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Florida A&M at Arkansas College Football Week 1 Expert Pick & Odds

Florida A&M at Arkansas College Football Week 1 Expert Pick & Odds

Written by on August 31, 2017

NCAAF News and Betting Previews| Xbet.ag
The Rattlers of Florida A&M, an FCS program, bring a 1-0 record into War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock as they face the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Rattlers finished 4-7 a year ago but opened with Texas Southern in a Week Zero matchup, winning 29-7. They will hope that their run defense — which limited Texas Southern to just 62 yards on the ground — will have some effect on the Razorback offensive attack. Arkansas is looking to install a 3-4 defense this year, so this opener could feature a few glitches for them as they make adjustments. There is a gargantuan 48-point line on this game — in the books that will even feature a line for it — so let’s take a look at this College Football Week 1 matchup and see where it should fit within your betting lineup.

Florida A&M at Arkansas College Football Week 1 Expert Pick & Odds

When: Thursday, August 31, 2017, 8:00 PM ET Where: War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, AR TV: SEC Network/ESPN Radio: WANM 90.5 FM Tallahassee (FL) / Razorback Sports Network Live Stream: WatchESPN College Football Week 1 Odds: Arkansas -48

Weather Forecast

  • Mostly Cloudy: 23°C/73°F
  • Humidity: 87%
  • Precipitation: 23%
  • Wind: 12 mph N
  • Cloud Cover: 71%
  • Type of Stadium: Open

Why should you bet on the Rattlers?

Forty-eight points is an immense line — seven touchdowns’ worth. Florida A&M quarterback Ryan Stanley can sit back in the pocket and hit his receivers in stride — but he can also change the game with his feet. The Razorbacks have had a hard time against offenses featuring that kind of quarterback (hello, Jalen Hurts), which is why they have brought in the 3-4 defense. Stanley threw for 217 yards and a score in the opener and scampered for another touchdown. If Stanley can get some momentum going and pick up some first downs, then the Razorbacks may simply not have the time they need to build up that sort of margin. Arkansas comes in with a new group of wide receivers — and the only returning starter, Jared Cornelius, comes in at less than 100% thanks to some minor injuries. Arkansas should have the speed to find plenty of openings in that Rattler secondary, but if the Razorbacks are missing out on their rhythm in any way, the first quarter or two could lead to some frustration on the offensive end, which could give Florida A&M enough opportunities for them to cover this point spread.

Why should you put your money on the Razorbacks?

Miami (FL) played Florida A&M in their season opener last year — and they galloped to a 70-3 win. Texas Southern is a far cry from the University of Arkansas in terms of their football program’s talent, and Arkansas should have a lot more size, speed and strength than Florida A&M. They changed from the 4-3 to the 3-4 because scrambling quarterbacks were exploiting holes in the middle of the defense. That’s a trend that should come to a stop with this change — so long as Arkansas executes. Why should you put your money on the Razorbacks in College Football Week 1? Austin Allen returns to lead the Razorback offense, and he led the entire SEC last year with 3,430 passing yards. He finished second in touchdown passes with 25. All in all, that’s a pretty solid year for someone starting for the first time. It’s true that five of his six starting wideouts have moved on from the program, but it’s hard to imagine that Arkansas would not have the speed and rhythm to blow through this Florida A&M defense.

College Football Week 1 Betting Trends

  • Florida A&M is 1-5 ATS in the last 6 games
  • Florida A&M is 0-5 SU in the last 5 games
  • Arkansas is 3-7 ATS in the last 10 games
  • Arkansas is 2-4 SU in the last 6 games
  • The total went UNDER in 5 of Arkansas’s last 7 games at home

Expert College Football Week 1 Pick and Final Score Prediction

The difference between the SEC and the FCS is a significant one — and Florida A&M isn’t exactly one of those top-tier FCS programs, such as North Dakota State or James Madison. I like Arkansas to come out and execute from just about the opening whistle and make the Rattlers work hard for that big check they are getting for coming to LIttle Rock to take this beating. I predict a final score of Arkansas 58, Florida A&M 9.
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