No. 4 Texas A&M Opens As One-Score Favorite Over Arkansas Razorbacks

It's rivalry week for the Texas A&M Aggies, taking their first road trip in over a month to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, the first time that the "Southwest Classic" has been played at one of the two campuses since the 2020 edition was played at Kyle Field after being held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington since 2014.

As for the reason, some might say that it means more to have the games split between Fayetteville and College Station, and some might say that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was tired of seeing Texas A&M beat his alma mater inside of his stadium year in and year out, as the Aggies won all but one game against the Pigs while the two teams played at "Jerry World" since both were a part of the SEC.

And even though the matchup heads back up to "The Natural State," that hasn't changed any of the momentum pushing in favor of the Maroon and White.

Texas A&M Opens as Favorites Against the Razorbacks

In ESPN Bet Sportsbooks' first odds released on Monday morning, the No. 4-ranked Texas A&M Aggies were shown as the 7.5-point favorites over the 2-4 Razorbacks, the first time the two teams square off in Fayetteville since 2013, when Johnny Manziel and No. 10 Texas A&M defeated Arkansas 45-33 thanks to six catches, 116 yards, and two touchdowns by wide receiver Mike Evans.

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) carries the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs — Oct 4, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) carries the ball during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

ESPN's Matchup Predictor gave the Aggies a 70 percent chance of victory over the Razorbacks, which would be the Farmers' 13th win over the Pigs in their last 14 meetings.

Texas A&M is coming off of a 34-17 win over the Florida Gators to move to 6-0 on the season and 3-0 in SEC play after a strong second half that saw the Aggies nearly shut out the Gators in the second half with the defense turning in another dominant showing, only allowing one third-down conversion the entire night, the total in the past three games moving to 2-for-33, a true testament to their "Wrecking Crew" nickname that houses dynamic personnel such as defensive end Cashius Howell and linebacker Taurean York.

Arkansas is 2-4 on the year after taking the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers to the limit Saturday, mounting a fourth-quarter comeback just a little too late as the Vols held on for the 34-31 win, the Razorbacks still searching for their first win since firing head coach Sam Pittman after their hellacious 56-13 loss to Notre Dame at home two weeks ago.

The two teams will face off at Kyle Field in the 2026, before getting a year's break in between for the 2027 season due to the new SEC scheduling somehow not pitting the two rivals together as one of the three protected opponents that every team was assigned last month.

The 2025 Southwest Classic kicks off Saturday at 2:30 PM from Fayetteville.

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