At the beginning of the season, many thought that the Pac-12 would be a four bid league, they just didn’t have the correct teams. While most thought Washington would join Arizona, Colorado, and Oregon at the dance, it is actually Arizona State that has risen to the fourth spot in the conference behind a five-game winning streak that has brought them to 17-8 (8-4) and in the hunt.
The Sun Devils have had a nice combination of quality play, timely scheduling, and star power in junior Remy Martin playing like an all-conference player.
Martin has been good all season long, but over his last 13 games, he has really turned in on over the last 13 games, averaging 21.5 points, four assists and three rebounds while shooting nearly 39% from behind the three-point line.
The Oregon Ducks were once the darlings of the college basketball universe behind the play of senior point guard Payton Pritchard but have been underwhelming in recent weeks. At 20-6, they are still one of the best teams in the nation but are prone to stints of poor play before being bailed out by their All-American level point guard.
After falling in consecutive games to Stanford and Oregon State, they have bounced back to defeat a very good Colorado team and a Utah team that hasn’t been an easy out for anyone this season.
While Pritchard has been his usual self in the last two games, it has been the contribution from sophomore guard Will Richardson that has been key.
Richardson averages about 11 points on the season but has averaged 19.5 over the Ducks’ last two ball games. He will have to maintain that level of play in tonight’s game for Oregon to continue their winning ways.
Oregon is a one-point favorite on the road, with the over/under set at 143.
Oregon has been just ducky
Dana Altman’s squad has been friendly to bettors this season, going 15-11 against the spread overall and 19-4 straight up as the favorite. They are just 3-5 ATS on the road but are 6-6 straight up in road/neutral site locations.
The offense has stepped up on the road to the tune of 16 overs in 26 games, including 13 of their last 20 games overall.
Hurley avoiding the in-season collapse
This may not be Bobby Hurley’s best team, but it might end up being his most successful to date. For the good times to continue, you have to win at home, and the Sun Devils have gone 10-2 straight up in Tempe despite a mediocre 6-6 against the spread at home.
ASU is solid as the dog as well at 5-4 straight up on the season. They tend to slow it down, going under in 14 of their 25 games this season, but have gone over in four of their last five games.
Can either of these teams be trusted?
Truth be told, I am probably staying away from this game. However, if I am going to make a pick and a wager here, it is going to be Arizona State money line. A home dog with just a one-point spread? You may as well make the wager worth it, right?
Oregon did defeat the Sun Devils in Eugene last month by 11 points, but Remy Martin didn’t have a great game, and Alonzo Verge Jr. is a very different player this time around. Verge scored zero points in the first meeting but has averaged 18 points per game over his last seven games.
The Ducks are not a great defensive team, and if those two guys get going, Arizona State is going to make it six in a row while blowing through the over.
