A doozy to start the toughest (and most important) stretch of the year
Arizona State (19-9, 10-7 Pac-12) travels down to Tucson in hopes of snapping a five-game losing streak against No. 7 Arizona (24-4, 13-4 Pac-12) and gain some steam heading into the final week of regular season play. The Sun Devils are coming off of an impressive 67-59 win at Utah on Feb. 18.
Game Details
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023
- Time: 12 p.m. MT
- Location: McKale Center
- Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Arizona State listed as 11.5-point underdogs, with the over/under set at 151.5 points.
TV/Radio
- Watch: CBS
- Listen: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM
Predictions
Spencer Gustafson: The first matchup of the season between the Sun Devils and Wildcats was as chaotic as you’d expect it to be with ASU’s furious 17-point second-half comeback that fell just short of a court storm.
That game was at Desert Financial Arena, which has been home to several disappointing losses this season. But, Bobby Hurley’s group has developed a bit of a “road warrior” mentality this year with the wins it collected in Oregon, California or even New York against VCU.
If Desmond Cambridge Jr. and Warren Washington are able to control the offensive flow like they did against Utah on senior night and the defense can keep and maintain the aggressive nature it’s had in big games, the Sun Devils have a shot here.
The main threats to get in the way of that perfect scenario are Oumar Ballo and Pelle Larsson. Ballo is coming off of an 18-point outing against Colorado and is always a threat to control the game from the inside for the Wildcats. Larsson has been nothing short of great entertainment for Arizona basketball fans, shooting 45% from the field this season (and pretty shots at that).
I think we’re in for a treat in this one, but then again I’m usually wrong. Nevertheless, my prediction: 78-74 Arizona