Tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET, the Auburn Tigers face the No. 21-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in an SEC showdown. Arkansas is 18-6 on the season, while going 8-3 in SEC play, while Auburn is 14-10 and 5-6 in the conference. Auburn beat Arkansas 95-73 in their first matchup of the season on January 10.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Arkansas is currently -8.5 on the spread against Auburn, while the game’s over/under is set at 165.5 points. Here is my best bet for today’s Auburn-Arkansas matchup below.
Auburn vs. Arkansas (8:30 p.m. ET)
John Calipari’s team has had its ups and downs this season, but has won five of its previous six contests. After winning two straight games on the road against Mississippi State and LSU, Arkansas returns home to face Auburn. As usual, Calipari’s team is led by mutliple high level freshman. Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas have created an electric and versatile backcourt for the Razorbacks. Acuff is Arkansas’ leading scorer, averaging 20.8 points per game and 6.3 assists. Thomas is averaging 15.3 points, 3.4 boards, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest.
Veteran Trevon Brazile is Arkansas’ third player averaging double-digit points this season. The Razorbacks still average 88.8 points per game, with seven players scoring at least seven points. Although Auburn averages four fewer points, it has four players scoring at least 10 points, with Keyshawn Hall leading the way at 20.7 points per game. Sophomore guard Tahaad Pettiford is averaging 14.1 points, but has scored 21 and 25 points in his previous two games.
Arkansas is No. 19 on KenPom, while Auburn is ranked No. 30. The Razorbacks have the sixth-best offensive rating and the 43rd-best defensive rating. Auburn also has an elite offensive rating, ranked No. 11, but pair that with the 85th defensive rating. This will be a high-scoring battle, but Arkansas has the edge thanks to its depth and star duo. Arkansas has won its last two games by at least seven points. Three of Auburn’s previous four losses have come by seven-plus points. Since these two teams first played, Arkansas is 6-2, while Auburn is 4-4 in that span. Auburn has shown elite upside this season but has underperformed in SEC play recently, losing three straight games.
