9:00 p.m. ET – Oregon at Arizona State (-1.5) O/U: 140
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | +1½ (-115) | +100 | O 151 (-105) |
| Arizona State | -1½ (-105) | -120 | U 151 (-115) |
The 10-4 Ducks travel to Tempe, Arizona on Thursday night to take on the 6-8 Sun Devils. Oregon defeated Washington 86-74 at home last Saturday. Arizona State was last in action on Jan. 30, beating Stanford 79-75 to win its second game in a row. The Sun Devils had lofty preseason expectations, even starting the season inside the Associated Press Top 25 poll. A 4-8 start to the season was largely due to Arizona State having one of the worst defenses in all of Division I basketball. The Sun Devils give up an average of 76.9 points per game, which ranks 301st in the nation..
The Ducks are led by guard Chris Duarte’s team-high average of 17.8 points per game, which ranks fourth in the Pac-12. But Duarte is going to be a game-time decision with a right ankle injury. Coach Dana Altman said that Duarte participated fully in shootaround on Wednesday, so that’s a good sign that he is likely to play.
The Sun Devils are led by the conference’s third leading scorer, Remy Martin, at 18 points per game. Martin has been a huge reason for Arizona State’s recent competitive play, averaging 22 points over his last three games.
The Sun Devils own one of the worst records against the spread in the country at 3-11. Oddsmakers have had difficulty figuring a team that is historically bad on the defensive end of the floor, yet so efficient at the offensive end. This is one of the worst teams Oregon has had in the past five years, but Arizona State is far too unpredictable to bet on this season. Oregon is the right side to bet on in this matchup, especially with the Ducks getting 1.5 points.
The Pick: Oregon +1.5
