The Green Wave have been rolling but this is too many points against a Navy club that snapped its two-game skid with an impressive win over South Florida last week.

I was waiting patiently for this game to get to +7.5. Tulane is playing outstanding football right now, and I like the Green Wave to win. That said, Navy's brand of football is designed to keep games close, and this year's Midshipmen are experienced and talented. I'm taking the points here.

We got a hook up of the second and third-place teams in the American Athletic with Tulane at 8-2 and 8-2 against the spread and Navy at 7-2 and 6-3 against the spread. The big difference to me is Tulane is playing at their absolute best right now whereas Navy lost two weeks ago to Rice one week after losing to Notre Dame. The Rice game to me is a big deal as Navy were 13-point favorites. Tulane has a very bounce attack but they lean towards the run and are No. 10 in the nation with 227 yards per game. Tulane has won eight straight and the smallest margin has been eight points. Tulane covers.

It is no stretch to envision Tulane in the playoffs. The Green Wave boast an enviously balanced offense. They have won seven in a row outright. Specific to this matchup, they have fallen once straight-up in the past 15 away games. Enhancing their prospects here is Navy's decline after a remarkable 6-0 start. The Midshipmen dropped the next two games, allowing 93 points. then somehow beat South Florida 28-7 last Saturday while being outgained. Their lull has coincided with a hand injury for QB Blake Horvath, whose passing accuracy has dipped.