One program that is climbing, and seems assured of an invite to the Big Dance, takes on a team that will consider a trip to the NIT a huge success on Wednesday’s sports betting calendar when the Arkansas Razorbacks host the Northern Iowa Panthers. Let’s take a look at the college basketball odds and decide which way to lean at the top sportsbooks for this match.
Wednesday, November 17, 2021 – 08:00 PM EST at Bud Walton Arena
Fresh off a run into the Elite Eight, it appears Arkansas is back in the fold as a basketball power under Eric Musselman, who begins his third season with the Razorbacks. Arkansas entered the campaign third to win the SEC NCAA basketball futures behind top picks Kentucky and Alabama, with Auburn and Tennessee not far behind that trio.
Northern Iowa, on the other hand, is coming off a losing season overall as well as in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, something the Panthers aren’t used to under Ben Jacobson. Now in his 16th season at UNI, Jacobson and the Panthers are sitting back in the MVC pack behind the trio of Loyola-Chicago, Drake, and Missouri State.
It should be another wild Wednesday evening in Fayetteville with the town and the fans all decked out in red and performing their best hog-callin’ yelps. Heritage is burdening Arkansas with a 13½-point spread and carrying the total at 141.
There aren’t many teams that return all five starters, plus the conference player of the year two seasons ago and face as bleak an outlook as the Panthers. No offense intended towards teams that will eventually head to the CBI or CIT, but it’s a steep drop-off for a Northern Iowa team that won 25 just two seasons ago before the pandemic wrecked a good chance for the team to head to March Madness.
In addition to the five primary starters from last year’s 10-15 squad, the Panthers also have AJ Green back in the fold after he missed most of last season with a hip injury. The 2019-20 MVC Player of the Year looked rusty in Northern Iowa’s season opener, making just 1-of-14 from the field (0-7 from 3-point range) in a 62-58 loss to Nicholls. Green was much improved in Game 2 with 19 points, but UNI still fell to Vermont. The Panthers did finally record a win last weekend over D-III Dubuque, but there’s still a ton of work if they are going to make the CBI/CIT.
This is supposed to be something of a transitional year for the Razorbacks after they lost three starters from last year’s squad, with all signs pointing to Musselman bringing in a monster class of freshmen a year from now. He’s still done a great job with several key transfers to fill a few of the voids, though this team might have trouble ahead against opponents with strong post play.
Musselman started five guards in the season opener against Mercer, a 74-61 win as 19-point chalk at top sportsbooks. JD Notae, last year’s SEC Sixth Man of the Year, poured in 30 while Au’Diese Toney, a transfer from Pitt, added a double-double (18 pts, 11 reb).
It was pretty much the same story in the second game against Gardner-Webb as the Razorbacks once again couldn’t cover a 20½-point spread on the college basketball odds in the 86-69 final. Musselman did give some extra time to his frontcourt, with Jaylin Williams and Connor Vanover combining for about 40 minutes and 15 boards.
As someone who automatically thinks every college hoops team has already played every other team at least once, it’s always intriguing to me when schools meet for the first time like Northern Iowa and Arkansas are doing Wednesday evening. It’s not like the two campuses are far apart, Fayetteville sitting roughly 600 miles due south of Cedar Falls.
Northern Iowa is playing its first SEC team since a double-overtime loss to Texas A&M in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Arkansas last played a Missouri Valley team about 23 months ago when the Razorbacks beat Valparaiso in North Little Rock, that contest was also a 1st-time matchup. Northern Iowa has 10 days off after this game while Arkansas will be in Kansas City next week to take part in the Hall of Fame Classic.
Nothing about Northern Iowa’s two games against Vermont and Nicholls suggested the Panthers can play with the Razorbacks on the perimeter. Woo, pig sooey! Musselman’s gang gets my nod with a free college basketball pick as the Hogs roll, 80-60.
NCAAB Pick: Arkansas -13½ (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.