Arizona vs. Arizona State Prediction: Take the Points in the Pac-12 Rivalry

Arizona vs. Arizona State Prediction: Take the Points in the Pac-12 Rivalry

Let's start the week going to the Pac-12 as we go to the desert for the battle of Arizona and Arizona St. Arizona is clearly a superior team, a top-10 unit and a very dangerous contender come March Madness. But, Arizona State gets no respect and, while this team probably won't make the tournament, they play hard every game. So let's teach the books that Rodney Dangerfield doesn't just win in the movies he wins in real life. 

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Arizona vs. Arizona State Prediction

Arizona is the third best offensive team in the country. They get almost 85 points a game and shoot 48% from the floor, which is the best in the Pac-12. But, we go back a week to January 29th when Arizona shot 32% from the field and only 13% from the 3-point. After Arizona State, they played UCLA and USC and shot a combined 47.6%, getting back to their average. 

The question is was it the defense or just bad shooting, because USC and UCLA shot 36.6% combined, yet both got 15 and 17 more shots off. Arizona is the best defense in the conference, holding opponents to 64.5 a game. They are also No. 2 in the country in opponent field goal % at 36.8. So, they are great defensively, but it still bothers us that if USC and UCLA shot better they would have won both games. Arizona State did get more shots up in the first meeting, but both teams were brutal on offense and the better team pulled away late.

Arizona State is coming off an amazing triple overtime win. If you didn't watch that one, you missed one of the best games of the year. They would not go away even though they really only played 6 men all game, it was a total team effort with 6 guys in double figures. If we go back a little, Arizona State lost last year at home on a tip-in at the buzzer. The year before, they came back from being down double-digits (13) and won by a point. The year before that, they won an overtime thriller at home.

These teams may not be evenly matched, but Arizona State always shows up at home to give the big bad Wildcats a game. Arizona State is built on defense as well. You can say Arizona had a bad shooting night last game as they made only 32% of their shots, but how about the fact  Arizona State plays hard and their defense held Arizona to the fewest made field goals all year?

Looking at that Arizona schedule, they split the home and home with UCLA and beat USC at home. The rest of the schedule is full of all bad teams as the Pac-12 is top heavy. Also, if you go back, Arizona had two true road games and they barely beat Illinois (Frazier, Illinois' best player, fouled out and Illinois blew the game), and they lost at Tennessee. We are not impressed by Arizona's road games against ranked teams and the Sun Devils can beat Arizona as they have at home twice in the last three years and this team gets no respect as we mentioned with the spread. They were +6 against USC and lost by 5 in a nailbiter. Against UCLS, they were +10.5 and won the three-overtime thriller. Now they're +12.5 against Arizona (guess we know who Vegas thinks is the best team in the Pac-12). 

We feel the Sun Devils and Bobby Hurley are going to teach the books a lesson again as you keep disrespecting us at home and we will keep showing up. Will Arizona shoot 32% again?Probably not. Getting 6 baskets is enough for us to say let's roll with the Devils in this one. As we write this article Arizona St is +12.5 and we are going to take them to give Arizona another battle in Tempe. 

Arizona vs. Arizona State Betting Line Movement

Arizona vs. Arizona State Pick

• PICK: Arizona State +12.5 @ -115 (Bet $115 to win $100)