Queens vs Arkansas

Arkansas leans on star freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. and a deep, athletic rotation that hasn’t dropped a home game yet, facing a Queens squad that is winless on the road and steps way up in class here. With both teams riding two-game winning streaks, the gap shows up in efficiency: the Razorbacks score more efficiently, defend far better, and bring length at the rim with Trevon Brazile and Nick Pringle that should bother Queens’ drivers all night, especially if the Royals’ turnover issues on the road persist. Queens does come in relatively healthy and has scoring punch with Nasir Mann and shooters like Chris Ashby, but over 40 minutes Arkansas’ talent, home-court edge, and defensive pressure make an outright upset extremely remote, even in a potential letdown spot sandwiched between higher-profile games. The price is extremely steep, so this is more of a bankroll-protection play than a value grab, but Arkansas on the moneyline still earns a B- because the win probability is so high despite the poor payout. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 16/12/2025 09:59am

Queens’ uptempo style and shaky defense push its games into the 160s, but Arkansas’ balance and ability to control runs suggest the total of 174.5 is inflated for this matchup. The Razorbacks are scoring in the high 80s but also hold opponents around the low 70s with length on the perimeter and rim protection inside, and if they build a big lead, John Calipari can shorten the game by leaning on half-court sets and deeper bench minutes instead of trading possessions in a track meet. Queens’ recent form—two straight wins and an offense built around Mann’s shot creation and inside-out actions with Gus Larson and Avantae Parker—should keep them competitive enough to avoid complete collapse, but they’ve also had stretches of cold shooting and turnovers against better athletes that can stall scoring for several minutes at a time. Add in the possibility that Arkansas’ defensive focus tightens against a non-conference opponent they’re heavily favored to beat, and the combination of improved Razorback defense, blowout risk, and Queens’ inconsistency makes the under 174.5 the side with slightly better value, graded a solid B. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 16/12/2025 09:59am

Queens has enough shot-making to be interesting against this number, even if the straight-up result is rarely in doubt, with Mann’s scoring, Ashby’s perimeter gravity, and a deep committee of wings giving them multiple ways to hang around inside a 25-point margin. Arkansas has covered big spreads at Bud Walton behind explosive scoring nights from Acuff, Karter Knox, and Brazile, but those blowouts often involve late-game line changes and a shift to bench-heavy units that can allow backdoor points, particularly against a Royals team that pushes tempo for 40 minutes. With both teams on two-game win streaks and relatively clean injury reports—Queens officially listing no current injuries and Arkansas mostly healthy aside from earlier back-spasm concerns for Brazile—the matchup sets up as Arkansas controlling the game yet not needing to run it up for committee or ranking optics this deep into non-conference play. Given Queens’ offensive competence, potential garbage-time production, and the sheer size of +24.5, taking the Royals to stay within the number earns a B+ as a high-variance but attractive underdog spread position. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 16/12/2025 09:59am