The Arkansas Razorbacks will be at Coleman Coliseum to play the Alabama Crimson Tide in a Southeastern matchup. Action gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 2 and will air on SEC and ES3.
The Crimson Tide come into this game on a high note after defeating Auburn 65-57 on Saturday. Arthur Edwards played a pivotal role with 15 points, three rebounds, and two steals. The Razorbacks are coming off a 75-65 win over Tennessee on Saturday. Dusty Hannahs led the team in scoring by accumulating 17 points on 4-for-6 shooting.
Retin Obasohan has really been playing well recently for the Crimson Tide, averaging 23.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 three-pointers over the last five games.
The Crimson Tide come into this game 17-11 Straight Up (SU) and 15-12 Against The Spread (ATS). Alabama has averaged 75.3 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 67.0. The Alabama defense has done poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 73.9 points per game, well above their season average of 67.1. Teams have to fight for open shots against the Crimson Tide, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .404. An area where the Crimson Tide are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 5.0 blocks per game, 30th in Division I. Arkansas has a habit of getting in foul trouble (21.7 fouls per game), so expect the Crimson Tide to get a number of opportunities from the free throw line.
On the other side, Arkansas has a SU record of 15-14 and an ATS record of 14-11. Offensively, the Razorbacks have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 79.9 points per game after averaging only 66.8 during that stretch. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Razorbacks. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the country at 1.50. The last 10 games have really brought out the best of the Razorbacks on the defensive end. They’ve allowed 67.4 points per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 75.3. They average 7.6 steals per game, good for 42nd in the nation.
These conference foes will be facing off in their first head-to-head contest of the season. When they last met the Razorbacks were winners, but Alabama still leads the head-to-head record, 6-4 SU, over their most recent matchups. At 5-5, they are even ATS. Neither Alabama nor Arkansas has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers) over their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ark, ATS Winner – Ark
Notes
The Arkansas Razorbacks average 79.9 points per game, ranking 26th in the nation. The Alabama Crimson Tide rank 58th in points allowed with 67.1.
Ranked 86th, the Arkansas Razorbacks have an offensive rating of 110.0. The Alabama Crimson Tide rank 102nd with a defensive rating of just 101.3.
The Alabama Crimson Tide average a field goal percentage of 42.5% this season. The Arkansas Razorbacks have a subpar record of 3-11 when opponents have a FG% of 42.5% or greater.
The Alabama Crimson Tide rank lower for their field goal percentage (256th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (209th), but the Arkansas Razorbacks have a better FG% ranking (140th) than eFG% ranking (168th).
Ranked 24th in the nation, Arkansas has an average of 16.8 assists per game. Alabama ranks lower at 331st with 10.7.
Arkansas, the 20th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.4 blocks per game. Alabama ranks 30th with 5.0.
On average, Arkansas forces a turnover rate of 20.0%. When Alabama turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 9-5 record.
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