The Arkansas Razorbacks, still suffering some hangover from their 38-41 road loss to Alabama in the final seconds of Saturday’s nationally televised game will try to regroup for another difficult encounter, this time with the No. 21 Kentucky Wildcats, upset winners over then No. 9 Louisville Cardinals, also on Saturday. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. ET from Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark., and televised by ESPN2.
Online sportsbook Sportsbetting.com, whom opened betting earlier in the week favoring Arkansas on the side by a – 6 ½ point chalk, has now seen the line move a half point favoring the Hogs by -7 with a 67 ½ point total. Oddsmakers have set the money line price of -280 for an Arkansas wager while Kentucky is getting +240 ml juice.
Betting trends show 67 percent of early side (ATS) action on the Razorbacks with 91 percent expecting the total to exceed 67 ½.
A trend that must not go unnoticed for Kentucky backers is that in the nine-year Houston Nutt era coaching the Razorbacks, Arkansas has lost the next conference game following a conference loss. This trend started late in the 1998 season when Arkansas lost at Mississippi State following their crushing loss at Tennessee when quarterback Clint Stoerner fumbled the football with a minute and thirty seconds on the clock. Tennessee drove to the end zone winning what was otherwise considered un-winnable.
Darren McFadden, the nation’s top Heisman Trophy candidate, suffered a slight concussion in the game with Alabama but is expected to be cleared to play by Arkansas’ trainers.
This game should result in plenty of offensive production as Arkansas, one of the nations leaders in rushing will be running against a Kentucky defense ranked 10th in the SEC in rush defense while Kentucky will be facing an Arkansas defense ranked 11th in the league in pass defense.
Online sportsbook BetOnline.com has Kentucky getting +280 on a ml wager.
Kentucky senior quarterback Andre Woodson, 6’5”, 230 pounds, projected to be a high first round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, has started under center in 28 straight games. Under Woodson’s leadership the Wildcats won 8-of-9 games including a Music City Bowl win over Clemson to finish the 2006 season.
