Badgers vs Sun Devils NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
The Arizona State Sun Devils are set to host the No. 20 Wisconsin Badgers on ESPN Saturday night, in what will be an entertaining matchup between two teams who will be eventually fighting for a spot in the Rose Bowl. The Sun Devils, out of the Pac-12, have played one game thus far against Sacramento State.
Wisconsin (2-0) @ Arizona (1-0)
Saturday, Sept. 14, 10:30 PM ET @ Sun Devil Stadium
Moneyline: Wisconsin +180, Arizona State -220
Spread: Arizona State -5.5
O/U: 53
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The Badgers of the Big Ten have played two games, totaling two wins thus far. If the stars align, these two teams could meet once again in January.
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However, there’s a lot of football to be played between now and then, and we’ll have to see where these two end up before we make those kinds of predictions.
Wisconsin
When it comes to the Badgers, the cupcakes are no more. The team took down two bunnies in the first two weeks of the season, and now it is set to travel down to Tempe, Ariz., where it will take on a team looking to contend for a conference title out of the Pac-12 South Division.
Unfortunately for the Badgers, they’ll be going up against not only the Sun Devils, but the sun itself. The temperate will be far and beyond what they’re used to, as it’s set to eclipse the century mark on Saturday.
From a football perspective, first-year head coach Gary Andersen is facing against his first real competitor. They’ve yet to allow a score all season, but they’re set to see an offense that dropped 55 points in its only matchup thus far.
Offensively, Wisconsin will look to attack via the ground. It has had three rushers go for 100-plus yards in its first two games, and it will look to strike in similar fashion in Week 3. This team has been a run-dominant crew for a while, and a trip to Pac-12 country won’t change that. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Arizona State
The Arizona State Sun Devils have a brutal four-game stretch ahead of them. The Wisconsin Badgers are just the tip of the iceberg, as ASU follows up with No. 5 Stanford, the USC Trojans and the No. 21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It’ll look to start off on the right foot, but Wisconsin will provide quite a challenge.
In its only game so far this season, ASU dominated the Sacramento State Hornets 55-0. That’s an impressive win regardless of the opponent, but take it with a grain of salt, knowing that the Hornets are a part of the Big Sky conference.
Last season, the Sun Devils had trouble against the run. They ranked just 81st in the country, as they allowed nearly 183 yards per contest. That’s a problem heading into this matchup. Wisconsin enters Week 3 as the No. 3 rushing team in the country. Through two games, they’ve gained 390 yards per game on the ground, and as a result, they’ve scored 46.5 points per contest.
The caveat with those stats is that they came against the likes of Massachusetts and Tennessee Tech. Arizona will be a different beast compared to those guys, but the question is: Will the challenge be big enough for the Big Ten champs from 2012?
ASU has covered the spread lately when it comes to home games. Six of its last eight contests at Sun Devil Stadium has seen it cover the spread, while Wisconsin is just 2-5 Straight Up in its last seven on the road. Give the edge to ASU in this one, and give it to them by about a touchdown.
O/U Pick: Under
Score Prediction: Arizona State 33 – Wisconsin 27
