| MATCHUP | North Alabama Lions | Arkansas Razorbacks |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| Where | Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, AR | |
| When | Saturday, September 5, 2026 | |
| Time | 04:15 PM EDT | |
| TV | SEC Network | |
North Alabama Lions Betting Preview
The Lions lost 23 players in the transfer portal before last year, and that translated into a pretty rough season. North Alabama limped to a 2-10 overall record and a dismal 1-7 showing in the United Athletic Conference, finishing in the basement of the standings with the same record as Utah Tech. Wins over Northeastern State and Eastern Kentucky were the only highlights.
In their opener game versus Samford on August 29, the Lions posted 16 points in the second quarter along the way to a 22-10 win. QB Destin Wade had 229 yards and a score on 13-of-19 and Jalen Fletcher led the rush with 79 yards off 11 carries. Xavier Johnson added five catches for 129 yards and a TD.
Arkansas Razorbacks Betting Preview
Over on the Arkansas side, they didn’t have a very good year in 2025 either. To be fair, the Razorbacks had the misfortune of playing in a stacked Southeastern Conference, but they still went just 2-10 overall. The 0-8 run in the SEC games gave the Razorbacks a last-place finish in the standings and spelled the end of the line for head coach Sam Pittman. Arkansas could only beat Alabama A&M and Arkansas State in their first two games ahead of a losing stretch.
Moving on to 2026, the Razorbacks will turn the page with new head coach Ryan Silverfield. He’ll be joined by a fresh coaching staff looking to find some kind of improvement amid their tough surroundings. There won’t be too many familiar faces on the field in the early-going, as Arkansas was forced to heavily rely on the transfer portal in order to build their roster in the offseason.
North Alabama Lions @ Arkansas Razorbacks Betting Trends: Week 1
Why the Arkansas Razorbacks will win
- Arkansas has won each of its last five home openers.
- Arkansas has covered the spread in five of its last six season openers.
Why the North Alabama Lions will win
- Arkansas has lost each of its last five home games.
- Arkansas has failed to cover the spread in each of its last nine games against non-conference opponents at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Total Points Facts
- Eleven of Arkansas’ last 13 home games against teams from Alabama have gone OVER the total points line.
Arkansas Razorbacks Player Prop Facts
- Sutton Smith ranked 16th amongst qualified players for Yards Per Carry (6.6) last season.
Matchup/League Facts
- Arkansas ranked 1st among FBS teams for Q2 points per game last season (13.5).
- Arkansas ranked 5th among FBS teams for H1 points per game last season (21.4).
North Alabama vs Arkansas Prediction
I might take a wild stab on North Alabama in this one, but realistically I’m probably just staying away. The Lions had a nice defensive game against Samford in their opener, giving up just 237 yards (negative-eight rushing), 10 first downs and 5-of-16 on third-down tries. The offense posted 394 yards but only 15 first downs. The 10 penalties for 78 yards need to be cleaned up as well.
As for Arkansas, they’re in rebuild mode so any signs of improvement—however modest—would be welcome. The Razorbacks really need to inject some life into a limp defense, but there are a few encouraging signs like returning DE Quincy Rhodes and newcomer Carlon Jones. With Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas A&M, Auburn and Texas on the schedule however, there aren’t a lot of potential wins to pencil in.