King of Props: Neal before the throne

As Kansas and Arkansas prepare to meet in the Liberty Bowl, the notable similarities extend well beyond the letters in their names. Both teams have risen from the bottom of a Power Five conference under a new coach and survived a three-game losing streak this season to post a 6-6 record. With the Jayhawks looking to win their first bowl game since 2008, we’re backing a native son for our top prop:

The bet: Over 81½ rushing yards for Kansas running back Devin Neal (DraftKings)

Having grown up right in Lawrence, Neal delighted his hometown when he committed to the local flagship university. He has led the Jayhawks in rushing in each of his two seasons, continuing to ascend as a sophomore by rolling for 1,061 yards on the ground and 10 total touchdowns.

Now Neal gets to face an Arkansas run defense that ranks 103rd of the 131 FBS teams, allowing 180 yards per game. The Razorbacks will also be playing without their top two tacklers, as All-American linebacker Drew Sanders has opted out of the game to prepare for the NFL draft and the creatively named Bumper Pool is recovering from hip surgery.

Additionally, Arkansas will be adjusting to a new defensive coordinator because Barry Odom has left to become the head coach at UNLV. This game represents a golden opportunity for Neal to bring joy to long-suffering fans – and he figures to seize it with a big rushing performance.