It is time to continue our college football odds series with a San Jose State-Air Force prediction and pick. Find out how to watch San Jose State-Air Force.
The Week 2 game between San Jose State and Air Force will be a unique and compelling reunion. It will be the return of a prominent coach to a familiar setting.
Ken Niumatalolo has coached against the Air Force Academy for decades. He has made many trips to Colorado Springs for a football game over the years. Niumatalolo, as the coach of Navy, has encountered Air Force many times in the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy series. Army-Navy was always the most important game Niumatalolo coached every year. Navy-Air Force was second. Niumatalolo authored so many glorious moments as Navy's head coach in the program's most prosperous era in many decades. He led Navy to a bundle of Commander-In-Chief's Trophy championships and a number of double-digit win seasons. His place in Navy and college football history is secure.
Now he begins a new chapter at San Jose State, as the Spartans visit Colorado Springs to take on the Falcons.
The Niumatalolo era in San Jose began with a solid win over Sacramento State. You might think that San Jose State should obviously beat Sacramento State, given that SJSU is a Mountain West Conference program and Sacramento State is an FCS (lower-division) program. However, the point spread was just 2.5 points for that game. San Jose State was a very narrow favorite. One year ago, Sacramento State went on the road and beat Stanford straight up. That's why Sac State was a very small underdog at San Jose State. This was not a foregone conclusion or an expected romp.
Yet, San Jose State was able to win by double digits and post a reasonably encouraging performance out of the gate. Now the question becomes if the Spartans can build on that versus an Air Force team whose offense looked ragged and limited in a shaky 21-6 win over Merrimack in Week 1. Niumatalolo versus Air Force and Troy Calhoun: It will be just like old times.
Here are the San Jose State-Air Force College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: San Jose State-Air Force Odds
San Jose State: +5.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +160
Air Force: -5.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -194
Over: 45.5 (-115)
Under: 45.5 (-105)
How to Watch San Jose State vs Air Force
Time: 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
TV: CBS Sports Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why San Jose State Could Cover The Spread/Win
The San Jose State Spartans played a lot better than Air Force did in Week 1. SJSU's offense looked better. The Spartans seemed to have more upside and a higher ceiling than an Air Force team which scored just 21 against Merrimack. SJSU easily covered its point spread in Week 1. Air Force, which was a 29.5-point favorite over Merrimack, didn't come even close to covering its own spread. It could just be a Week 1 overreaction to a small sample size, but then again, if two teams went in very different directions, why wouldn't you pick the team which greatly exceeded the point-spread expectations? That team is San Jose State.
Why Air Force Could Cover The Spread/Win
Air Force might have a struggling offense, but the defense was superb against Merrimack. This defense can bottle up San Jose State's offense in a way Sacramento State never could last week. This could completely change the dynamic of this game and enable the Falcons to cover.
Final San Jose State-Air Force Prediction & Pick
Our inclination is to go with San Jose State, but it's a pure hunch. Let's sit back and observe these teams, studying them for a future betting play later in the season. We don't know enough about them right now to make a confident pick. Pass.
Final San Jose State-Air Force Prediction & Pick: San Jose State +5.5
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