Arkansas hosts Mississippi State for a Week 10 matchup on Saturday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The Razorbacks are 4.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 65.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction, and best bet for this matchup between these two SEC opponents.
Mississippi State vs. Arkansas prediction, preview
Mississippi State Preview
The Bulldogs have been close to some major upsets this season. They took Tennessee to overtime, went down to the wire with Florida and last week, went to overtime with Texas. This is a competitive Mississippi State team that simply lacks the defense to beat the elite teams. Blake Shapen is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country and has had a great season for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State has a stud receiver in Brennen Thompson and a great rushing game to complement the passing game. They rank 25th in the nation in offensive success rate and should score against this dreadful Arkansas defense.
Arkansas Preview
Arkansas is one of the most straightforward teams in college football. The offense is truly elite, ranking eighth in the country in success rate. Meanwhile, the defense is one of the worst in the nation. The Razorbacks rank 126th in the country in defensive success rate. Excluding their first two games of the season against weak opponents, Arkansas is allowing opponents to score over 40 points per game. They have the offense to compete with anybody, playing a 45-42 barnburner against Texas A&M. However, the defense has restricted them from being a competitive team this season. Arkansas fired its head coach, Sam Pittman, earlier this season, but the team is fighting hard for interim Bobby Petrino. This team is desperate for a conference win and should pull all of their tricks out of the bag for this one.
Mississippi State vs. Arkansas pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is the over 65.5. These are two of the best offenses in the SEC, with two of the worst defenses in the SEC. This is one of the highest totals of the season for good reason. Neither team has much to play for this season and should just use this game as an excuse to flex its offensive muscles. Taylen Green has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country and would be a Heisman candidate if he were on a winning team. Blake Shapen has been able to take it to SEC defenses like Tennessee and Texas. This Arkansas defense is awful compared to those groups. Both quarterbacks should have big games and hit explosive plays back and forth. This could be one of the highest-scoring games of the college football season and should cruise over the huge total.
