Arkansas vs Alabama Odds, Preview and Picks
- The 2nd-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide host the 21st-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in SEC play Saturday
- The Crimson Tide has won 14 consecutive meetings in this matchup
- Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction
By all metrics, the 21st-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks have enjoyed a breakthrough season.
They’ll get a chance to put a big, fat bow on it in Week 12 as they visit the 2nd-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.
Nick Saban’s crew tore apart the Hogs in their regular season finale a year ago in a crushing 52-3 win.
They’ve lost just once this season, and are, as usual, in the College Football Playoff picture.
The ‘Tide are a large 21-point favorite in this Saturday, Nov 20 SEC matchup.
Arkansas vs Alabama Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| [21] Arkansas Razorbacks | +850 | +21 (-110) | O 58 (-110) |
| [2] Alabama Crimson Tide | -1500 | -21 (-110) | U 58 (-110) |
Odds as of November 16 at DraftKings
It all gets underway from Bryant-Denney Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL, with kickoff at 3:30pm ET. You can watch it on CBS.
Tide Keep Rolling
This isn’t the best Alabama team in recent memory, but it’s still pretty darn good.
After an upset loss to Texas A&M in Week 6, Alabama has reeled off four straight wins, and have scored 49 points or more on three of those occasions.
🐘 21/23
🐘 270 Pass Yds
🐘 5 TDBryce Young is the first player in @AlabamaFTBL history to throw 5 TD passes in a single half. pic.twitter.com/pZ1qMyOGtd
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 13, 2021
The latest was a 59-3 drubbing of New Mexico State — in a game Alabama actually trailed 3-0.
Bryce Young was unstoppable, going 21-for-23 for 270 yards and five TD passes. His main target was receiver Jameson Williams, who had six grabs for 158 yards and three TD catches.
On the ground, Brian Robinson Jr carried nine times for 99 yards and a pair of scores. He leads the SEC with 14 touchdowns on the season.
https://twitter.com/The_FT24/status/1459586764071440395
Alabama is the 3rd-highest scoring team in the nation at 44.6 points per game, trailing only Ohio State and Wake Forest. They’re definitely going over the top of the defense seeking the long ball: the ‘Tide have completed at least four pass plays of 20+ yards in seven straight games.
This is a great, but perhaps not the dominant Alabama teams we’ve come to know. Along with the upset to the Aggies, ‘Bama scored 20 in a 6-point win against LSU and eked out a close 31-28 win against Florida. They failed to cover in both of those contests.
Razorbacks Streaking
A team that won just three games all of last year, Arkansas raced out to a 4-0 start and climbed to as high as #8 in the national rankings.
As their schedule got tougher, however, they were sent back to reality with losses to the then top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (37-0) and Auburn Tigers (37-23), with a thrilling 52-51 shootout loss to Ole Miss sandwiched in between.
KJ JEFFERSON FINDS DOMINIQUE JOHNSON.
WOW. @RazorbackFB pic.twitter.com/LmhFaHdWfV
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 14, 2021
They’ve found their way back, reeling off three straight wins, which include a 31-28 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs and their most recent outing, a 16-13 OT win over the LSU Tigers.
The Razorbacks are powered by dual-threat QB KJ Jefferson, who’s thrown for 1990 yards, 17 TD’s and three interceptions. He’s also the second-leading rusher on the team, totalling 474 yards and five majors.
Trelon Smith powers his way in for the Arkansas TD 💪 pic.twitter.com/ndZ67Zj1EE
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 9, 2021
The run game is the Hogs’ bread and butter: along with Jefferson, three other backs have at least 400+ yards rushing and the team ranks sixth in the nation at a stellar 233.5 yards per game.
How they fare against the Tide’s run defense — ranked third in the NCAA at just 81.5 yards per contest — should go a long way in determining the winner.
What’s the Best Bet?
The Razorbacks are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine on the road, though they are 0-3-1 ATS in their last four games overall. Conversely, Alabama is 12-3 ATS in their last 15 at home, and 5-2 ATS in their last seven. Within the SEC, the ‘Tide have covered 10 of their last 14.
If Arkansas can’t establish the run game, can their passing game pick up the slack? Currently, they rank 95th in passing, putting up only 206.3 yards per game.
Sam Pittman was asked if Alabama football is vulnerable this season
Pittman previews Alabama in-depth ⤵️https://t.co/ULDZihHL7t pic.twitter.com/0vfkOR41Jq
— Kyle Henderson (@BamaYoutube) November 16, 2021
Third downs should tell a tale in this one as well: Alabama boasts the second-highest 3rd-down conversion rate at 58.7%, while the Hogs are a top-10 unit in third down defense, holding teams to a conversion rate of 30.7%.
Alabama, as expected, has dominated this series, having reeled off 14 straight wins in this head-to-head.
Expect to see the Crimson Tide jump out early in this one and force the Razorbacks to play catchup, eventually needing to abandon the run game.
Pick: Alabama -21 (-110)
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
