For the first time in what feels like forever, Arkansas basketball is actually favored against a quality opponent.
ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Razorbacks a 57.5% chance to beat LSU when the two teams tip from Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. Arkansas won the teams’ first meeting in Baton Rouge on January 15. It was the second win during the Hogs’ current stretch of 13 wins in 14 games.
Arkansas had not been favored by the algorithm in five of their last six games. The only team that was picked, by the data, to be Arkansas and actually did was Alabama. That game took place in Tuscaloosa and the Crimson Tide won by a single point.
The Razorbacks’ win over Kentucky, however, jolted the data a bit. It also jolted some of the eyeball test. Joe Lunardi moved Arkansas from a 6-seed to a 5-seed. It may seem small, but it’s a much more favorable matchup.
Arkansas still has an outside chance at the SEC regular-season title. The Razorbacks are one game behind Auburn as both teams have two games left to play in the regular season.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=none image=https://razorbackswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]