Kansas Jayhawks (6-6) vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (6-6)
Game Info: Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. EST (Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium)
Betting Odds: Arkansas (-3) / Over/Under (68.5)
Pick: Kansas (+3)
On this Wednesday evening, let’s turn our attention to the Autozone Liberty Bowl, where the Kansas Jayhawks matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks. In what should be a high scoring affair, let’s break down both teams to get a handle on what should happen in this game.
Although only going 6-6 on the season and losing the last 3 games by 76 points combined (0-3 ATS), Kansas comes into this one making their first bowl appearance in what seems like ages. After being out for part of the season, their star quarterback, Jalon Daniels will be active for this one which will bring them a huge boost as he was the main reason they got off to a 5-0 start to the season. Before he got injured, he was sneaking into the Heisman picture after knocking off the likes of Iowa State and West Virginia on the road. Lance Leipold will be thrilled about the possibility of coming in and ending the season with an above .500 record for the first time in over 14 years. After only registering 2 wins last year in his first season at the helm, he has managed to get a lot out of his bunch this year, which will certainly help him in the recruiting process for years to come. The Jayhawks should be up for this one to bring a bowl win back to Lawrence.
Conversely, Arkansas, albeit having the same record as Kansas, will be extremely disappointed on how their year turned out. Sam Pittman managed to improve the Razorbacks the past 2 years in a big way after having a 6 win increase over the past 2 seasons, so they were supposed to battle for the top of the SEC West and a chance at the SEC Championship, but they have fallen short of expectations. Similar to the Jayhawks though, KJ Jefferson (QB) announced that he will be playing in this game which should make this an enticing matchup. Arkansas will put their trust in his all around play and Raheim Sanders (RB), who came just short of 1,500 rushing yards on the season, as they will have multiple receivers out to the transfer portal, injuries, and draft process. Pittman is an energetic coach who will try to fire his team up before this game, even if it comes off of a disappointing season.
A few betting trends to consider in this matchup:
- Kansas started the season on a 7-1-1 ATS run during the regular season
- Kansas games have gone over in three straight games
- Arkansas has covered in 4 out of 6 of their last games
- 91% of the money is on the Kansas Jayhawks
Although it sounds cliche, I think this game comes down to Kansas having more motivation than the Razorbacks. Although Arkansas is the more talented and bigger team on paper, the Jayhawks are trying to capture a bowl win for the first time since 2008 when they won the Insight Bowl with Mark Mangino as head coach… yes, that long ago. The line opened up at -4.5 in favor of the Razorbacks, but with much uncertainty around the weapons on offense, it has been bought down to the field goal mark which is a number I love in this game. Daniels comes out and shows us what all of the hype was around him early on in the season and keeps this one awfully close in a back and forth matchup. Give my the Jayhawks against the spread!