Army vs. Tarleton State prediction, odds, time: 2025 Week 1 college football picks by expert on 78-58 run

Following a historic season which saw them win 12 games for the first time, the Army Black Knights kick off their 2025 season against the Tarleton State Texans on Friday on CBS Sports Network. Tarleton State is coming off a 42-0 Week 0 win over Portland State. The Texans (1-0), who finished second in the United Athletic Conference at 6-2 and were 10-4 overall in 2024, are facing their fifth-ever FBS opponent. The Black Knights, who won the American at 8-0 and were 12-2 overall last season, have a nine-game home winning streak, dating back to 2023.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y. This is the first-ever meeting between the schools. The Black Knights are 14.5-point favorites in the latest Army vs. Tarleton State odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 51.5. Before making any Army vs. Tarleton State picks, be sure to see what SportsLine expert Eric Cohen has to say. New users can also target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets instantly plus over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket:

A former Phoenix sports radio host and TV analyst, Cohen joined SportsLine in 2022 and quickly became a fixture on “Early Edge” programming. Currently a SportsLine host, he has delivered CFB winners at nearly a 60 percent clip. Cohen was 78-58 on 136 college football picks in 2024, returning $1,441 to $100 players.

Now, Cohen has set his sights on Tarleton State vs. Army and just locked in his picks and college football predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Army vs. Tarleton State:

Why Army can win

Senior Dewayne Coleman takes over at quarterback for the Black Knights. In limited action last season, Coleman saw time in six games. In a 20-3 win over Air Force on Nov. 2, he made his first career start and completed 5 of 8 passes for 48 yards, and carried 16 times for 42 yards. For the season, he completed 11 of 16 passes for 121 yards and one touchdown, while rushing 38 times for 136 yards and a score.

Another key returner for Army is senior running back Hayden Reed. In nine games last year, he carried 40 times for 207 yards (5.2 average) and one touchdown. He also caught six passes for 63 yards and a score. In a 27-6 win over Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl, he rushed 20 times for 114 yards and one touchdown. In three seasons at Army, Reed has carried 127 times for 600 yards (4.7 average) and five touchdowns. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why Tarleton State can win

Senior quarterback Victor Gabalis runs the Texans’ offense. In last week’s win over Portland State, he completed 14 of 24 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing once for 33. He is in his third season with Tarleton State after spending one season at Washington State and one at Utah. In parts of five seasons at the collegiate level, Gabalis has completed 56.3% of his passes for 7,689 yards and 62 touchdowns, with 33 interceptions and a rating of 140.9.

Redshirt freshman running back Tre Page III had quite the season debut last week. He carried 15 times for 170 yards, including a long of 89 yards, and two touchdowns. It was Page’s third career game after seeing action in two contests in his true freshman year. It was also the eighth time in a 15-game span that a Tarleton State running back surpassed the 150-yards rushing mark. See which team to back at SportsLine, and new users can also check out the latest bet365 bonus code to get $200 in bonus bets after placing a $5 bet:

How to make Army vs. Tarleton State picks

Cohen is leaning Under on the total. He also says there’s a critical x-factor that makes one side of the spread hit hard. Find out what it is at SportsLine.

Who wins Army vs. Tarleton State, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back?. You can head to SportsLine to see his Tarleton State vs. Army picks. Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the expert that has crushed his college football picks, and find out.