The Kansas State Wildcats and the Arkansas Razorbacks will square off in the Liberty Bowl. Arkansas (7-5) comes into this game having gotten the win in four of its last five and Kansas State (6-6) three of its last four. The game starts at 3:20 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan 2 and will be available on ESPN.
In its last game, Arkansas cruised past Missouri 28-3. Alex Collins had a huge game on the ground in the victory, carrying 30 times for 130 yards and three TDs. Kody Walker also had a big game with 77 rushing yards and a TD on 14 carries. Kansas State also won its last game, getting a close victory over West Virginia 24-23. Kody Cook had a quality performance, racking up 49 total yards and a score. He got most of his yards running the ball, putting up 34 yards and a TD. Deante Burton also had a great game with 135 receiving yards and a TD on five catches.
The Razorbacks, a 13-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when Kansas State visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 62 points.
Heading into this bowl game, the Razorbacks are 7-5 for both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last five games, the Razorbacks have records of 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. Arkansas has averaged 45 points per game over the last five weeks, higher than its season average of 35.2. The passing game could be a priority for Arkansas’s offense against a weak Wildcats pass defense that ranks 120th in the country with 283.1 passing yards allowed per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Razorbacks look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. Kansas State’s offense will need to use all of its options against the 16th-ranked Razorbacks run defense, which gives up 119.6 rushing yards per game. Keep an eye on Arkansas to turn it up a notch during the second quarter, when it averages 11.6 points per game.
Over on the other sideline, the Wildcats head into this bowl game with records of 6-6 for both ATS and SU. In the previous five games, Kansas State has a record of 3-2 both SU and ATS. Arkansas’s defensive backs will be going up against the unstoppable Wildcats passing game, which has averaged 204.8 yards per game over their last five, quite a bit more than their season average of 177.1. The Wildcats make it hard on their opponents down the stretch, averaging 10.6 points in the final quarter. Special teams usually provides a spark for Kansas State. They average the 22nd-most return yards in the nation with 111.3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Arkansas, ATS Winner – Arkansas, O/U – Over
Notes
Arkansas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
Kansas State is 3-2 SU when leading at the half this season. Arkansas is 5-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Kansas State is only 1-4) SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet 3-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
The Arkansas run defense is ranked 16th in the country this year, and will look to contain the 75th-ranked rushing attack of Kansas State.
