The stage is set for a fiery showdown between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Arizona State Sun Devils, two teams coming off challenging stretches but still holding significant promise in the 2025 Crown Tournament. As far as the details of this brand new, diamond-sparkling bracket showdown on the Las Vegas strip, check out my overview here. As for below, I’ll detail this matchup in my preview, prediction, pick, and best bet for this Crown Tournament first round college basketball game between Arizona State and Nebraska.
Here’s how I’ll play the game. As March Madness is winding down, I’ll be hitting my regularly-scheduled-programming of game write-ups for individual games each round, with plenty of coverage here on DraftKings Network. I’ll also be filling out a college basketball crown tournament bracket, to which I’ll link here later. Follow my handle @dansby_edits for more to-the-minute, point-of-need analyses and plays throughout conference tournament week.
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Arizona State vs. Nebraska preview, prediction
Nebraska enters the matchup as a 5.5-point favorite, despite riding a losing streak following their 15-point loss to Iowa in their last outing. The Cornhuskers were plagued by shooting struggles in that game, posting just 68 points on 34.9% shooting, with a dismal 22.2% from beyond the arc. The team also lost the rebounding battle, which has been one of their weaknesses in recent games. Defensively, Nebraska was outmatched—that’s sort of the story of their season. Iowa hung 83 points on 49.2% shooting. Despite these challenges, Nebraska has been strong defensively this season, especially in perimeter defense, ranking among the top 25 nationally in defensive three-point percentage (28.9%) and defensive efficiency.
Arizona State, on the other hand, enters the tournament with a tough 1-9 record in their last 10 games, averaging 75.7 points per game while shooting 43.7% from the field. The Sun Devils have shown a propensity for high-scoring games but have struggled with consistency, especially from deep, where they have seen multiple sub-30% shooting performances. The Sun Devils have also been vulnerable defensively, allowing 86.4 points per game to their opponents during that stretch. Their offense has been heavily reliant on their perimeter shooting, with players like Alston Mason and Basheer Jihad providing offensive spark, but against Nebraska’s perimeter defense, their scoring will likely be stifled.
The Sun Devils have their own strengths, led by Jayden Quaintance, a freshman who has averaged 9.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and adds a solid defensive presence with 2.6 blocks per game. With BJ Freeman also averaging 13.7 points per game, Arizona State’s frontcourt can make things difficult for Nebraska. However, their recent form—especially with their struggles in shooting and lack of defensive consistency—gives Nebraska the edge.
Nebraska vs. Arizona State pick, best bet
Nebraska, despite their recent slump, has been solid on both sides of the ball and has a more balanced attack than Arizona State. Brice Williams (20.0 PPG, 2.8 APG) has been leading the charge for the Cornhuskers, and Juwan Gary (14.0 PPG) has shown his ability to contribute in multiple areas. Even with recent struggles, Nebraska’s defense and offensive balance should help them handle Arizona State’s high-scoring attack, while their ability to get to the free-throw line and hit key shots will prove crucial.
While Arizona State can be dangerous on any given night, their inconsistency and Nebraska’s defensive superiority give the Cornhuskers the upper hand. Nebraska has shown they can hold teams under 74 points—something Arizona State has struggled to do consistently—and that’s where the Cornhuskers will capitalize.
They’ll cover the 5.5-point spread, bouncing back from their recent loss to Iowa and making a strong statement in the first round of the Crown Tournament.
Best bet: Nebraska -5.5 (-105)
Tail the Cornhuskers to cover the Crown Tournament first-round spread with me in the DKN Betting Group here!
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