The Arkansas Razorbacks are set to face the LSU Tigers this weekend. Check out our college football odds series, which includes our Arkansas-LSU prediction, odds, and pick.

The Arkansas Razorbacks are bowl-eligible. It's a remarkable accomplishment for coach Sam Pittman, given that Arkansas was a smoking crater, a 2-10 dead-end program, when he took over the job two years ago. Chad Morris left behind a total mess. One needed a hazmat suit to handle the toxic nature of the program under Morris, who completely mismanaged players and created bitterness and depression in the locker room. Pittman had to clean up that broken culture, install a system that worked, and sell recruits on a new vision for the Hogs. In two years, he hasn't solved everything, but he has dramatically repaired the ship. Arkansas will have a bowl game which can serve as a teaching tool for next year's players. Those added bowl practices will be a godsend, giving Pittman a chance to build the Razorbacks even more in the coming years. When thinking about your Arkansas-LSU pick, consider what Pittman has done in Fayetteville.

LSU didn't beat Alabama, but the Tigers played their best defensive game of the year by far. They stood up to the Crimson Tide in the trenches, holding Bama to an unthinkable six yards rushing. LSU's great 2011 defense — which reached the national championship game and formed the backbone of Les Miles' best team in Baton Rouge — might have been able to smother Alabama's running game, but the 2021 LSU defense had been repeatedly gashed. The Tigers and their lame-duck coaching staff (Ed Orgeron will be out the door when the season ends) clearly did their homework. Is a defensive renaissance emerging in Red Stick?

Here’s how the bookmakers have set the Arkansas-LSU odds:

College Football odds: Arkansas-LSU Odds

Arkansas: -2.5 (-110)

LSU: +2.5 (-110)

Over: 59.5 (-105)

Under: 59.5 (-115)

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Why Arkansas Could Cover the Spread

The Razorbacks are well-coached. They have not had a smooth season, but one has to remember they were 3-7 last year after being just 2-10 the year before Pittman came aboard. This team has made a lot of progress in a short period of time. Pittman does more with less, while LSU coach Ed Orgeron has failed to sustain the Tigers after their majestic 2019 title run. K.J. Jefferson gives Arkansas a mobile quarterback who can make plays when the pocket breaks down. That will enable Arkansas to find rushing yards in creative ways, keeping LSU's defense off balance and providing a difference-making component in this contest.

Why LSU Could Cover the Spread

The LSU coaching staff adjusted against Alabama. After two weeks off, Orgeron and his staff adjusted their pre-snap alignments on defense. Orgeron had admitted, straight up, that LSU was much too predictable in previous weeks. The Tigers clearly changed things up against Alabama. The results on defense were spectacular. If LSU's defense plays like that against Arkansas, the Tigers will definitely win the game.

Final Arkansas-LSU Prediction & Pick

Arkansas got to see LSU's defensive adjustments last week. The Tigers might have turned a corner, but they need to prove that their transformation is for real. Arkansas will come into Tiger Stadium as a confident team after beating Mississippi State and clinching bowl eligibility. The game will be close, but Arkansas has the better coach.

Final Arkansas-LSU Pick: Arkansas -2.5