The Sun Devils of Arizona State (+2.5) are set to host the Stanford Cardinal (-2.5) at Sun Devil Stadium, Frank Kush Field. This crucial conference matchup is scheduled to start at 9:00 p.m. ET and interested parties can witness the action live on ESPN.
Betting Preview: Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Stanford Cardinal
Arizona State is playing the role of underdog and is currently getting 2.5 points in this Thursday Pac-12 game. The Cardinal are also receiving -140 moneyline odds while the Sun Devils are +120. If one side catches a lucky break early it’ll create a decent betting scenario in-game. Vegas has set the over/under (O/U) at 54 points.
With the spread opening at 2 and the O/U originally placed at 53.5, bookmakers have shifted the odds a bit.
The Cardinal have gained 0.1 units so far in 2018 and are 3-3 against the spread (ATS). The team’s recorded an Over-Under mark of 3-2.
The Sun Devils have lost 1.6 units this season. The team is 4-2 ATS and has an even O/U record of 3-3.
The Cardinal are 4-2 straight up (SU), including 2-1 SU against conference opponents. The Sun Devils are 3-3 SU overall and 1-2 SU in conference play.
When these two teams met a year ago, Stanford got the victory 34-24.
The Cardinal will look to get back on track after a 40-21 loss to Utah on October 6. The passing game wasn’t where it needed to be as K.J. Costello completed 26-of-41 passes for 381 yards, one score and two interceptions. Trevor Speights (just 56 rushing yards on 17 attempts, one TD) provided the ground attack while Kaden Smith (eight receptions, 120 yards) and JJ Arcega-Whiteside (eight catches, 103 yards) shared the receiving duties in the defeat.
A couple of weeks ago, Colorado knocked off this Arizona State team by a score of 28-21. Manny Wilkins completed 12-of-18 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown. Eno Benjamin (120 yards on 28 rush attempts, two TDs) mounted the running attack while N’Keal Harry (three receptions, 62 yards) and Frank Darby (three catches, 131 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching corps in the loss.
Stanford has run the ball on 47.0 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Arizona State has an overall rush percentage of 53.5 percent. The Cardinal have produced 85.7 rush yards per game (including 90.7 per game against Pac-12 opponents) and have six scores on the ground this year. The Sun Devils are totaling 175.2 rushing yards per game (235.0 in conference) and have 11 total rush TDs.
It seems like the Sun Devils could hold an edge when it comes to RB effectiveness, as their backfield has generated 4.9 yards per carry while the defense is allowing a YPC of 3.8 to opponents. The Cardinal have tallied 3.1 yards per carry while allowing 4.1 YPC to opponents.
The Cardinal offense has logged 268.5 yards/contest through the air overall (297.0 per game versus conference opposition) and has 12 passing scores so far. The Sun Devils have recorded 241.0 pass yards per game (163 against Pac-12 competition) and have 11 total pass TDs.
Defensively, Stanford has allowed opponents to run for an average of 164.3 yards and pass for 235.3 yards per game. The Arizona State D has given up 222.7 yards per game to opposing passers and 162.3 yards per game to opposing runners. Both teams allow similar adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) to the opposition, as the Cardinal have given up an ANY/A of 5.78 to opposing QBs, while the Sun Devils are yielding an ANY/A of 6.04.
Offensively, Costello has put up 1,437 passing yards on the year, and has connected on 99-of-155 attempts with 11 passing scores and five interceptions. Costello has an 8.41 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 5.25 over the past two games.
In the home locker room, Manny Wilkins has managed to complete 106-of-163 passes for 1,284 yards, eight TDs and one INT. Wilkins’ ANY/A stands at 8.02 for the season and 10.07 over his last two games.
Stanford Cardinal vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Free Pick
SU Winner: Stanford, ATS Winner: Stanford, O/U: Under
Betting Trends
- The O/U for Stanford’s last game going into it was 44.5. The over cashed in the team’s 40-21 defeat to Utah.
- As a team, Stanford has rushed for 2.2 yards per attempt over its last three contests and 1.9 over its last two.
- Arizona State has averaged 5.6 yards per carry over its last three outings and 6.2 over its last two.
- Arizona State has lost one fumble this season while Stanford has lost two.
- Over its last three matchups, Stanford is 1-2 ATS and the over cashed in each of those three.
- The O/U for Arizona State’s last outing was 64. The under cashed in the team’s 28-21 loss to Colorado.
- In its last three games, Arizona State is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
- The Cardinal offense has created five pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Sun Devils have accounted for six such plays.
- The Stanford defense has allowed three pass plays of 40 yards or more, while Arizona State has given up two such plays.
- The Stanford offense has created five rushing plays of 20+ yards, while Arizona State has created nine such runs.
- The Cardinal defense has allowed 11 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Sun Devils have given up five such runs.
- The Arizona State defensive unit has notched 18 sacks on the year while Stanford has 15.
