UAB and Arkansas meet in a matchup between teams looking to rebound from tough losses. Sam Pittman’s (and Bobby Petrino’s) Razorbacks host this one, licking their wounds fresh off a heartbreaking, razor-thin loss to Oklahoma State in Stillwater last week.
Meanwhile, Trent Dilfer and his UAB Blazers limp into this matchup after taking a beating at the hands of lowly Louisiana-Monroe.
With both teams looking to bounce back, will UAB offer any resistance? Or will this turn into a runaway for the Hogs? Let’s look at my UAB vs Arkansas Prediction & Pick.
MyUAB vs Arkansas Picks
UAB vs Arkansas Prediction: Arkansas Team Total Over 42.5
UAB vs Arkansas Odds, Spread, Over/Under
| UAB Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+22.5 -108 | 61 -112o / -108u | +1000 |
| Arkansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-22.5 -112 | 61 -112o / -108u | -1800 |
- UAB vs Arkansas Point Spread: UAB +22.5 (-108) · Arkansas -22.5 (-112)
- UAB vs Arkansas Total: Over/Under 61
- UAB vs Arkansas Moneyline: UAB +1000 · Arkansas -1800
UAB Football vs Arkansas Football Preview
UAB Blazers Betting Preview: Not Much To Be Excited About
The Blazers program comes into this game with the stock market arrow bright red and firmly pointing down.
Dilfer inherited a team that finished 7-6 and 69th in SP+ in 2022, and took them to 4-8 and a 117th finish in SP+ in 2023. The defense especially cratered as it was 42nd in the country in 2022 and fell to 132nd in Dilfer’s first year.
After dispatching FCS Alcorn in the opener, the Blazers fell to 1-1 after a stinging 32-6 loss to a ULM program that is consistently one of the worst in the country. The Warhawks are now led by head coach Bryant Vincent, the interim the Blazers spurned to hire the famous guy from TV. To make matters worse, all of their flaws were on display against ULM.
The offense was sluggish with only .26 EPA/per play, a figure that checks in at the ninth percentile, and also committed three turnovers. The defense was worse as ULM’s moribund attack was the superior unit on the field.
The Blazers pass rush was anemic in their first attempt at defending an FBS school. The team registered only one havoc play against ULM. One!
Arkansas Razorbacks Betting Preview: Offense Should Light It Up
For Arkansas, the arrow is green and pointing up.
Last year’s Razorbacks scoring attack fell all the way to 56th in SP+. The players never gelled with new offensive coordinator Dan Enos, and his one year at the helm was over mercifully quickly. In rode Petrino, one of the best offensive gurus of the generation and a savvy play caller.
The Razorbacks are already rocketing up offensive SP+, a metric which is usually slow to turn. From 56th at the end of last season up to 26th after only two games, the Arkansas attack is making believers of us all.
In addition to Petrino, the Razorbacks brought back all of their production at wide receiver, and massively upgraded their backfield. New quarterback Taylen Green has been on fire through two games. Green has already passed for 645 yards and rushed for 149 more. Joining him is Ja’Quinden Jackson, who has rushed for 250 yards on 7.8 per tote.
The defense is still working to join the offense on the upward trajectory. They made some splashy plays against Oklahoma State, but also had some atrocious busted coverages and costly penalties.
The defensive front has been quite good and is in the top 10 in EPA per rush, yards per rush and rushing success rate. All of that success has been forcing opponents into long 3rd downs. That is a recipe for disaster for a UAB offense that is 101st in EPA/Play.
<span >How to Make College Football Picks For My UAB vs Arkansas Prediction</span>
This is a mismatch.
On one hand, we have a mid-tier SEC team that made a great coordinator hire over the offseason and is seeing immediate dividends from that hire and from transfers.
On the other, we have a mid-tier Group of Five team that took a .500ish team and made a disastrous hire. The celebrity coach has this team sinking to the bottom, quickly.
This discrepancy will be obvious in the preparation and execution, and in the talent level. Nowhere will it be more apparent than in the trenches, where Arkansas’s rush attack is 15th in the nation in Yards per Rush. UAB’s defense is in the fifth percentile in Line Yards allowed.
The Blazers will get pushed around, but the spread is so big that it opens things up for shenanigans. My best bet is to trust Petrino. Every gaudy offensive number for the Razorbacks makes him look better in the eyes of the Arkansas fan base and AD, or whoever is ready to take the plunge and hire him next.
I trust Petrino and his talent to light up the scoreboard against this charitable UAB defense. I’ll take the Arkansas team total over 42.5 at -110 on DraftKings, and would play it up to -43.5.
Pick: Arkansas Team Total Over 42.5
How to Watch UAB vs Arkansas Live: Streaming, Channel, Time
| Location: | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 14 |
| Kickoff Time: | 4:15 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | SEC Network |
Arkansas vs UAB Betting Trends
UAB is 1-1 in its last 5 games.
UAB is 1-1 in its last 5 games against the spread
UAB is 0-1 in its road games against the spread
The total has gone OVER in 0 of UAB's last 2 games
Arkansas is 0-1 in its last 5 games.
Arkansas is 1-0 in its last 5 games against the spread
Arkansas is 1-0 in its road games against the spread
The total has gone OVER in 1 of Arkansas' last 1 games
Arkansas vs UAB Weather
