Arkansas at East Carolina

Which of these two teams is more pumped to be here? The Arkansas Razorbacks, facing E. Carolina? Or E. Carolina getting to test their mettle against an SEC powerhouse? Yeah, the Pirates should be more "up" for this one. But can they hang? Yes they can! Arkansas is trying out a new offensive coordinator for this game (Paul Petrino left for Illinois) and that can't be good for continuity. Under Skip Holtz, this E. Carolina team is 22-10 ATS as an underdog. They ended the season on fire, going 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS. That included straight-up wins as an underdog vs. Tulsa and Houston. The Razorbacks are known for their high-flying offense but where has this offense been on the road this season? It seems they leave it at home. Arkansas averaged 46.7 points per game at home, but just 24.2 on the road - a dropoff of 23 points per game! So, it's no surprise a team that went 6-1 at home went just 1-4 on the road. Their defense was weak as well, allowing a ridiculous 8.1 yards per play (8.4 on the road). Under Holtz, the Pirates are 12-4 ATS vs. teams that allow 6+ yards per play. I like the Pirates plus the points here.