The Sweet 16 is here! One of the matchups on today’s college basketball slate is No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 1 Arizona, with an Elite 8 berth on the line. The Razorbacks beat No. 12 High Point 94-88 to advance to the Sweet 16, while the Wildcats defeated No. 9 Utah State 78-66 in the Round of 32. This is the nitnh matchup between Arizona and Arkansas, and the Razorbacks hold a 6-2 series lead.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Arizona is a -7.5-point favorite with Arkansas being +295 to pull off the upset. Check out my best bet for today’s Arizona-Arkansas contest in the Sweet 16 below.
Arkansas vs. Arizona (9:45 p.m. ET)
This is Arizona’s third straight Sweet 16 appearance and fourth in the last five seasons. Under Tommy Lloyd, Arizona has been an excellent program, but has failed to reach the Sweet 16. Arizona hasn’t been to the Elite 8 since 2015 and the Final Four since 2001. Even after a rough first half, everyone contributed in the second half to help Arizona get past Utah State. Arizona’s elite backcourt of Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries combined for 34 points. The Wildcats outrebounded the Aggies 54-26 and had three players with at least nine boards: Motiejus Krivas (14), Koa Peat (10), and Burries (9).
Meanwhile, John Calipari is 2-2 in making it to the Sweet 16 since taking over at Arkansas. This year’s Arkansas team is led by a star-studded freshman duo of Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas. Acuff ranks seventh in the country in scoring, averaging 23.3 points per game. He is coming off an elite 36-point performance and has scored 30-plus points in three of his previous five contests. Acuff has proven to be unstoppable, and Arizona has a tall task in front of them in attempting to contain him.
Both teams are terrific on offense, with Arkansas averaging 4.2 more points per game. But on the defensive end, things are much different. Arizona allows 12.1 fewer points to opponents. Arizona ranks second on KenPom, while Arkansas ranks 17th. The Wildcats have the third-best defensive rating and the fourth-best offensive rating, while Arkansas’s offensive rating is fifth, as its defensive rating ranks 53rd.
At first glance, this matchup might feel closer than the betting line suggests. But after digging deeper, Arizona has a good chance to win a little more convincingly thanks to its depth and defensive versatility. Arizona has won 11 consecutive games, nine of which have come by at least seven points. 28 of Arizona’s 34 victories this season have been by seven-plus points. Also, six of Arkansas’ seven losses have been by at least seven points.
