How and what to watch for Arizona State vs. Arizona

Somebody is going to have to win this battle of defeated teams in the desert as the 0-2 Arizona State Sun Devils take on the 0-4 Arizona Wildcats this weekend in Tucson in the battle for the Territorial Cup.

There’s not a ton of data available on the Sun Devils yet, but their two losses have both come in one possession games, so there’s reason for optimism. The Wildcats have four losses, all but one of them came by multiple scores. Kevin Sumlin and his squad have had a very hard time stopping the rushing attack, allowing close to 300 yards and three touchdowns on the ground each game. That could be a back breaker this week as the Sun Devils are strong when running the football, going for over 200 yards each week thanks to running backs DeaMonte Trayanum and Rachaad White. Granted, the sample size is small, but it still looks like a huge mismatch in this one.

The Wildcats have a decent rushing attack, running for an average of 161 yards each week. But the Sun Devil run defense is so much better than UA’s, allowing well under 200 yards and two scores each week. Still not great, but good enough to get it done against their in-state rival.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch Arizona State vs. Arizona on Friday, December 11th at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, or you can stream it via the ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Arizona State (-11) vs Arizona
Point Total: 55
Money line: Arizona State (-400) vs Arizona (+310)

• The total has gone under in all but one of ASU’s last five games
• The Sun Devils haven’t been kind to their fans, going 3-6 ATS in their last nine
• Arizona has been even harsher, going 2-9 ATS in their last 11.
• Much like ASU, the Wildcats have hit the under in six of thief last seven games.

Betting splits

Arizona State: (48% of handle, 63% percent of bets)
Arizona: (52% of handle, 37% percent of bets)

The Best Bet

The trends would tell you that the under is the safe bet on this one. Sitting at 55 it seems like it might be out of reach, especially for two teams with below average passing games. The ASU run game against the UA rush D worries me a bit, but the sample size skews that stat for Herm Edwards and company.

Pick: Under 55

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