Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Oregon Ducks NCAA Basketball Betting Odds
The Arizona State Sun Devils and Oregon Ducks enter Tuesday’s matchup with nearly identical season records (and comparable Pac-12 records as well), but how they got here is much different. The Sun Devils have been fairly consistent all year, never dropping more than two in a row while never winning more than six straight. [ad-4468020]
Arizona State (21-8, 10-6 Pac-12) @ Oregon (20-8, 8-8 Pac-12)
Tuesday, March 4 11:00 PM ET FOXS1 @ Matthew Knight Arena
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The Ducks, on the other hand, started brilliantly with a 13-0 record, then lost eight of their next 10 (including five in a row) and have now won five in a row with two games remaining. The narrative in this one is about momentum versus consistency, begging the question: Which one is more important with the postseason around the corner?
Arizona State
Although the Sun Devils may not be considered an elite defensive team in the traditional sense, it will be their defense that gives them a fighting chance in this one. On the year, the team is allowing just 67.7 points per game to its opponents—the 106th-best mark in the nation—and it is going up against an offense that is scoring 82.8 points per game—the ninth-best mark in the country. Luckily for Arizona State, the Ducks allow 74.2 points per outing—just the 284th-best mark—giving the offense a chance to score with regularity.
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If you remember the last time these two teams played, the game came down to the wire. Arizona State blew out the Ducks in the first half, but it allowed a big run in the second to make it a contest late. Oregon looked as if it would sneak away with a win at the buzzer, but center Jordan Bachynski came up with a signature block to prevent the upset.
The bigger story than Bachynski’s block is how the Sun Devils got to that point. After being ahead 43-23 at the intermission, ASU let Oregon’s Joseph Young score 27 points in the second half. We know from last time that the Sun Devils can get ahead big; this time they need to make that happen early and keep it going late.
Oregon
If you’ve watched the Ducks at all this season, you know what they can do offensively. Take Joseph Young’s performance from the first matchup with ASU. The team’s ability to get hot keeps it from ever being truly out of a game; however, its tendency to get cold is what keeps it from being in one at times as well.
In this game, look for defense to be what keeps this game close throughout. Players such as Damyean Dotson and Waverly Austin will be the guys who should step up and slow down Backynski and Jahii Carson, as those two combined for 37 points and 21 rebounds the last time out (not to mention Bachynski’s nine blocks).
If the Ducks’ defense falters throughout the contest, give it to ASU. But if the team’s defense steps up, expect this one to be close late, especially with Oregon having home-court advantage.
Prediction: Oregon 76 – Arizona State 74
