Matchup analysis
Before kickoff our model projected Texas A&M 36.3, Arkansas 18 at Kyle Field in Week 5. That is a heavy edge: Texas A&M wins about 88% of the time by our estimate, with a projected margin of 18.3 points and 54.2 combined points. Tags: favorite holds.
Arkansas is 2-2, scoring 23 and allowing 27 points per game (-4 per game). Texas A&M is 2-2, scoring 31.3 and allowing 21.5 points per game (+9.8 per game).
Texas A&M's strong defense (16th) should limit Arkansas's below-average offense (83rd of 138 in our opponent-adjusted ratings, worth about 25 points against an average defense). The most lopsided unit battle: Texas A&M's strong offense (19th of 138 in our opponent-adjusted ratings, worth about 33.8 points against an average defense) against Arkansas's below-average defense (88th).
College football is noisy: even a well-rated projection misses the final margin by about 14 points on average. Based on how real results have scattered around our numbers, the final margin should land somewhere between Arkansas by 4 and Texas A&M by 41 about 80% of the time.
Texas A&M gets about 2.1 points for playing at home. Even on a neutral field the ratings would still favour Texas A&M by about 16.2. The game is on ESPN2.
Result: Arkansas 7, Texas A&M 34. The model had the right winner; the margin was off by 8.7 points and the total by 13.2.
Market lines
Market lines · Source: The Odds API, ESPN, Action Network · Updated Oct 29, 9:25 AM UTC. Shown for information; not an input to our projections.
| Provider | Spread (open → now) | Total (open → now) | Moneyline (Arkansas / Texas A&M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consensus | Texas A&M -14.25 → Texas A&M -13.75 | 51.5 → 50.75 | +437.5 / -612.5 |
| DraftKings | Texas A&M -14.5 → Texas A&M -13.5 | 51.5 | +425 / -575 |
| Bovada | Texas A&M -14 | 51.5 → 50 | +450 / -650 |
This game's lines: CollegeFootballData.com · read Oct 22, 6:37 PM UTC.
| Projection | Margin | Total | Texas A&M win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our model | Texas A&M -18.5 | 54.2 | 88% |
| Market consensus | Texas A&M -14 | 50.8 | 82% |
| Blended projection | Texas A&M -14.5 | 51.7 | 84% |
Blended projection = 0.16 x our margin + 0.84 x the market margin, weights fitted on past seasons (see methodology).
Model vs market
- Texas A&M win probability
- model 88% · market (no-vig) 82% · difference +6 pts
- Margin
- model Texas A&M -18.3 · market Texas A&M -13.75 · difference +4.6 pts (Texas A&M view)
- Total
- model 54.2 · market 50.75 · difference +3.5
Model margin is 4.6 pts more toward Texas A&M than the market.
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Original projection vs new formula
| Projection | Score | Win prob | Margin miss | Total miss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original projection | Arkansas 18.0, Texas A&M 36.3 | Texas A&M 88%right winner | 8.7 | 13.2 |
| New formula | Arkansas 17.6, Texas A&M 37.1 | Texas A&M 90%right winner | 7.4 | 13.7 |
Final: Arkansas 7, Texas A&M 34. Original = the number we posted before kickoff. New formula (2026-10-21 matchup terms) = the current model re-run with only the games played before this one.
Arkansas vs Texas A&M: stat comparison
Season to date before kickoff: these numbers are frozen at kickoff and do not include this game or anything after it.
| Stat | Arkansas | Texas A&M |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 23.0#106 | 31.3#68 |
| Points allowed per game | 27.0#101 | 21.5#58 |
| Yards per play | 4.86#130 | 4.90#128 |
| Yards per play allowed | 5.95#94 | 6.63#124 |
| Rushing yards per game | 108.0#133 | 170.5#68 |
| Net passing yards per game | 255.0#49 | 181.3#107 |
| Rushing yards allowed per game | 141.5#64 | 130.0#51 |
| Net passing yards allowed per game | 184.3#51 | 234.5#103 |
| Turnovers per game | 1.25#93 | 1.50#117 |
| Takeaways per game | 0.75#80 | 1.00#49 |
| Sacks per game | 2.00#59 | 1.00#120 |
| Sacks allowed per game | 3.25#130 | 2.00#90 |
| Stat | Arkansas | Texas A&M |
|---|---|---|
| EPA per play | -0.06#125 | -0.01#113 |
| EPA per play allowed | +0.10#102 | +0.05#78 |
| Success rate | 41.5%#92 | 42.5%#78 |
| Success rate allowed | 42.5%#87 | 41.0%#77 |
| Explosive play rate | 8.9%#134 | 9.7%#126 |
| Explosive plays allowed | 11.5%#69 | 17.4%#137 |
| Havoc rate | 14.4%#67 | 12.4%#101 |
| Havoc allowed | 14.0%#87 | 14.6%#99 |
| Points per scoring opportunity | 3.83#96 | 4.44#53 |
| Points per opportunity allowed | 5.61#137 | 4.06#88 |
| Average starting field position | own 29#88 | own 34#22 |
| Opponents' starting field position | own 30#95 | own 29#83 |
| Offensive plays per game (pace) | 74.8#8 | 71.8#18 |
| Stat | Arkansas | Texas A&M |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing EPA per play | -0.13#135 | +0.04#88 |
| Passing EPA per play | -0.01#104 | -0.05#114 |
| Rushing EPA allowed | +0.27#135 | -0.06#33 |
| Passing EPA allowed | -0.06#37 | +0.17#107 |
| Rushing success rate | 37.1%#118 | 46.6%#54 |
| Passing success rate | 45.0%#54 | 38.9%#100 |
| Run stuff rate | 16.8%#73 | 15.6%#59 |
| Passing-down success rate | 31.3%#70 | 37.2%#28 |
| Passing-down success allowed | 19.2%#3 | 32.7%#102 |
| Third-down conversion rate | 46.8%#40 | 39.7%#86 |
| Third-down rate allowed | 40.9%#95 | 27.3%#9 |
| Red-zone touchdown rate | 52.6%#111 | 66.7%#62 |
| Red-zone TD rate allowed | 87.5%#133 | 58.3%#74 |
# = rank among 138 FBS teams. Efficiency numbers exclude garbage time. Per-play numbers of teams with a weak schedule are pulled toward their opponent-adjusted values (fully at one standard deviation below an average schedule). Source: play-by-play (cfbfastR / sportsdataverse), aggregated by us.
More: Arkansas schedule · Texas A&M schedule · all Week 5 projections
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Projections are statistical estimates for entertainment and analysis only. They are not betting advice and nothing here guarantees any result.
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