GAME THREAD FINAL: Arkansas 39, Texas Tech 26

masonchoate · 2024-12-27T06:59:53-0600

The Arkansas Razorbacks (6-6, 3-5 SEC) will play in the Liberty Bowl for the seventh time in program history Friday when they take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

Both teams will look much different than they did in the regular season, as Arkansas has lost more than 20 players and a significant amount of starters to the transfer portal, while Texas Tech will be without both its coordinators, its starting quarterback and its star wide receiver.

ALSO READ: Arkansas' official depth chart for Texas Tech game

"The majority of the kids that are going to play in the bowl are going to be on the team next year, so we are using that as development and belief," Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said Dec. 12. "Just because you’ve been hiding over in the corner, doesn't mean you can’t play. It’s just somebody that had developed faster, or we had faith a little bit because we’ve seen them do things. I think this bowl prep is going to enhance our football team."

The Razorbacks will have two first-time starters on the offensive line, a whole new group of starters at receiver and redshirt sophomore Rodney Hill is expected to start at running back. Defensively, the Hogs will have a strong group of familiar faces, led by defensive tackle Cam Ball and linebackers Xavian Sorey Jr. and Stephen Dix Jr. in the middle.

RELATED: Arkansas Football 2025 Roster Tracker

Texas Tech will start true freshman Will Hammond at quarterback. The Austin, Texas, native led the state of Texas in passing as a senior last fall with 3,901 passing yards and 35 touchdowns, while rushing for an additional 1,077 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Pittman has led the Razorbacks to a bowl game for the fourth time in five seasons, and to the Liberty Bowl for the second time in his coaching tenure at Arkansas. He is one of only five Arkansas head coaches in program history to lead the Razorbacks to bowl games in four of their first five seasons at the helm.

ALSO READ: Arkansas vs. Texas Tech - Star comparison, PFF grades, season stats

Arkansas is 3-3 all-time in Liberty Bowl games. The Hogs played Tennessee (1971), Auburn (1984), Georgia (1987), East Carolina (2010), Kansas State (2016) and Kansas (2022) in their six prior appearances.

BetSaracen lists the Razorbacks as a 1-point favorite over the Red Raiders, with the over/under on total points set at 53. Below are details on how to watch/stream/listen to Arkansas' game against the Red Raiders, plus more helpful links, betting odds, our picks and more...

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How to Watch/Listen

Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (6-6, 3-5 SEC) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-4, 6-3 Big 12)

What: Liberty Bowl

When: Friday, Dec. 27 at 6:00 p.m. CT

Where: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium — Memphis, Tennessee

TV/Stream: ESPN/Watch ESPN (Anish Shroff, Andre Ware, Paul Carcaterra)

Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network(Chuck Barrett, Quinn Grovey and Geno Bell)
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ML/SPREAD/TOTALS:

Money Line:
Arkansas: -115
Texas Tech: -105

Spread:
Arkansas: -1, (-110)
Texas Tech: +1, (-110)

Total Points:
OVER 53, (-110)
UNDER 53, (-110)

Team Totals:
Arkansas OVER 27, (-105)
Arkansas UNDER 27, (-115)

Texas Tech OVER 26.5, (-110)
Texas Tech UNDER 26.5, (-110)

(Alternate lines, spreads and team totals are available on the BetSaracen mobile app.)

Liberty Bowl Boost:

~ Arkansas -1.5 and OVER 52.5 total points: +275

Arkansas-Texas Tech Game Specials:

~ 4+ TDs to be scored in each half: +400
~ Both teams to score in every quarter: +700
~ Each team to score 2+ TDs and 2+ FGs: +900
~ 1+ FGs to be scored in each quarter: +1200
~ Each team to score 1+ TD and 1+ FG in each quarter: +2500
~ Each team to score 1+ pass TDs and 1+ rush TDs in each half: +4000
~ Each team to score 1+ TDs in each quarter: +4000

Double-R Props:

~ Arkansas team first quarter scoring OVER 6.5: -110
~ Andreas Paaske OVER 1.5 receptions and OVER 14.5 receiving yards: +150
~ Anton Juncaj OVER 0.5 QB hurries and OVER 1.5 tackles: +155
~ Arkansas special teams OVER 1.5 punts downed inside 20-yard line: +125
~ Braylen Russell OVER 14.5 rush attempts and OVER 79.5 rush yards: +105
~ Cam Ball OVER 3.5 total tackles and OVER 0.5 sacks: +160
~ Isaac TeSlaa OVER 6.5 receptions and OVER 74.5 receiving yards: +180
~ Monte Harrison OVER 3.5 receptions and OVER 34.5 receiving yards: +115
~ Quincy Rhodes Jr. OVER 1.5 total tackles and OVER 0.5 sacks: +185
~ Taylen Green OVER 234.5 passing yards and OVER 54.5 rushing yards: +200

HAWGBEAT'S PICK

Total points OVER 53 (-110)

When Arkansas last played in the Liberty Bowl during the 2022 season, it hit this over by itself with 55 points in a victory over Kansas. Obviously this is a different matchup with different players, but it wouldn't surprise me to see another back-and-forth high-scoring affair.

For one, Texas Tech's defense ranks 120th nationally in scoring defense (34.5) and 123rd nationally in total defense (451.9), while the Red Raiders rank fifth in scoring offense (38.6) and eighth in total offense (459.8).

Those defensive statistics are especially important because the Razorbacks will be without multiple key players on the offensive side of the ball, so playing against a weaker unit will allow Arkansas to put up more points.

The one concern for Texas Tech is that it'll be without starting quarterback Behren Morton, but Arkansas won't have star edge rusher Landon Jackson or safety TJ Metcalf to make plays in the backend.

It's difficult to predict what will happen in a game when both teams' rosters are in flux, but I lean toward it being a weird, messy, roller-coaster of action that sees the over hit.