The final game on the college basketball betting board for Thursday is a Pac-12 matchup between the UCLA Bruins and Arizona State Sun Devils.
While neither program is the national championship contender they were in years past, this should still be a battle between a pair of talented and evenly-matched teams, with oddsmakers installing the Sun Devils as 1.5-point home underdogs.
We break down the college basketball odds with our best UCLA vs. Arizona State picks and predictions for Thursday, January 7 with tipoff at 10:30 p.m. ET.
UCLA Bruins at Arizona State Sun Devils Betting Preview
Key Injuries
UCLA: Chris Smith (Out)
Arizona State: Marcus Bagley F (Probable), Taeshon Cherry F (Out), Luther Muhammad G (Out)
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Over is 6-2 in Arizona State's last eight home games. Find more NCAA betting trends for UCLA vs. Arizona State.
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Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
The Sun Devils are coming off an embarrassing 13-point home loss to UTEP, and prior to that contest squeaked by with a 71-70 win against the Grand Canyon Antelopes, so things have not looked good recently for Bobby Hurley's squad.
That said, that contest against UTEP came more than three weeks ago, so they've had plenty of time to get their heads straight and will also likely have forward Marcus Bagley back in the mix.
The Sun Devils have a very talented high-pressure backcourt led by Remy Martin, Josh Christopher and Alonzo Verge Jr. However, their lack of size without Bagley was a huge problem as they struggled on the glass. Recent reports say that Bagley is fully recovered from his calf injury and may even have played against Washington State last week, had that game not been postponed.
Now, Arizona State catches UCLA fresh off back-to-back close wins at home, and the Bruins have a major injury of their own to deal with. UCLA's second-leading scorer and top rebounder Chris Smith is out for the year after tearing his ACL against Utah.
Although the Sun Devils have struggled against the spread recently, they tend to cover when installed as an underdog at home, going 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games in that role. Look for them to bounce back from that loss against UTEP and start the new year on the right foot. Back ASU.
PREDICTION: Arizona State +1.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
We mentioned the Sun Devils' high-octane backcourt, and they love to push the ball up the floor and can fill up the bucket. Martin, Christopher and Verge all average over 15 points per game, and Christopher, a freshman sensation who was rated the No. 8 high school player by 247Sport, seems to be getting better with every game.
Even without Smith, UCLA has some talented offensive players of their own. Point guard Tyger Campbell leads the conference with 7.2 assists per game, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Johnny Juzang (say those names three times fast) are dangerous scorers on the wing.
The Bruins are 35th in the country in offensive efficiency, averaging 108.3 points per 100 possessions, and should be able to put up points against Arizona State's fast-paced team.
Both teams have gone 4-1 to the Over in their last five games against teams with a winning record, and have also cashed the Over in three straight meetings in the head-to-head. Take the Over again.
PREDICTION: Over 147.5 (-110)
UCLA vs Arizona State Betting Card
- Arizona State +1.5 (-110)
- Over 147.5 (-110)
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Where Can I Bet on College Basketball?
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