Texas A&M vs Arkansas NCAA Football Odds
The Texas A&M Aggies recovered nicely from their close loss to Alabama with a 42-13 victory over SMU last week. Now they’re set to hit the road for the second time this season and take on the Arkansas Razorbacks.
No. 10 Texas A&M (3-1, 0-1 SEC) @ Arkansas (3-1, 0-0 SEC)
Saturday, Sept. 28 7:00 PM ET @ Razorback Stadium
Moneyline: N/A
Spread: Arkansas -3
O/U: N/A
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The SEC matchup will be featured in front of a national television audience and will pit two 3-1 teams against one another.
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Texas A&M beat Arkansas 58-10 last season, but this year’s contest should be more closely contended.
Texas A&M
Last season against Arkansas, Johnny Manziel threw for 453 yards on 29-of-38 passing, also tallying three scores through the air. As we all know the Texas A&M quarterback is a dual threat, as evidenced by the fact that he also had 14 carries for 104 yards and another touchdown in that game. As good as Manziel can be on the ground, he’ll have to replicate that passing performance to take down the Razorbacks.
Arkansas is a solid defensive team when defending the pass, but it is elite in its coverage on the ground. It is giving up just 92.5 yards per game in that category, which is good enough for 13th in the nation. Manziel must provide the threat of taking off running, while sticking primarily to an attack through the air.
Defensively, the Aggies are coming off of their best performance of the season. Deshazor Everett returned a fumble for a touchdown, which was an encouraging sign following a sudden move from cornerback to safety. Up to this point, Arkansas hasn’t been a dominant offensive team, but its run game has looked quite impressive. The team is averaging just 28.3 points per contest, but it is 23rd in the nation in rushing. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Arkansas
The fact that Arkansas is one-dimensional is going to be a problem against a defense that has confidence after a dominant victory. The Razorbacks are just 112th in the county in passing, but it must find a spark on Saturday to keep the Aggies honest.
To make the passing game even more difficult, quarterback Brandon Allen is questionable entering the matchup. He missed the battle against Rutgers—a four-point loss—as a result of an injury suffered in the previous week’s victory. We all know heading into this game that the rushing game will be the primary focus of the offense, but finding a balance will be important against Texas A&M’s defense.
As much as the offense has to perform, the truth is that beating the Aggies comes down to one simple, yet not-so-easy concept: stopping Johnny Manziel. The do-it-all quarterback will look to make plays with both his arms and his legs, and while Arkansas specializes in defending the run, Texas A&M is fifth in the country in passing yards per game. Getting Manziel to stay in the pocket is important, but getting him to throw under pressure is just as crucial.
So far on the year, the Aggies are 3-1 against the spread. Arkansas, on the other hand, is 1-3. The Razorbacks may be the ones with the early spread advantage, but whether or not they make that come true comes down to their defense on Manziel. At this point, it’s tough to bet against the kid. Expect this one to be close at Razorback Stadium, but don’t be shocked if the Aggies come away with a win when it’s all said and done.
Score Prediction: Texas A&M 35 – Arkansas 30
