by Rod Pearson
Monday, Dec 23, 2024
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Friday, December 27, 2024
Venue: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Texas Tech +1.5, Arkansas -1.5; Over/Under: 52 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Texas Tech +1.5, Arkansas -1.5; Over/Under: 52 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Texas Tech +1.5, Arkansas -1.5; Over/Under: 52.5 points
Season Record
Texas Tech Red Raiders: 8-4 (6-3) (5th place, Big 12)
Arkansas Razorbacks: 6-6 (3-5) (11th place, SEC)
Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! ASA, Inc. is on a HOT STREAK in college football on a 5-0 CFB RUN for +$5,000 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.
Recent Form
Texas Tech Red Raiders: won their last game at home against the West Virginia Mountaineers 52-15.
Arkansas Razorbacks: lost their last game on the road against the Missouri Tigers 28-21.
Texas Tech Red Raiders vs Arkansas Razorbacks Preview and Analysis
Texas Tech is entering this game with an 8-4 record overall and they have a 6-3 record in their conference games too. They are 5-2 in their home games, 3-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against West Virginia 52-15. Behren Morton was the starting QB and he completed 28/41 passes for 359 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Tahj Brooks led the team in rushing yards with 188 and 3 TDs. Josh Kelly led the receivers with 150 receiving yards on 9 receptions. CJ Baskerville led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Terrell Tilmon led the defense in sacks with 2. CJ Baskerville and John Curry came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
Arkansas is entering this game with a 6-6 record overall and they have a 3-5 record in their conference games too. They are 4-3 in their home games, 2-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-1 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They lost their last game against Missouri 28-21. Taylen Green was the starting QB and he completed 21/35 passes for 229 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Ja'Quinden Jackson led the team in rushing yards with 87 and 3 TDs. Andrew Armstrong led the receivers with 128 receiving yards on 9 receptions. Cameron Ball led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while Brad Spence led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Texas Tech vs Arkansas Prediction
The current betting odds have Arkansas listed as a 1.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Arkansas has looked good in their games this season with their 6-6 record overall which was enough to get them here, but their 3-5 conference record has them near the bottom of the SEC. They ended the regular season with a loss to Missouri, but they also played in a much better conference than their opponent. Meanwhile, Texas Tech has looked really good in their games this season with their 8-4 record overall and their 6-3 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They weren't really a threat in the race for the Big 12 Championship, but they finished the regular season strong. They are coming off a 52-15 win over West Virginia in their last one and their offense has looked great lately, but their defense has also given up a ton of points this season. Arkansas has had a few bad games this season, but their defense has looked a lot better all year as they haven't been giving up a ton of points in a lot of their games and they were playing against stronger opponents with better offenses too. Texas Tech hasn't stopped much on defense all season though and that will be an issue here as Arkansas will be able to put up points. Arkansas struggled in the SEC, but they looked a lot better in their non-conference games to start the season so expect them to come out strong in this one. The best way to place a bet here is on Arkansas to cover the spread in this game.
Texas Tech Arkansas Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Friday, December 27, 2024 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Arkansas 21 Texas Tech 17.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Texas Tech Red Raiders Arkansas Razorbacks prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
NCAAF Betting Trends
Texas Tech Red Raiders: 5-1 ATS after a bye week. 11-6 ATS versus good offensive teams - averaging 5.9 yards/play or more. 9-5 ATS versus good offensive teams - averaging 425 yards/game or more. 20-11 OVER in games played on turf. 6-3 1H OVER when the total is between 49.5 and 56.
Arkansas Razorbacks: 3-7 1H ATS after playing their last game on the road. 4-8 1H ATS versus good offensive teams - averaging 425 yards/game or more. 24-12 OVER in all lined games. 14-3 OVER as a favorite. 10-4 OVER when the total is between 49.5 and 56. 10-4 OVER off a loss against a conference rival.
Key Injuries
Texas Tech Red Raiders: J. Kelly (WR) Out - Personal. B. Morton (QB) Out - Shoulder. Q. Ledet (DL) Questionable - Knee. H. Dyson (OLB) Questionable - Lower Body. J. Horne (LB) Out - Knee. B. Ramirez (LB) Questionable - Leg. E. Banks (DL) Out - Leg. C. Valdez (RB) Out - Knee. J. Adedire (OLB) Out - Knee. D. Spencer (OLB) Out - Knee. C. Dickey (RB) Questionable - Thigh. D. Cromwell (DB) Questionable - Shoulder. D. Carroll (DL) Questionable - Ankle. M. Hudson (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Wilcox (DB) Questionable - Knee. V. Sciury (OL) Out - Leg.
Arkansas Razorbacks: J. Anthony (WR) Doubtful - Undisclosed. T. Broden (WR) Doubtful - Undisclosed. R. Dubinion (RB) Doubtful - Knee. T. Reed (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Brown (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Switzer (DB) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Ramsey (K) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Russell (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“It was a big deal for us to play well at home. Our last two home games, we’ve had incredible crowds that had great energy, that had our backs and we played really, really bad. We were embarrassed.” - Joey McGuire after his team’s win against WVU in their regular season finale.
“I'm disappointed for our kids. I'm disappointed for the fans. I'm not disappointed with the effort but in the execution with the two turnovers that lead to two scores. They had zero, and it's hard to beat a Top 25 team that way.” - Sam Pittman after his team’s loss against Mizzou in their regular season finale.
Starting Lineups
Texas Tech Red Raiders
WR Eakin, Coy
WR Douglas, Caleb
WR Kelly, Josh
TE Tharp, Mason
QB Morton, Behren
RB Brooks, Tahj
Arkansas Razorbacks
WR Anthony, Jordan
WR Broden, Tyrone
WR TeSlaa, Isaac
TE Paaske, Andreas
QB Green, Taylen
RB Dubinion, Rashod
Statistical Leaders
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Passing: B. Morton (3335)
Rushing: T. Brooks (1505)
Receiving: J. Kelly (1023)
Touchdowns: T. Brooks (18)
Arkansas Razorbacks
Passing: T. Green (2812)
Rushing: J. Jackson (790)
Receiving: A. Armstrong (1140)
Touchdowns: J. Jackson (15)
Coaches:
Texas Tech Red Raiders: Joey McGuire (3rd season)
Arkansas Razorbacks: Sam Pittman (5th 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.
