James Madison vs Arkansas

Arkansas comes in at 9-3 off a narrow loss to Houston but with a dominant 7-0 home record, while James Madison has dropped two straight and is just 1-6 on the road, underscoring a big gap in current trajectory. With no major rotation injuries publicly reported for either side, the Razorbacks can lean on their full complement of talent, led by freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. (18.9 points, 6.2 assists) and fellow scorer Meleek Thomas, against a Dukes group headlined by Justin McBride’s 17.2 points per game but struggling to translate last year’s success into this season’s tougher schedule. Arkansas’ 89.5 points per game and +14.6 average scoring margin, combined with James Madison’s middling defense and poor ATS record, make the Razorbacks overwhelmingly likely to win outright, yet the -6667 moneyline offers minimal return on a highly volatile single-game sample, so this is more a parlay anchor than a standalone wager and earns only a C+ grade for value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 29/12/2025 09:42 ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401826790/james-madison-arkansas?utm_source=openai))

James Madison’s recent form features a two-game skid in which they’ve continued to allow opponents to score in the high 70s, and paired with Arkansas’ lone-game losing streak after a 94-85 shootout versus Houston, this sets up as another high-possession contest. Neither team has a key offensive engine currently flagged on major injury reports, so the Dukes should still ride McBride, Bradley Douglas, and shooter Cliff Davis, while the Razorbacks can unleash Acuff, Thomas, and a deep guard rotation that has fueled an 89.5 points-per-game offense. With James Madison games running 8-4 to the over and Arkansas adding a 7-0 home mark behind an efficient 49% team field-goal rate, the combined scoring profiles (roughly 165 points from their season averages) suggest the over 162.5 has a modest edge despite the already-inflated number, earning this play a solid B grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 29/12/2025 09:42 ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401826790/james-madison-arkansas?utm_source=openai))

Freshman star Darius Acuff Jr. leads an Arkansas team that, despite a one-game slide, has gone 8-2 over its last 10 while winning by double digits routinely, whereas James Madison has stumbled to a 5-5 mark over its last 10 and is riding a two-game losing streak with most of that damage coming away from home. With no significant absences expected among the primary rotations, Arkansas can keep its regulars on the floor long enough to pressure a thin Dukes backcourt and front line that have already labored in true road environments. The Razorbacks’ perfect 7-0 home record, their +14.6 average scoring margin powered by an 89.5-point offense, and James Madison’s 3-9 ATS profile plus 1-6 road mark all point toward Arkansas being capable of stretching this into a 25-plus-point separation, so laying -24.5 at standard juice earns a B grade for combining strong win probability with far better upside than the bloated moneyline. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 29/12/2025 09:42 ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401826790/james-madison-arkansas?utm_source=openai))