Neither Arkansas’ nor LSU’s basketball resume is the type that will have either team amped and ready for postseason basketball.
But one of them is going to have to win when the two teams meet on Saturday in the basketball version of the Battle for the Boot.
According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the home-team Tigers are the favorite. The BPI gives LSU a 75% chance of victory for Saturday’s shockingly early 11 a.m. tip.
The odds shouldn’t be a surprise. LSU has been better than expected this season and carries a 3-4 conference record into the game. By no means is 3-4 what most would qualify as good, but the Tigers have already won more SEC games this season than they over the course of 18 games last season.
Arkansas, on the other hand, picked up only its second SEC win of the year last time out, going on the road to Missouri and handling the Tigers with ease. The Razorbacks, too, are 2-3 in their last five games contrasted against LSU’s 1-4, suggesting Arkansas is playing the better basketball right now.
But, as the game is in Baton Rouge and the Hogs have done little in recent weeks to suggest they will meet their preseason-Top-25 expection, LSU is justifiably favored.