Utah vs. Arizona State Prediction: Can Utes Shut Down Jose Perez, Sun Devils on Thursday Night?
The Arizona State Sun Devils will host the Utah Utes on Thursday night in their first game of the new year. Can the Utes stifle Jose Perez and the Sun Devils' offense in their home gym? Krabs breaks down this matchup and provides his top player prop in Utah vs. Arizona State.

Krabs
| 5 min
Utah vs. Arizona State Prediction: Can Utes Shut Down Jose Perez, Sun Devils on Thursday Night?
On Thursday night, two undefeated teams in PAC-12 conference play face-off as the Utah Utes travel to Temple to battle the Arizona State Sun Devils. There is one play in this game that is looking at me funny. Let’s dive into the breakdown…
Utah vs. Arizona State Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: January 4, 2024
- Game Time: 11:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN2
Utah vs. Arizona State Prediction
Jose Perez was a highly-coveted transfer after averaging close to 20 PPG for Manhattan last season. Perez found his stride in November and December, dropping double-digit points six games in a row between 11/24 and 12/16.
Since Adam Miller has returned to the lineup for the Sun Devils, we’ve seen a significant decrease in shot volume for Perez. In the last four games since Miller returned, Perez has only scored 10+ points in one game, and it was back on 12/16.
The shot volume isn’t there for Perez, whose points prop is simply too high. The books havent adjusted to Miller’s return for ASU yet, and Perez has been set at a number that isn’t realistic with his shot output over the last month.
The total in this game has dropped since the opener, a great sign for fading Perez tonight. The Sun Devils are also coming off of two outright road wins as underdogs. Seeing Utah laying -6.5 points and the total dropping is a great sign for fading anyone on ASU, especially Perez who hasn’t been able to get his shots up lately.
Fade Jose Perez and bet him to score less than 12.5 points on Thursday night. Utah is going to obliterate the Sun Devils on the road in this spot. Their defense has improved drastically since last season; the Utes have a top-70 defensive efficiency and will be clamping up Jose Perez and the rest of this ASU backcourt tonight.
Utah Utes vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Pick
Pick: Jose Perez u12.5 Points (-110) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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