The Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kickoff is set for 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Utah is favored by -12.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -535. The total is set at 55.5 points.
Here's my Arkansas vs. Utah predictionand college football pick for Saturday, September 12, 2026.
Arkansas vs. Utah Pick: Utah -12.5
My Utah vs. Arkansas best betis on the Utes to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page and be sure to download the Action Network app for more picks and analysis.
Arkansas vs Utah point spread: Utah -12 (-108), Arkansas +12 (-110)
Arkansas vs Utah over/under: 55.5 (-108o / -110u)
Arkansas vs Utah moneyline: Arkansas +380, Utah -500
This looks like it's going to be another long season for the Razorbacks.
You can typically tell how a team fares when they play an FCS program, and Arkansas stumbled out of the gate against North Alabama .
The Hogs may have won by the score of 31-14, but it wasn't as easy as the scoreboard indicated. They scored one touchdown each in the first two quarters, while quarterback KJ Jackson registered a fumble and an interception in the second.
Outside of Arkansas' inability to protect the football, it was dreadful at running the ball. Its leading rusher, Braylen Russell , ran the ball 49 yards on 17 carries and 2.9 yards per carry, while backup Sutton Smith rushed for 36 yards on 15 carries.
No matter what, this run game was going to look different this season after 2025 lead rusher Mike Washington went on to the NFL, but Russell did an admirable job as a backup. Needless to say, a North Alabama roster that finished 91st in rushing yards allowed stifled him.
And it can't be encouraging after hearing coach Ryan Silverfield say that the Razorbacks have to "get creative" against a tough Utah defense.
After dropping a total dud against an FCS squad, it's only going to get tougher for this Arkansas squad.
I do think there's a lot to be encouraged about on the defensive side of the ball, though. This will be a big season for linebacker Ben Bogle, who's expected to expand on his junior season where he posted a trio of sacks and 37 total tackles.
Additionally, DB and Tulane transfer Joker Johnson had a solid game with a PBU and two total tackles. Over the spring, the Arkansas staff sang his praises and immediately labeled him as one of the Hogs' most important players this season.
Conversely, the Utes opened up the season against Idaho and wiped the floor with the Vandals by the score of 66-14.
Utah notched at least 14 points in each quarter, with QB Devon Dampier and RB Wayshawn Parker leading the charge.
This was supposed to be a big season for the senior Dampier, and he kicked it off with an impressive 13-of-18 performance for 176 yards and three passing touchdowns.
Dampier's typically a dual-threat, but we hardly saw him take off last week, after his offensive line protected him admirably. Instead, it was RB LaMarcus Bell who took off with a pair of explosive plays throughout the game.
Utah's still among the premier rushing teams in the FBS. Last season, the Utes were second overall with 265.8 rushing yards per game, led by Wayshawn Parker. And last week, Parker recorded 94 total yards, a rushing touchdown, and a pair of receiving touchdowns.
Since Morgan Scalley took over as head coach after Kyle Whittingham bolted to Ann Arbor, the run defense looks highly promising.
Granted, it was Idaho in Week 1, but the Vandals ran the ball 31 times for just a meager 3.4 yards per carry. A lot of the defense was controlled by defensive tackle Karson Kaufusi, who posted 1.5 tackles for loss, as well as linebackers Cyrus Polu and Elijah Elliss.
If last week was any indication, I think Utah has the same success against the run against Arkansas as it did with Idaho.
It's clear that the Hogs have a lot of work to do not just on the ground, but at quarterback. Jackson acknowledged the issues he faced against North Alabama, but Utah is going to be a much taller task.
I think the 12.5 line is being awfully generous towards the Hogs. There's not a lot working in their favor right now, and I think they'll begin to find success a little later on in the season.
For now, it's going to be a slow burn. I'm riding with the Utes to cover.
Pick: Utah -12.5
