College basketball’s ACC/SEC Challenge continues with a showdown between the Louisville Cardinals and the Arkansas Razorbacks on Wednesday night at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Both teams are ranked in the top 25. The Cardinals (7-0) come in at No. 6, while the Razorbacks (5-2) are No. 25.
Let’s dive into my Louisville vs. Arkansas predictions.
Louisville Cardinals vs. Arkansas Razorbacks odds
Money line: Louisville -188 / Arkansas +155
Spread: Louisville -3.5 (-110) / Arkansas +3.5 (-110)
Total: Over 164.5 (-110) / Under 164.5 (-110)
Louisville Cardinals vs. Arkansas Razorbacks pick: Arkansas +3.5 (-110)
Louisville is undefeated, but it has faced only two Power 4 opponents — and one was Cincinnati, which lost to Eastern Michigan. The Cardinals also have not played a true road game; they have ventured outside of their own gym just once (beat Cincinnati at a neutral site). Rebounding is some cause for concern when it comes to Arkansas, as the Razorbacks got out-rebounded by both Michigan State and Duke while Louisville boasts a +12.7 average rebounding margin. However, that is mostly due to taking advantage of weaker competition. The Cardinals lost the rebounding battle against Kentucky 42 to 40 — the same Kentucky team that got out-rebounded by Michigan State at a ridiculous -14 clip (42 to 28).
Arkansas can hang with Louisville on the boards, and it can certainly keep up on the scoreboard. Head coach John Calipari’s crew has exceeded the 100-point mark twice and has scored 84 and 93 points on two other occasions. Freshmen Meleek Thomas (17.6 ppg) and Darius Acuff Jr. (17.4 ppg) have impressed. Thomas leads the Razorbacks in scoring; Acuff leads in assists (4.4 apg). Arkansas lost to Michigan State by three points — a Michigan State program that has already destroyed both Kentucky and North Carolina. The Hogs lost to Duke by nine in a game they led by three with fewer than seven minutes remaining. Playing at home, Arkansas should be able to cover a +3.5 spread if not even win outright.
Louisville Cardinals vs. Arkansas Razorbacks pick: Under 164.5 (-110)
Neither Louisville nor Arkansas has been playing especially fast so far this season. Louisville ranks No. 74 in the nation in pace of play at 75.1 possessions per game; Arkansas is No. 85 in that department at 74.6 possessions per contest. Although the sample size is small at this stage of the 2025-26 campaign, last year’s metrics tell a similar story. The Cardinals were 151st in pace; the Razorbacks ranked 71st.
In its most recent appearance with a Power 4 opponent on the other end of the floor, Louisville scraped past Cincinnati 74-64 in a defensive struggle. Arkansas scored 66 and 71 points in its first two outings against Power 4 foes. The Cardinals can score, but offense can be a problem if Ryan Conwell (20.1 ppg) and Mikel Brown Jr. (17.0 ppg) are at all off their game. Isaac McKneely is the only other player scoring in double-figures, and he comes in at a modest 12.3 ppg.