Arkansas vs Michigan State Picks & Prediction for Saturday November 8 2025
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Arkansas is coming to face Eastern Michigan sitting on a 1-0 record and ranked 14th in the nation. The Michigan State team is coming in with a 1-0 record as well, but they are ranked 22nd in the nation. In this Big Ten vs SEC matchup it is facing a couple of teams that are looking to build up some momentum coming into the 2025-26 season and establish themselves as a legitimate contender. However, even this early season matchup here is one that is going to have some implications in March, it definitely could help set the tone for the teams. If you want to catch other great previews make sure you check out our college basketball picks.
Game Information
- Date: Saturday 11/8/25
- Tip-off time: 7:00 PM EST
- Arena: Breslin Center in East Lansing Michigan
- TV: FOX
- Michigan State is well known for having a highly energized home crowd and in a top 25 game that's Big Ten vs SEC expect the crowd to show up big time.
Team Breakdown – Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas is coming to this game here after showing a dominant win over Southern. The win came with an offensive showing that seen the Razorbacks pour in 109 points, but the defense for the Razorbacks only gave up 77 points. The Arkansas team ended up shooting 50.7% from the field and pulled down 45 boards in the game. However, the Razorbacks were able to score in huge chunks and on a lot of runs in the game.
The defense for the Arkansas team was impressive giving up only 77 points in the opener. This is not far off of the 71.4 points per game that the Razorbacks allowed last year. Arkansas does have a concern coming into this game as the shooting on the road has been a concern last season for the Razorbacks.
When it comes the players that shined in the last game that would fall to Trevon Brazile as the leader with 25 points and 11 boards to get a double-double while shooting over 50% from the field. However, Arkansas showed some strong recruiting prowess as Darisu Acuff Jr. put in 22 points and Meleek Thomas ended up getting 21 points, which went great with his 7 assists, 6 boards, and 3 steals.
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Team Breakdown – Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State for their part had an impressive win in the opening game, but was not as strong as what the Spartans would have liked. The win came over the Colgate Raiders by a score of 80-69. However, the 80 points was complimented nicely by the Spartans getting a total of 46 rebounds in the game which showed that the big men on the inside are able to battle and hold down the glass.
The defense for Michigan State looked shaky at times in the opener as the Spartans did allowed 69 points to be scored by Colgate. Still, the Spartans are playing at home and overall the Spartans have ended up playing decent last year at home with a 15-1 record, which could definitely help the Spartans out in this game here as the home crowd has been very disruptive of the opponents offensive rhythm and that could hurt the Razorbacks in their transition game.
Jaxon Kohler looked really impressive in his opening game of the year. Kohler was able to complete a double double in the opener by putting in a total of 16 points and pulling down 15 boards. However, the Spartans were not strong after Kohler and had to spread the ball around quite a bit which was no problem when Jeremy Fears came to the game and ended up getting a total of 10 assists.
Star Spotlight – Arkansas - Trevon Brazile
Brazile was able to put up career numbers in the opening game of the year for Arkansas. He managed to do that by getting 25 points and 11 boards. However, it is questionable if he will be able to replicate those numbers in this game here as the Spartans do have more talent and depth than what the Southern team has and that can really make a big difference here and could limit the numbers of Trevon.
Star Spotlight – Michigan State - Jaxon Kohler
Kohler had a very impressive opening line by getting 16 points and 15 boards to complete a double-double. This really helped to showcase the inside presence that Jaxon has by being able to score and get the rebounding completed at the same time. Not only that Kohler has been noted for his leadership ability with the front court and bringing the rest of the Michigan State front court up a notch. When you compare the two star players to each other though, you will notice that Kohler controls the glass better and gives some second chance shots while Brazile is the better scorer in the game.
Offensive Metrics Comparison
Lets break down the offensive numbers for these two teams. The Razorbacks are coming in with 109 points per game on 50.7% shooting from the field. The Spartans are hitting 41.7% of the shots from the field and only ended up with 80 points. The rebounding battle barely tips to the Spartans who ended up getting 47 boards which is 2 more than the Arkansas team with 45 boards. In the opening game for both teams they turned the ball over 9 times for each team. To that end the Spartans have the edge when it comes to the rebounding and discipline, but also the home court. While the Razorbacks get the advantage when it comes to the potential to score a ton of points in a quick time period.
Defensive Metrics Comparison
The defense for both teams was impressive at times with the Spartans giving up only 69 points, but the Razorbacks allowed 77 points, which was more than last season. The rebounding was mentioned in the offensive section, but does tip slightly in favor of the Spartans. When it comes to the blocks the Razorbacks looked better with 4 blocks compared to the 3 from the Spartans. However, the steals also tips towards the Razorbacks who ended up with 10 steals and Michigan State had 8. To get the better advantage here the Razorbacks are going to have to tighten up on the defensive front to keep the Spartans in check.
Situational Factors
The game here is going to see both teams coming in well rested. However, Arkansas does have to make a slight trip to the Northeast to go to Michigan, but the travel should not really impact the Arkansas team like a trip to Hawaii would. Both of the teams are healthy on the season so far and that will help make this a marquee matchup. The home court crowd for Michigan State could be loud and potentially disrupt the play from Arkansas.
Betting Odds & Market Overview
The Michigan State team is coming in as the favorite at a -1.5 on the spread. However, the Spartans also carry a slim -123 on the money line versus the Razorbacks sitting a +105. Now, the total in this game will be different depending on the book you are looking at, but for the most part the spread is being kept between the 155 to 155.5 mark.
- Arkansas is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games against a Big Ten opponents.
- Arkansas is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games.
- The Spartans are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games.
- The total has gone under in 12 out of the last 15 Spartans games.
Michigan State vs Arkansas Picks
This game will be more of a defensive battle than what most people would expect to see. However, I think the defense is what is going to rule in this game here as both teams have been playing decent so far, but the Spartans are playing at home. The home court is going to keep the offense from Arkansas slower and really disrupt the offensive efforts of the transition game for the Arkansas team. With that being the case I look for this game to be one that hits the under, but also for Michigan State to win and cover by a score of 74-78.
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