.5 (-110)
Under: 43.5 (-110)
Why Baylor Could Cover The Spread
Counting their lucky stars, Baylor has not had many notable opt-outs for this bowl game. Quarterback Blake Shapen has completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,602 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Shapen has added two rushing touchdowns on the ground. Richard Reese is the team's leading rusher, with 962 rushing yards and 14 (!!!) touchdowns. Qualan Jones is second with seven rushing touchdowns, ranking third with 448 rushing yards. The Bears have rushed for 2,329 yards and 34 touchdowns as a team. Air Force has held their opponents to under 100 rushing yards per game.
Monaray Baldwin leads the team with 565 receiving yards and four touchdown catches. Hal Presly, Ben Sims, and Gavin Holmes are all tied for second with three receiving touchdowns. Presly ranks second with 374 receiving yards. Air Force has allowed 156.7 passing yards per game to their opponents. Baylor has averaged 33.6 points and 429.2 yards of offense per game.
Baylor's defense has struggled, allowing 26.6 points and 370.3 yards of offense per game to their opponents. Baylor has sacked opponents 24 times this season, and since Air Force does not throw the ball often, they have only allowed 12 sacks. The Bears have totaled 59 tackles for loss.
Why Air Force Could Cover The Spread
Like the other service academies, Air Force has put a certain focus on their running game. Still, the team has been careful when throwing, registering seven touchdowns and just two interceptions. Haaziq Daniels has thrown for six of those touchdowns. Brad Roberts leads the team with 1,612 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Daniels ranks second with seven rushing touchdowns and is third with 614 rushing yards. John Lee Eldridge III is second with 701 rushing yards and is third with four rushing touchdowns. Air Force has rushed for 3,971 yards and 34 touchdowns. The slow pace that Air Force plays with makes defending their running game hard for any defense, especially a weak Baylor defense. Air Force has averaged 27.7 points and 398.7 yards of offense per game.
Air Force has a stout defense, which has limited teams to 13.3 points and 256.4 yards of offense per game. While Baylor has allowed 20 sacks this season, Air Force has managed to sack their opponents 22 times. The Falcons have intercepted nine passes, but Baylor's 11 picks present an opportunity for the Falcons' secondary.
Final Baylor-Air Force Prediction & Pick
Air Force will be able to control the pace and the clock against a bad Baylor defense. The methodical nature of the offense will keep this total under.
Final Baylor-Air Force Prediction & Pick: Air Force +3.5 (-108), under 43.5 (-110)
Follow Us
Subscribe