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It is an SEC battle on Wednesday as Ole Miss visits Arkansas. It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Ole Miss-Arkansas prediction and pick.
Ole Miss comes into the game at 12-2 on the year. They opened the year strong, winning their first six games, before a loss to Purdue. From there, they would go on to win five more in a row, before facing Memphis and losing by 17. Last time out, Ole Miss rebounded, beating Georgia 63-51. Meanwhile, Arkansas is 11-3o in the year. They opened up 1-1 with a loss to Baylor, but would then win four in a row before falling to Illinois. Still, they would then win six straight, including a tight win at home over Michigan. Still, the last time out would be a struggle. Facing Tennessee, it was tight early, but Tennessee used a first-half 12-0 run to build a lead, and would go on to win the game 76-52.
These two teams have faced off 86 times before. Arkansas leads the all-time series 52-34. They did lose last year at Ole Miss, but before that has won five straight over Ole Miss.
Here are the Ole Miss-Arkansas College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Ole Miss-Arkansas Odds
Ole Miss: +2.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +128
Arkansas: -2.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -154
Over: 147.5 (-108)
Under: 147.5 (-112)
How to Watch Ole Miss vs. Arkansas
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN2
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Ole Miss Will Cover The Spread/Win
Ole Miss is ranked 29th in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They sit 33rd in offensive efficiency while sitting 26th in defensive efficiency. Ole Miss has been solid on defense this year. They are 26th in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 58th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Furthermore, they are good at limiting shots, sitting 35th in opponent field goal attempts per game.
Sean Pedulla leads the team in points and steals per game. He is scoring 14.1 points per game while adding 2.4 steals per game this year. He also adds 3.5 rebounds per game, and 3.6 assists per game this year. Meanwhile, Jaylen Murray leads the team in assists per game. He has four assists per game while adding 12.5 points per game, while adding 2.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Finally, Dre Davis is scoring 10.8 points per game, while adding 4.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.
In the frontcourt, Malik Dia leads the way. He leads the team in rebounding this year. He has 5.5 rebounds per game while adding 7.1 points per game this year. He is joined in the front court by Jaemyn Brakefield. Brakefield is scoring 9.4 points per game while adding 4.9 rebounds, and two assists per game this year.
Why Arkansas Will Cover The Spread/Win
Arkansas is ranked 38th in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They sit 57th in offensive efficiency while sitting 24th in defensive efficiency. Arkansas is also strong defensively. They are 44th in the nation in points per game, while sitting 48th in opponent effective field goal percentage. They also rarely send teams to the line, sitting 13th in the nation in opponent free-throw attempts per game.
It is Adou Thiero who leads Arkansas in points, rebounds, and steals this year. He comes into the game with 16.9 points per game, while adding 5.7 rebounds, and two steals per game. He also has 2.2 assists and 0.8 blocks per game. Meanwhile, he is joined in the front court by Zvonimir Ivisic. Viisic is scoring 8.5 points per game, while also grabbing 3.6 rebounds. Still, he is a menace inside, coming in with 2.1 blocks per game. The same is true for Trevon Brazile, who is scoring 6.8 points per game, with five rebounds, but 1.8 blocks per game.
In the backcourt, it is Boogie Fland who leads the way. He leads the team with 5.9 assists per game while adding 15.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. He is joined by DJ Wagner. Wagner is scoring 10.4 points per game this year, with 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Final Ole Miss-Arkansas Prediction & Pick
There are a few key factors in this game that will decide the outcome. The first is rebounding. Ole Miss is 126th in the nation in defensive rebounding rate, while Arknsas is 72nd. The second is defense in the paint. Ole Miss is 20th in the nation in blocks per game, but Arkansas is fourth. The third is getting to the line. Ole Miss averages 79.6 points per game, but nearly 16 of them come from the free throw line. Arkansas allows the 13th fewest free throws in the nation and is 15th in the nation in personal fouls per play percentage. Finally, there is shooting efficiency. Ole Miss is 104th in the nation in shooting efficiency, while Arkans is 27th. Take Arkansas in this one.
Final Ole Miss-Arkansas Prediction & Pick: Arkansas -2.5 (-120)
