Alabama Crimson Tide at Arkansas Razorbacks Betting Preview
It’s judgment time for the #20 Arkansas Razorbacks, who had their perfect 3-0 start to the season, upended 23-21 against Texas A&M last week. Now the Hogs square off against the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide, fresh off a 52-point win over Vanderbilt.
These two teams played each other relatively close last November until Alabama came away with a 42-35 win in Tuscaloosa. That Tide victory did not cover the -20.5 point spread, and that’s down to -17.5 this year on the road in Fayetteville.
Alabama With a Chip On their Shoulder?
Nick Saban’s squad was the #1 team in the nation heading into the season and after their 55-0 win over Utah State in the opener. Alabama admittedly had their struggles in a 20-19 win over Texas in Austin, and as a result, they lost their top ranking as the Georgia Bulldogs claimed the #1 spot.
Alabama seems to be playing angry after falling out of #1, beating Louisiana-Monroe 63-7 to cover the -49.5 point spread and last week toppling 55-3 as -40.5 point favorites. Obviously, #20 Arkansas presents a different sort of challenge, but that’s a combined 108-point margin of victory the last two weeks for the Tide.
Alabama only beat Arkansas by a TD at home last season, which is kind of surprising considering Tide QB Bryce Young threw for 559 yards and 5 TDs in a game that may have sealed his Heisman Trophy win. The meeting is a little earlier in 2022, but will the result be the same?
Step Up Time for Jefferson
Arkansas came back down to Earth a bit last week in the 23-21 loss to #23 Texas A&M. The defeat knocked the Hogs 10 spots down in the AP rankings, and it was a successful revenge game for the Aggies, who lost 20-10 last year while ranked #7 against then #16 Arkansas.
Arkansas got off to a 14-0 lead over A&M last Saturday, but the Aggies rattled off 23 straight points, and the Razorbacks never recovered. It was a very strange loss considering Arkansas ran for 244 yards while Hogs’ QB KJ Jefferson was just 12/19 passing for 171 yards and 2 TDs despite facing a deficit for a majority of the second half.
Jefferson was 22/30 for 326 yards with 3 TDs in last year’s meeting with Arkansas, so he’s ready for the challenge – this year at home.
Crimson Tide at Razorbacks Pick and Prediction
Alabama has been dominant the last two weeks, albeit against what many would describe as interior opponents in Louisiana-Monroe and Vanderbilt. Both of those games were at home, as three of four Crimson Tide contests have been this season.
Alabama was fortunate to get away with a 20-19 win over Texas in their lone road outing this season, not coming close to covering the -21 point spread against the Longhorns. With Arkansas going blow-for-blow with the Tide last year in Tuscaloosa, -17.5 is too many points to be giving on Saturday.
Pick: Arkansas +17.5
