The Arizona State Sun Devils take on the Utah Utes. Check out our Pac-12 championship odds series for our Arizona State Utah prediction and pick. Find how to watch Arizona State Utah.
The Arizona State Sun Devils have played with great effort this season, but not with great skill. As has been the case so many times in the Bobby Hurley era in Tempe, the Sun Devils fight hard but don't shoot well and don't generate enough flow or spacing in their halfcourt offense to create high-percentage looks from structure. The talent generally isn't good enough to overcome that lack of structure. As a result, the ASU offense bogs down and goes through at least one very big lull in each game, if not two. The Sun Devils lose a lot of games because of a five- or eight-minute portion of a game in which their offense withers on the vine. It happened this past Saturday in the Pac-12 regular-season finale at UCLA. The Sun Devils led for a large portion of the game but then got stuck in the mud in the second half, enabling UCLA to rally for a victory. Arizona State scored just 16 points in the second half. The Sun Devils defended UCLA really well, allowing only 59 points and just 38-percent field goal shooting from the Bruins while forcing 12 UCLA turnovers. It didn't matter. ASU managed only 47 points and faded down the stretch. If Arizona State is ever going to raise its ceiling, it will need smoother, more polished scorers who can create shots on their own and break down defenses with individual brilliance so that the ball won't get stopped and the Devils can not only generate good looks but also draw defenders and create situations in which backside putbacks of missed shots can become a regular source of reliable point production.
The Utah Utes have clearly played themselves out of consideration for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. If Utah is going to go to the field of 68, it must come through a Pac-12 Tournament championship, meaning Utah must win four games in four days this week in Las Vegas. Coach Craig Smith has not gotten enough offense from his team in the latter portion of the season. Branden Carlson is a legitimately good player, but the supporting cast has, for the most part, tailed off as the season has moved along. Utah needs three or four players to score and shoot consistently in order to realize is potential. That hasn't happened recently. This game is the last of four Pac-12 Tournament first-round games on Wednesday in Vegas.
Here are the Arizona State-Utah Pac-12 Championship odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Pac-12 Championship Odds: Arizona State-Utah Odds
Arizona State Sun Devils: +5.5 (-110)
Utah Utes: -5.5 (-110)
Over: 145.5 (-105)
Under: 145.5 (-115)
How To Watch Arizona State vs Utah
Time: 11:30 pm ET / 8:30 pm PT
TV: Pac-12 Network
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Arizona State Could Cover the Spread
The Sun Devils might not win outright, but they should certainly keep this game close. One reason to pick ASU is that it seems to have Utah's number, at least this season. The Sun Devils won in both Tempe and Salt Lake City. They dominated Utah in the second half of their road win against the Utes. Utah's offense has not been playing well, and ASU leans into its defense as its path to victory. Utah also has just one Pac-12 win away from home this season, at UCLA. The Utes are a notoriously bad team in Pac-12 games away from home.
Why Utah Could Cover the Spread
The Utes aren't a great team, but they need this win. They should be motivated. It's not a home game, but it's also not a true road game. Utah will play with urgency and a chip on its shoulder, having lost twice to ASU previously. ASU is not good enough to beat a relatively equal opponent three times in three tries. The odds rest with Utah in this one.
Final Arizona State-Utah Prediction & Pick
This is a game no one should touch. Utah is the better team but has been bad versus ASU and away from home. It's a total coin flip.
Final Arizona State-Utah Prediction & Pick: Arizona State +5.5
Follow Us
Subscribe