Tonight, two of the greatest coaches in the country, John Calipari and Tom Izzo, face off in a top 25 matchup between No. 14 Arkansas and No. 22 Michigan State. The Spartans are 3-0 against the Razorbacks in their all-time series. In their last matchup, Michigan State beat Arkansas 92-46 in 2015.
Michigan State beat Colgate 80-69 in their first game of the season, while Arkansas defeated Southern 109-77 to start the year. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Michigan State is a -2.5-point favorite while being -142 on the moneyline. Arkansas is +120 to beat Michigan State. Here is my best bet for Saturday’s marquee matchup between Arkansas and Michigan State.
Arkansas vs. Michigan (7:00 p.m. ET)
After going to the Sweet Sixteen in his first season at Arkansas, John Calipari returns with another loaded roster. Calipari added two five-star prospects, Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas, who create an electric backcourt with an elite scoring punch. Acuff and Thomas both scored 20-plus points in their opening game, although Thomas came off the bench.
Unlike Arkansas, Michigan State’s entire starting five features players who are returning from the Spartans’ 2024-25 roster. The Spartans had a balanced attack in their first game, with four players scoring double digits. Jaxon Kohler led the way with 16 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks against Colgate.
Although Michigan State has a deep frontcourt with Koehler, Jeremy Fears, and Coen Carr, it doesn’t seem like they will have enough firepower on offense to keep up with the Razorbacks. Alongside their elite freshman, Arkansas also brought back second-year guards D.J. Wagner and Billy Richmond III. Nick Pringle and Trevon Brazile give Arkansas a solid frontcourt and should be able to match Michigan State’s big men.
Calipari holds a 3-2 record in his five meetings with Izzo in their careers. Getting Arkansas at +2.5, which is -110 on DraftKings Sportsbook, is a good play considering the upside they possess.
