The Tigers are a popular underdog side but this is big step up in competition and we're backing an Arkansas club that came up jusr a couple plays short of beating Ole Miss last week to take out its frustrations with a dominant performance.
As long as QB Taylen Green is under center for the Razorbacks, they will be able to score. Once has to think that their defense can't be as bad as they were last weekend vs Ole Miss. Memphis is another high-octane offense, but I expect one or two stops from Arkansas, which will be enough to cover the spread.
Not that Arkansas will overlook this matchup but Notre Dame is next on the schedule, followed by a gauntlet of SEC foes -- all but one ranked this week. The Razorbacks, who also are playing for the third straight week away and seem prone to a sneak attack. While Memphis has built a 3-0 SU mark against light opposition, two wins happened on the road. The Tigers' last encounter versus the Power Four? An upset of Mississippi State in 2021. Memphis QB Brendon Lewis and RB Sutton Smith can bedevil a so-so defense.
Despite being separated by just over 300 miles, it will be the first meeting between the programs since Oct. 10, 1998. It will certainly be a big deal for Memphis to host an SEC team and play on ABC for the first time since Oct. 17, 2020. The unbeaten Tigers have won seven straight and have have scored 20 or more points in 43-consecutive games – the longest active streak in the nation. Arkansas has been dynamic offensively early on but has had some defensive issues. Memphis has surrendered only 33 total points. It is more than capable of winning outright.
