Fansided

Arkansas vs Alabama preview, prediction, betting odds, live stream info

By Nathaniel Reeves

Oct 3, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) reacts after a quarterback sack during the third quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Alabama defeated Georgia 38-10. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) reacts after a quarterback sack during the third quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Alabama defeated Georgia 38-10. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Arkansas vs. Alabama

The No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide will look to keep rolling when they host the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

After a tough home loss to Ole Miss three weeks ago in which the Crimson Tide were thoroughly outplayed, many were speculating that this may finally be the season Alabama takes a significant step backwards. That no longer appears to be the case after the Tide destroyed Georgia on the road last week. Running back Derrick Henry is bringing some consistency to what was a shaky Alabama offense early on, while linebacker Reggie Ragland leads a front seven that can challenge anyone.

Arkansas entered the season with a preseason ranking and lofty expectations that it has failed to live up to. An overtime loss to undefeated Texas A&M is understandable, but defeats at the hands of Toledo and Texas Tech raise some serious concerns about the Razorbacks. Junior running back Alex Collins will need to have an outstanding game for Arkansas to have a chance on Saturday.

The Razorbacks took Alabama down to the wire last season in a hard-fought 14-13 loss, but face an uphill battle this weekend. Details for Saturday’s game are below:

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2015
Start Time: 7:00 PM eastern
Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
Stadium: Bryant-Denny Stadium
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network, Razorback Sports Network
Ticket Information: For Alabama ticket info click here, for Arkansas ticket info click here

Keys to Victory

It’s hard to imagine anything but a blowout if Alabama plays as well as it did last week, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Henry set new career highs with 26 carries and 148 yards plus a touchdown, and figures to be the focal point of Alabama’s offense with fellow running back Kenyan Drake struggling.

However, the growth of quarterback Jake Coker was also critical in Alabama’s demolition of Georgia. After a rough game against Ole Miss, Coker responded last by completing 11 of 16 passes for 190 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.

If Coker is that efficient again, Alabama is going to be far too much for the Razorbacks. Dealing with Henry is going to be difficult enough, and Arkansas’ secondary has had some issues with 257.6 passing yards per game allowed this season.

The idea for Arkansas was to run the ball down opponents’ throats behind a massive offensive line led by 6-10 tackle Dan Skipper. That strategy finally worked last week, as the Razorbacks beat Tennessee 24-20 by running the ball 50 times for 275 yards. Collins was outstanding with 154 yards for his third straight game of at least 150, while backup Rawliegh Williams provided a nice boost with 100 of his own.

That won’t be as easy against the Crimson Tide defense. Ragland, defensive tackle Jarran Reed and defensive end Jonathan Allen are all among the best in the country and will make running the ball very difficult for the Arkansas offense.

Both Collins and Williams will have to have their best games of the season if Arkansas is going to keep it competitive. Quarterback Brandon Allen has been inconsistent over the past two seasons and likely won’t be asked to do too much on Saturday.

Closing out games has also been a major issue for the Razorbacks in the Bret Bielema era. If Arkansas manages to force some turnovers and shorten the game to keep the score close, it will have to be perfect in the fourth quarter to pull the huge upset.

Betting Odds

Point spread: Alabama -16.5
Moneyline: Alabama -750
O/U: 48.5

Alabama was an underdog last week for the first time in 72 games and won easily outright. The Crimson Tide have been double-digit favorites three times this season, failing to cover against Middle Tennessee State and Louisiana-Monroe while covering against Wisconsin.

Arkansas lost three straight games against the spread, two of them outright as double-digit favorites, before upsetting six-point favorite Tennessee last week. The Razorbacks have hit the under four straight weeks.

Prediction

Arkansas has played much better over the past two weeks, even with the loss to Texas A&M. The Razorbacks are running the ball effectively and the defense has improved since being torched by Texas Tech.

Still, a road contest against Alabama is a massive step up in competition. The Razorbacks are going to run into the best front seven they’ve faced all season, and are going to be hard-pressed to avoid crucial mistakes on the offensive end.

Alabama is one of the few teams with the ability to be more physical than the Razorbacks over the course of an entire games. With the Crimson Tide offense clicking from last week, they should be able to find success both on the ground and through the air.

Arkansas may be able to make the game close for a half, but Alabama is eventually going to be too much on both sides of the ball.

Final Score: Alabama 30, Arkansas 13

Home/College Football