Arkansas vs. Abilene Christian: TV details, key players, BetSaracen odds
HawgBeat provides everything you need to know ahead of Thursday's game between Arkansas and Abilene Christian.
The Arkansas Razorbacks (7-4) will look to win their second game in a row when they face off against Abilene Christian (5-6) inside Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville on Thursday night.
Led by third-year head coach Brette Tanner, the Wildcats have won two games in a row against Howard Payne and UTEP. Abilene Christian also owns a 64-59 victory over Oklahoma State this season.
"They do a great job attacking the rim," Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman said Wednesday. "They do a great job of high-low. Their bigs do a great job of ducking in. Obviously (Ali Abdou Dibba) at the small forward spot does a great job of turning the corner. They’ll run a DHO and he’ll turn the corner. They’ll put a dribble-drive guy on the elbow and let him dribble drive."
Arkansas won its most recent matchup against Lipscomb 69-66 inside Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock. The Hogs were up by as many as 20 points in the second half before allowing a comeback to the Bisons.
An emerging storyline for the Razorbacks is transfer Keyon Menfield, who was granted an eligibility waiver by the NCAA and saw his first playing time of the season against Lipscomb. The guard played 18:52 minutes and totaled two points, three rebounds and two assists.
His addition to the roster has affected the team's rotation and will be something to watch going forward. With only two games left until conference play, the Razorbacks need to take advantage to get everyone acclimated.
Here's details on how to watch/listen, key players for Abilene Christian and betting lines courtesy of BetSaracen:
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How to Watch/Listen
Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (7-4, 0-0 SEC) vs Abilene Christian Wildcats (5-6, 0-0 WAC)
When: Thursday, Dec. 21 – 6:00 p.m. CT
Where: Fayetteville, Ark. • Bud Walton Arena
TV/Stream: SEC Network
Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
Sirius/XM: 161 Sirius / 190 XM / 961 SXM App
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Abilene Christian projected starters
#24 - G Ali Abdou Dibba - Jr., 6'4", 185 lbs.
Stats per game: 26.5 min, 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 2.4 turnovers, 0.1 blocks, 45.4 fg%, 37.5 3fg%
#21 - G Hunter Jack Madden - Sr., 6'2", 190 lbs.
Stats per game: 30.0 min, 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.4 turnovers, 0.0 blocks, 40.8 fg%, 42.9 3fg%
#5 - F Cameron Steele - Sr., 6'8", 205 lbs.
Stats per game: 24.2 min, 6.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 turnovers, 0.7 blocks, 36.5 fg%, 42.3 3fg%
#23 - F Airion Simmons - Sr., 6' 5”, 264 lbs.
Stats per game: 23.8 min, 13.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.8 turnovers, 0.4 blocks, 48.7 fg%, 34.4 3fg%
#4 - G Kavion McClain - Jr., 5'9", 160 lbs.
Stats per game: 24.4 min, 4.8 points, 1.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 2.0 turnovers, 0.0 blocks, 43.5 fg%, 11.8 3fg%
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SPREAD/TOTALS:
Moneyline:
Arkansas: -1600Abilene Christian: +800
Spread:
Arkansas: -15.5 (-110)Abilene Christian: +15.5 (-110)
Totals:
Total Points:OVER 151.5 (-105)
UNDER 151.5 (-115)
Team Totals:
Arkansas OVER 83.5 (-110)
Arkansas UNDER 83.5 (-120)
Abilene Christian OVER 67.5 (-125)
Abilene Christian UNDER 67.5 (-105)
(Alternate lines, spreads and team totals are available on the BetSaracen mobile app.)
Double R Props
Arkansas OVER 5.5 steals and OVER 6.5 blocks: +125
Davonte Davis OVER 5.5 points and OVER 1.5 turnovers: +150
El Ellis OVER 3.5 points and OVER 2.5 assists: +150
Joseph Pinion OVER 2.5 points and OVER 4.5 minutes: +190
Keyon Menifield OVER 1.5 points and OVER 2.5 assists: +140
Arkansas to have a FG percentage OVER 49.5 and OVER 35.5 3PT FG percentage: +230
Chandler Lawson OVER 4.5 points and OVER 1.5 blocks: +230
Jalen Graham OVER 8.5 points and OVER 1.5 rebounds: +250
Jeremiah Davenport OVER 7.5 points and OVER 0.5 rebounds: +250
Khalif Battle OVER 15.5 points and OVER 6.5 total FTs made: +240
Layden Blocker OVER 5.5 points and OVER 0.5 steals: +230
Makhi Mitchell OVER 6.5 points and OVER 3.5 rebounds: +250
Tramon Mark OVER 16.5 points and OVER 1.5 assists: +210
Trevon Brazile OVER 9.5 points and OVER 7.5 rebounds: +220
(Lines and odds are subject to change at any point after the publishing of this story. HawgBeat does not guarantee any bet as a winner or loser. You must be at least 21 years of age to use BetSaracen. If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net)
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HAWGBEAT'S PICK: Keyon Menfield OVER 1.5 points and OVER 2.5 assists (+140)
In his first game in a Razorback uniform, Menifield scored two points and gathered two assists against the Lipscomb Bisons.
With another week to shake off the rust, Menifield should be primed and ready to play a more significant role from a production standpoint for the Hogs.
I imagine there will be a time this season that getting an "over 1.5 points and over 2.5 assists" prop at plus odds will be a fantasy for Menfield, so take advantage against a less-than-stellar opponent in Abilene Christian.
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