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The San Jose State Spartans take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. Check out our college basketball odds series for our San Jose State Arkansas prediction and pick.
The San Jose State Spartans are continuing to rebuild under coach Tim Miles. San Jose State has been a bottom-rung program in recent years, toiling in obscurity in the bottom tier of the Mountain West Conference. While San Diego State, Colorado State, Boise State, UNLV, New Mexico, and Utah State figure to be in the mix for the Mountain West title this season, San Jose State is simply not going to be a factor. The Spartans' goal as a program is to make their way out of the lower tier of the conference and into its middle third. They can't compete for a title until they can at least move above Air Force and Wyoming. San Jose State would love to get to a point where it is not playing in the Mountain West Tournament's opening-round game. Getting an opening-round bye would not only make it possible for SJSU to advance in its conference tournament; it would reflect growth and development within the program.
Miles did a great job at Colorado State before he went to Nebraska, so he knows how to win in the Mountain West. However, he knows that San Jose State is a long-term rebuild and not a quick fix. The Spartans are going to go through a lot of growing pains this season; learning from each game is the most important thing he and his team can do.
The Arkansas Razorbacks are a Final Four threat. They showed why last week in Maui, where they played a hard-fought game against Creighton and then rallied to beat San Diego State. Arkansas under Eric Musselman remains amazingly consistent. “Second-half Hogs” is the rallying cry from Razorback Nation. Everyone in Fayetteville and throughout the state of Arkansas knows that Musselman-coached teams start games — and seasons — slowly but are world-class finishers. They finish games brilliantly, and they normally play their best basketball at the end of a season. Arkansas looked very ordinary for much of last season. The first two months were entirely unremarkable. Then came late January. The Hogs got hot and stayed hot, and they earned a No. 4 NCAA Tournament seed and beat Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 to make the Elite Eight for the second straight year. Musselman knows how to ride with a season's ups and downs in its early stages and get his team to play great at the right time.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the San Jose State-Arkansas College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: San Jose State-Arkansas Odds
San Jose State Spartans: +18.5 (-105)
Arkansas Razorbacks: -18.5 (-115)
Over: 136.5 (-106)
Under: 136.5 (-114)
Why San Jose State Could Cover the Spread
The Arkansas penchant for slow starts is real. Arkansas played a very sluggish first half in a recent game against Troy this past week. The Razorbacks trailed for much of that first half and were still locked in a very tight game before they busted loose in the final seven minutes to win by 13. Troy covered as a 16.5-point underdog in that game. It's a good basis for picking San Jose State here.
Why Arkansas Could Cover the Spread
The Razorbacks are going to play a complete game, not just a second-half game, at some point. Also, San Jose State is not as good as Troy. Arkansas should be focused and ready to roll in this one.
Final San Jose State-Arkansas Prediction & Pick
San Jose State is a weaker team than Troy, and Arkansas has had a few more days to rest after its draining Maui tournament. The Hogs should win by more than 20.
Final San Jose State-Arkansas Prediction & Pick: Arkansas -18.5
