The Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Auburn Tigers in Auburn, Alabama. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Auburn is favored by 2.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -135. The total is set at 169.5 points.
Here’s my Arkansas vs. Auburn prediction and college basketball picks for January 10, 2026.
Arkansas vs Auburn Prediction
My Pick: Arkansas ML -115
My Arkansas vs Auburn best bet is on the Razorbacks to win outright. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Arkansas vs. Auburn Odds, Spread
| Arkansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -115 | 169.5 -110o / -110u | +114 |
| Auburn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -105 | 169.5 -110o / -110u | -135 |
- Arkansas vs Auburn spread: Auburn -2.5
- Arkansas vs Auburn over/under: 169.5 points
- Arkansas vs Auburn moneyline: Arkansas +114, Auburn -135
Arkansas vs Auburn NCAAB Betting Preview
Arkansas Basketball
Arkansas is sneakily one of the more impressive teams in America thus far. Sure, an 12-3 record isn't jaw-dropping, but look at who it lost to — Houston, Michigan State, and Duke — and it had a chance in each one of those games.
Long gone are the days of John Calipari playing a slow, archaic offense. His Razorbacks team wants to push the tempo (26th in adjusted tempo). They also use the quick pace to put up points efficiently, ranking 12th in KenPom's offensive efficiency.
The Razorbacks have a scoring attack inside and out. Arkansas hits a solid 55% from inside the arc, but shooting is their strength, as they make 3s at a 39% clip.
Darius Acuff Jr., a star-studded freshman, is the show runner for Arkansas. He leads the team with 19.9 points and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 43% from deep.
Acuff gets help from a pair of double-digit scorers in forward Trevon Brazile and Meleek Thomas, a five-star recruit out of high school. Thomas serves as a bench gunner, coming in to let it fly from deep. He shoots just 39% from the field, but he's a tough player to defend.
Limiting turnovers is a huge strength for Arkansas. Many teams that play a top-30 tempo can have turnover problems, but the Razorbacks' offense thrives with the pace and gives the ball away just 13% of the time.
Defensively, Arkansas definitely has a few problems. The Razorbacks' rim defense is a concern, as opponents shoot 52% from inside the arc against them.
Another issue is the lack of ball pressure, which shows in a 16% turnover rate.
Finishing out possessions is another area of hardship, as Arkansas allows offensive boards at a 31% clip.
Those elements are worrisome, but it takes a certain team to make good on those issues.
Auburn Basketball
Auburn is in a very dangerous spot, as it's staring down a four-game losing streak. If the Tigers lose here, it'll head to face a red-hot Mizzou team.
If you told me that Tahaad Pettiford was averaging 14 points per game on 37% shooting, I'd have Auburn power-rated differently. That's the reality the Tigers are facing right now.
The Tigers' offense is terrific, ranking 13th in KenPom's offensive efficiency.
Steven Pearl's squad excels at scoring inside (55% on 2s), getting to the foul line and on the glass (grabbing 40% of its misses). Shooting from deep can be an issue, as the Tigers hit just 34% from distance.
I have to question the fit of Pettiford and Keyshawn Hall. There's no debate which of the two is better right now — it's Hall by a lot. The big wing leads the Tigers with 20 points per game while shooting 49% from the field and 40% from deep.
Both are ball-dominant players, and there's only one ball to go around. So, is Hall being an on-ball scorer impacting Pettiford, or is it a sophomore slump? Either way, it changes the tenor of this Auburn club.
However, Hall is one of the SEC's worst defenders, and that trend has dragged down every team's defense he's been on. Hall spent last season at UCF, and its defense fell off a cliff; the same applied to George Mason in 2024.
Now this is a third straight year where Hall is on a poor defensive team, as Auburn is 106th in defensive efficiency.
The Tigers rank outside the top 200 in 2-point and 3-point field goal defense, so I have little optimism for them turning that around.
For them to have a real shot here, the Tigers will have to dominate the glass. They've done that often, using their 40% offensive rebound rate to create extra possessions.
But if Auburn wants to get in a track meet against Arkansas, that feels unwise.
Arkansas vs. Auburn Betting Analysis
Even on the road here, I have to go back to Arkansas. I don't value Auburn as a top-40 team at this stage, which KenPom does.
The Razorbacks can score on anybody; we've seen that already. They should have no problem scoring close to 90 on a porous defense.
Auburn will have to play Arkansas' style to have any chance to win, and I don't think it can successfully do that.
Barring some otherworldly showing from Hall and Pettiford, I have to trust the better team here.
My Pick: Arkansas ML
