Arkansas vs. Ole Miss: SEC Tournament Predictions (Thursday)
The SEC Tournament kicked off yesterday in Nashville, Tennessee as one of the most anticipated tournaments among the power conferences. As the tournament currently projects, 13 different SEC teams are in the tournament with the conference ranking as one of the best in the KenPom era. Even the No. 16-ranked South Carolina got some heralded wins and might've been a tournament team if it was in the ACC. But the focus is on the top.
Auburn is currently the consensus favorite to win the SEC tournament at +150, followed close behind by Florida (+265), Alabama (+425) and Tennessee (+600). Not only are these top SEC teams, but all four rank in the top six nationally. There's a decent chance your National Champion is in that group.
Johni Broome is battling with Cooper Flagg for the John R. Wooden Award. Auburn is fighting with Duke for title favorites but there is no question that the SEC is the best conference this year. We still have to wait one more day for the double-bye top-four-seeded teams to play.
In this article, we're focusing on previewing the SEC Tournament’s second round, so let's get to it. Here is our top pick for Arkansas vs. Ole Miss.
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Thursday's Best SEC Tournament Predictions: Arkansas vs. Ole Miss
Arkansas vs. Ole Miss
Location: Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, TN
Line: Ole Miss -3.5 | Total: 144.5
After handling business against South Carolina - and perhaps locking up their tournament bid - Arkansas is greeted by No. 9 seed Ole Miss Runnin' Rebels as a near two-possession underdog. They ran hot to start the year, defeating BYU and Louisville and starting hot with a 4-0 SEC record to begin tournament play. Since January 15th, Ole Miss went 6-8, ranking 40th in Division I (DI) hoops.
Overall, this team ranks in the top 30 both offensively and defensively. They take care of the ball at one of the highest clippings in the nation, manufacturing shots at a high clip with the 59th-best field goal rate in basketball. They also do a great job of forcing turnovers, ranking 17th in defensive field goal rate, as they rarely allow quick transition points.
What I'm most curious to watch in this matchup is Arkansas' offense against Chris Beard's defense. It's not like the Razorbacks have been quite efficient offensively, ranking 74th overall this season and 14th in SEC play. They won't surprise with talented shooters and missing Adou Thiero and Boogie Fland are clear knocks on their game.
It seemed like John Calipari's squad ran out of steam yesterday, scoring 11 points in the final 10 minutes. Asking them to come back again with their fast pace against a top-30 unit that lines up well is a lot to ask. I trust Ole Miss to force turnovers and take advantage of them by turning them into buckets. Arkansas has the talent, but I simply think they will be out-coached here.
Prediction: Ole Miss 73, Arkansas 68
Best Bet: Ole Miss -3.5 (-110 at FanDuel Sportsbook)