There shouldn’t be anything boring about this.
Arizona had to push its way through Utah State in a 78-66 win that was far tougher than the final score.
Arkansas had to keep pushing against a high-octane High Point team that kept on scoring in a 94-88 Razorback win.
The Wildcats will want to run again after being slowed by the Aggies, the Hogs will be happy to oblige with their warp-speed style under legendary head coach John Calipari, and the stars will come out to shine.
Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) celebrates after defeating the Utah State Aggies during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
(© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Arizona vs Arkansas Game Preview: The Wildcats and Razorbacks Will Run Wild
Arizona vs Arkansas How To Watch
Date: Thursday, March 26
Venue: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, CA
Time: 9:45 pm ET
TV: CBS
Streaming: March Madness Live App, Paramount+, HBO Max
Teams: (1) Arizona 34-2, (4) Arkansas 23-12
Football Series History: Somewhat shockingly, these two never met in football. However, in basketball, Arkansas is 5-2.
NCAA Tournament So Far
– Arizona: 1st Round LIU 92-58, 2nd Round Utah State 78-66
– Arkansas: 1st Round Hawaii 97-78, 2nd Round High Point 94-88
– CFN NCAA Tournament Schedule, Previews
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Key Stats
– Arkansas made 51% of its shots from the field in the win over High Point, but the Panthers made 45% of their chances.
– Arizona was held to just two points on the fastbreak in the win over Utah State.
Why Arkansas Will Win: Darius Acuff Jr. Keeps Rolling
The freshman superstar set the Arkansas single-season scoring record after his brilliant 36-point performance against High Point.
Unstoppable as the main man for the high-powered Hog offense, Acuff is averaging 30 points and seven assists over the last five games.
Arizona’s defense is good, but when it comes to facing superstars, it allowed 24 points from Darryn Peterson in the last meeting with Kansas, 35 from BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, and in the season opener, Florida’s Thomas Haugh came up with 27.
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And in the loss to Texas Tech – one of Arizona’s two losses – star JT Toppin went off for 31 points and 13 rebounds.
This will be a high-scoring game with plenty of big performances. Arizona doesn’t have Acuff Jr., however …
Why Arizona Will Win: The Wildcats Have More NBA Talent
Arizona has Koa Peat. He was missing from most of the loss to Texas Tech. He’ll likely be a top 25 pick in the NBA Draft.
Guard Brayden Burries will almost certainly go in the top ten, and center Motiejus Krivas – who was a 14-rebound monster against Utah State – will go in the top 20.
Throw in guard Jaden Bradley, and the Wildcats are loaded with stars who all want to run.
Utah State did a brilliant job of keeping Arizona under wraps early in the second half. It was a Wildcat second round win, but things bogged down, the team was out of sync, and, forgetting the 12-point difference in the final score, it was a grind.
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Arizona likes to move. It led the Big 12 and is 20th in the nation, averaging 15 fastbreak points per game, but was held to just two by the Aggies. Arkansas wants to run, run, and run some more.
Arizona vs Arkansas Prediction, Betting Lines
The Hogs are second in the nation in fastbreak points, averaging over 19 per game, and Arizona will love to play along and get their stars in the open space with the ability to be creative.
The Wildcats have no problem getting into a scoring fight, but Arkansas does. The Hogs went 1-5 when allowing 90 points or more, and Arizona is 25-0 when scoring 79 or more.
Arkansas allows 80.3 points per game.
Prediction: Arizona 91, Arkansas 82
Consensus Line: Arizona -7.5, o/u: 167.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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Related: Iowa vs Nebraska Prediction and Preview: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
This story was originally published by College Football News on Mar 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
