Thursday night college football and we will see a Pac-12 matchup between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Washington State Cougars in Pullman, Washington. The game will televised on ESPN and has a start time of 10:30 pm (Eastern). Vegas odds have Arizona State listed as 12 point favorites, while the total sits at 71.
Analysis: Arizona State can take another step toward being the South Division representative in the Pac-12 title game when it visits Washington State on Thursday night. The Sun Devils hold a one-game lead over three teams in the division race and they have averaged 56.3 points in three conference victories. Overall this offense is averaging 45.4 ppg and is lead by QB Taylor Kelly, who is having a fantastic season with 2,236 yards and 18 passing Tds, with another 249 yards and three scores on the ground. RB Marion Grice is a good complement to Taylor as he has 553 yards rushing on the year and he leads the nation with 18 total Tds. Defensively the Sun Devils have been pretty solid as they rank 21 overall and 22 vs the pass, but they have given up some points this year, allowing 26.7 ppg, which is 63 in the nation. Arizona State has won eight of the past nine meetings and holds a 24-13-2 series lead.
Meanwhile, pass-happy Washington State comes in with a 4-4 mark overall and a 2-3 mark in the Pac-12. Washington State isn’t even attempting to establish a running game as Halliday is being asked to air it out. Halliday has thrown for 2,798 and 18 touchdowns but also leads the nation with 17 interceptions and he set an FBS record with 89 pass attempts against Oregon on Oct. 19. The junior set school and conference records with 557 passing yards against the Ducks, while Gabe Marks (59 for 655) had a school-record 13 receptions and topped 100 yards for the fourth time in his career. The defense has played well at times this year, but still has allowed 29.9 ppg and 440.4 ypg on the year. Within the Pac-12, the Cougars have allowed 14.5 ppg in their two wins, but 56.3 ppg in their 3 losses.
Pick: I don't see a whole lot of defense in this game. The Cougars defense has been horrid with in the Pac-12 and now they will take on one of the better offenses in the Pac-12. The Sun Devils have averaged 45.5 ppg overall and 56.3 ppg in their 3 Pac-12 wins, while the Cougars have allowed 56.3 ppg in their 3 Pac-12 losses. The Cougars are a pass happy team that will throw on just about every down so we will either get many big plays or many clock stoppages from them. On the other side we have a balanced ASU offense that runs as much as it passes, but still they average 332 ypg passing, while the Cougars allow 266 ypg through the air. This game will have a ton of passing and a ton of scoring as we see at least 75 points put up in this one.
-$25 of picks FREE! No Obligation - No Credit Card Required - Becoming a member is Fast and Free!
RJ Bell Talks Daily Fantasy Sports — LISTEN on Soundcloud
Stay on top of the latest odds and line moves for CFB Season with our real-time odds from Las Vegas and offshore!
College Football Free Picks: Southern Mississippi at Marshall
What college football bettors need to know about Southern Mississippi Golden Eagle at Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday (11/02/13) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Ken Thomson, with Bryan Leonard.