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Arkansas vs. Texas Tech Liberty Bowl: Prediction, Preview, and Betting Lines

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Dec 27, 2024 1:43 AM ET

This might be a tad ragged.

Texas Tech is missing injured starting QB Behren Morton and several other pieces and coaches, but Arkansas is missing a TON - more on all of that in a moment.

Even so, this is a big deal for both teams.

Texas Tech has won three straight bowl games and eight of its last ten coming into this. The program hasn’t come up with a nine-win season since 2009, and it gets there with a win in this.

Arkansas pulled out a 55-53 thriller over Kansas in the 2022 Liberty - the best bowl game of last season. It has won two straight bowls and five of the last six going back to 2011. Get a win here, and it’ll be the Hogs’ first winning season in three years.

Arkansas vs Texas Tech: How to Watch the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Game Preview

Date: Friday, December 27, 2024
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
How To Watch: ESPN
Venue: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN
Teams: Arkansas (6-6), Texas Tech (8-4)
Fiu Bluesky | CFN Bluesky | CFN X | CFN FB
- Bowl Schedule, Scoreboard, Predictions

Why Texas Tech Will Win

Can the Arkansas offensive line hold up?

It’s really, really thin coming into this after losing three starters to the transfer portal along with a slew of backups.

The Texas Tech defense might be awful, but the D line should be relatively intact, and the run defense hasn’t been all that horrible.

Arkansas can throw, but it has to run well to win - it’s 5-1 when running for more than 180 yards, and Texas Tech allowed more than that just twice.

Between the potential issues consistently providing some pop up front, and with turnovers a massive issue - two or more in eight of the last nine games - Texas Tech needs to apply just a little bit of pressure in the backfield. However …

Why Arkansas Will Win

Texas Tech really was bad this year defensively - that’s being nice. It had no pass rush, that’s why the pass defense was so miserable, and that’s part of the reason why there were so many shootouts.

Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter is gone, the offense has to try keeping it all going without Morton and offensive coordinator Zach Kittley - he’s now the head man at Florida Atlantic, and …

Arkansas has GOT to control the clock. This isn’t a big time of possession team, but it has the far better quarterback in Taylen Green, and the remade offensive line should be able to lineup and pound.

Keep it simple here.

Run, make Texas Tech QB Will Hammond make plays, and hope to keep the turnovers to a minimum.

Arkansas vs Texas Tech: Who Will Win?

The Hogs are just missing too much.

The O line should be okay, but there’s a disaster waiting to happen if anyone gets dinged. The team will fight the good fight, but there’s a shot it’ll be missing half of its starters.

Texas Tech will hardly be perfect, but the offense will settle in over the course of the game and will start to take control late.

Arkansas vs Texas Tech AutoZone Liberty Bowl Prediction, Betting Lines

Prediction: Texas Tech 30, Arkansas 23
Line: Texas Tech -1.5, o/u: 52.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Must See Rating: 4
- AutoZone Liberty Bowl Expert Picks

This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

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