Arkansas Razorbacks vs Auburn Tigers Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 03/09/2023

by Rod Pearson

Wednesday, Mar 08, 2023
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Thursday, March 9, 2023
Venue:  Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
Where to Watch:  SEC Network


Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Arkansas +1, Auburn -1; Over/Under:  144 points
Bet365:  Point Spread:  Arkansas +1, Auburn -1; Over/Under:  144 points
BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Arkansas +1, Auburn -1; Over/Under:  144 points

Season Record

Arkansas Razorbacks:  19-12 (8-10) (10th place, SEC)
Auburn Tigers:  20-11 (10-8) (7th place, SEC)

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Recent Form
Arkansas Razorbacks:  2-3  last 5
Auburn Tigers:  2-3  last 5


Arkansas Razorbacks vs Auburn Tigers Preview and Analysis


Arkansas is coming into this game with a 19-12 record overall and they are 3-1 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are also 8-10 in their conference games this season as well. They are entering this game on a 3 game losing streak with losses coming against the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Tennessee Volunteers, and the Kentucky Wildcats in their last game. Nick Smith Jr. led the team in points in that game with 25 while Ricky Council IV was next on the team with 16 points. Nick Smith Jr. led the team in assists in that game with 6 while Anthony Black led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 35.7% from the field, 31.8% from 3-point range, and 64.7% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 74.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 67.2 PPG against them. Arkansas has an ATS record of 15-15-1 this season and their O/U record is 13-17-1.


Auburn is coming into this game with a 20-11 record overall and they are 2-1 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are also 10-8 in their conference schedule this season as well. They are entering this game off of a win against the Tennessee Volunteers in their last game. Wendell Green Jr. led the team in points in that game with 24 while Johni Broome was next on the team with 17 points. Jaylin Williams led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Jaylin Williams led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 49.1% from the field, 36.4% from 3-point range, and 75% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 72.7 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 66.8 PPG against them. Auburn has an ATS record of 15-16 this season and their O/U record is 18-13.



Arkansas vs Auburn Prediction

The current betting odds have Auburn listed as a 1 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Auburn enters this game as the higher seed in this SEC Tournament and they had a pretty good season as they were 20-11 overall. They struggled more in the SEC with a 10-8 conference record and they were really struggling a lot towards the end of the season, but they pulled off a big win over Tennessee in their final game of the season as they fixed their problem with blowing leads late and they will have the momentum on their side here coming into this one. Arkansas was 19-12 overall this season which isn't much worse than Auburn but they did struggle a lot more in the SEC with a losing 8-10 conference record. They were also slipping a lot near the end of the season with 3 losses in a row and had to play some of the toughest teams in the conference during that time. Auburn is looking to use this tournament as a way to prove themselves and they do have the better team here with the momentum on their side too. The best way to place a bet here is on Auburn to cover the spread in this game. 

Arkansas Auburn Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Thursday, March 9, 2023 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Auburn 77 Arkansas 71.
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NCAAB Betting Trends


Arkansas Razorbacks: 16-5 ATS revenging a loss vs opponent. 30-17 ATS after playing a home game. 14-4 OVER when the line is +3 to -3. 
Auburn Tigers: 13-20 ATS in conference tournament games. 26-16 OVER after 3 consecutive conference games. 21-12 OVER in conference tournament games.

Key Injuries


Arkansas Razorbacks:  T. Brazile (F) out for season - Knee.
Auburn Tigers:  D. Cardwell (C) Doub Thurs - Ankle. C. Westry (G) out for season - Knee.

Notable Quotes


"Defensively, Devo picked up two quick fouls in that Auburn game, one of them being a four-point play to start the game. So we’re going to need Devo to stay out of foul trouble. That’ll be one thing going into the game because obviously he’s so important to us from a defensive standpoint.” - Eric Musselman on what his team needs to do to beat Auburn here.


“No, I'm not going to jump into that. If it's a rivalry it's because we played them and they've beaten us and (we) lost some close games. We lost the No. 1 ranking and almost got killed in a court-storm. ... But I'm already half crippled so what's the next step?” - Bruce Pearl on the rivalry between these two teams coming into this game. 


Starting Lineups


Arkansas Razorbacks
A. Black 
R. Council 
D. Davis 
M. Mitchell 
J. Walsh

Auburn Tigers
J. Broome 
A. Flanigan
W. Green 
Z. Jasper 
J. Williams

Statistical Leaders


Arkansas Razorbacks
PPG: R. Council IV (16.5)
APG: A. Black (4.2)
Reb/G: T. Brazile (6)

Auburn Tigers
PPG: J. Broome (14)
APG: W. Green Jr. (4.2)
Reb/G: J. Broome (8.4)

Coaches:
Arkansas Razorbacks: Eric Musselman (4th season)
Auburn Tigers: Bruce Pearl (9th season)


Rod Pearson

About the Author:

Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life.  He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years.  In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective.  Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

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