The Villanova Wildcats (1-0) and Arizona State Sun Devils (1-0) square off at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Villanova-Arizona State college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Villanova checks in No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, while Arizona State is No. 17.
Villanova vs. Arizona State: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:25 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Villanova -228 (bet $228 to win $100) | Arizona State +185 (bet $100 to win $185)
- Against the spread/ATS: Villanova -5 (-110) | Arizona State +5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 153 (O: -115 | U: -106)
Villanova vs. Arizona State: Three things to know
- Arizona State opened the season with a 94-88 win over Rhode Island Wednesday, as G Remy Martin went for 26 points and five assists, and F Marcus Bagley pulled down seven boards. F Chris Osten was a force in the middle with three blocked shots.
- Villanova outlasted Boston College by a 76-67 count, failing to cover a 15.5-point line as the Under (144.5) connected. F Jeremiah Robinson-Earl posted a double-double in the opener with 18 points and 10 rebounds while adding a pair of blocked shots. G Collin Gillespie was sharp with seven assists.
- Villanova is 0-3-1 ATS in its past four neutral-site games while hitting the Over in five of the past six on a neutral floor. Arizona State just missed a cover against URI, winning by six as 6.5-point favorites. The Sun Devils hit the Over, and the Over is now 5-1 in their past six neutral-site battles.
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Villanova vs. Arizona State: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Villanova 89, Arizona State 75
Money line (ML)
Villanova (-228) is a bit on the pricey side, even though it should be able to get it done against an Arizona State side which looked good offensively, but struggled at the defensive end of the floor against a so-so URI side. The Wildcats were a little better on defense, and that will be a big difference when it matters most.
Against the spread (ATS)
VILLANOVA -5 (-110) didn’t cover in the opener, as Boston College hung tough. The Wildcats picked up plenty of late defensive stops, and that’s not something I am confident Arizona State will be able to do to them. This game should be close well into the second half before talent takes over and the ‘Cats pull away in the final minutes.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 153 (-115) is the strongest play in this battle of top 20 clubs. Both teams are oozing with talent at the offensive end, and this is an underrated matchup on Thanksgiving.
Thanks to the Baltimore-Pittsburgh NFL game getting moved to Sunday, this solid matchup should get a few more eyeballs from diehard sports fans who might normally have chosen football. They’ll be treated to a shootout on the hardwood.
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