In the heart of Fayetteville, the second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will square off on the gridiron with the Arkansas Razorbacks in an SEC showdown. Join us for our college football odds series, where our Alabama-Arkansas prediction and pick will be revealed.

After a 55-3 beatdown at home versus Vanderbilt to kick off their conference schedule, the high-octane and extremely talented Crimson Tide are ready to show the college football world that they are the best team in America. Since their nail-biting win in Austin a few short weeks ago, Alabama has gone on to outscore their next two opponents by a score of a remarkable 118-10. A year ago, Alabama survived a scare against Arkansas in a 42-35 victory in Tuscaloosa.

Without a doubt, the Razorbacks experienced heartbreak at its finest when a last-second field goal hit the top of the right upright and out to solidify a devastating 23-21 loss to Texas A&M. Regardless, the Razorbacks have one of the more talented teams in recent memory and have as good of a chance to knock off the Crimson Tide than they've ever had. As it stands, Arkansas has lost 14 straight to ‘Bama with their last win coming during the 2008 season.

Here are the Alabama-Arkansas college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Alabama-Arkansas Odds

Alabama: -17.5 (+100)

Arkansas: +17.5 (-122)

Over: 60.5 (-114)

Under: 60.5 (-106)

Why Alabama Could Cover The Spread

The last time Alabama went out on the road to Austin, Texas to take on the Longhorns, the Crimson Tide clearly did not look like themselves as a whole and were bailed out by some injuries on the Texas sideline and a masterful offensive drive late by Bryce Young to help ‘Bama avoid getting upset. Fast forward a couple of weeks later, and the Crimson Tide will be tested in a hostile environment once again.

In order to cover the -17.5 spread out on the road, Alabama will need to hit Alabama in the mouth with a hefty dose of Bryce Young. For those of you that recall last year's matchup, the 2021 Heisman Trophy Winner put on a legendary performance as he set the Crimson Tide single-game passing record with 521 yards in the air along with five touchdowns. Even with the amount of talent on both sides, it is hard to argue that ‘Bama does not possess the best player on the field week after week. Not to mention, but the Crimson Tide should be able to move the ball on offense at will as the Razorbacks' defense has looked shaky at times and has allowed 302 passing yards per game which sets up Young perfectly in this one.

Also, despite playing lackluster competition, Alabama has been a beast defensively in surrendering only 7.3 points per game and are absolutely stacked with NFL talent. No defender is as skilled as LB Will Anderson, as the Crimson Tide middle linebacker may be the best overall player in the entire nation. Plus, Nick Saban usually has the troops ready to go and they should understand how big of a game this is versus Arkansas in the conference and national championship picture.

Why Arkansas Could Cover The Spread

While Arkansas is much improved from the last couple of years, it is never easy to lose in the fashion that the Razorbacks did when they traveled to AT&T Stadium for a neutral matchup against the Aggies. Ranked within the top ten of college football a week ago, Arkansas dropped a whopping ten spots after their grueling loss and now sit in a position where their conference title aspirations hang in the balance ahead of Saturday's showdown with Alabama.

For starters, the Razorbacks are well aware of their current losing streak at the hands of the Crimson Tide. Year after year, Alabama has imposed its will and made life difficult for Arkansas. Without a doubt, the Razorbacks need someone to be a spark plug and act as a straw that stirs the drink in front of what should be a raucous Arkansas crowd. This could come in the form of a plethora of playmakers, but none more important than dual-threat QB K.J Jefferson who leads a top-25 offense into this game. After scoring 35 points against the Crimson Tide last year, the Razorbacks' offense is even better than they were nearly 365 days ago and should put up the points even in going up against a stingy defense.

Additionally, Alabama has struggled on the road dating back to last season. Even though the Crimson Tide are 4-1 in true road games since 2021, none of their wins versus Florida, Auburn, and Texas this year have come by more than a field goal on the scoreboard. With this game serving as the most important one thus far for Arkansas, covering the 17.5 spread seems doable within the confines of Razorback Stadium.

Final Alabama-Arkansas Prediction & Pick

This series has no doubt been lopsided, and whether or not Arkansas can finally snap a 14-game losing streak to Alabama remains to be seen, but don't be surprised if the Razorbacks storm out of the gates guns a blazing with some fireworks on offense and a defensive effort that bends but doesn't break. Pig Sooie for the win!

Final Alabama-Arkansas Prediction & Pick: Arkansas +17.5 (-122)