Sometimes I look at a game, and think that the pick in the game is too obvious. Sometimes that obviousness scares me, but, I rarely let that deter me from making the pick. Tonight's game between ASU and Arizona, to me, falls into the obvious category. I will not let that obviousness deter me.
This is a rivalry game in which one team is already bowl eligible( Arizona), and the other needs a win tonight to become bowl eligible(ASU). Just because a team needs a win to become bowl eligible, does not mean I'll automatically go with that team as a recommendation. If the team that needs to win is clearly worse than the bowl eligible team, the must-win scenario means less to me. I don't consider ASU as the clearly worse team.
Consider that ASU played Wiscy(19-20) tough; they lost to Oregon by only 11. Arizona lost to the Ducks by 19;each lost to Oreg.St. by three or less; and ASU lost to USC and Stanford by a cumulative 4 points. ASU has played well, for the most part,this year.
I would also guess that Arizona expended a lot of heart and soul in last week's loss to Oregon. After all, they were actually ahead at halftime. Rivalry game, or not, I feel some kind of let-down may be in order tonight for the Wildcats, particularly since they know going into the game they have a bowl spot clinched. Again, if they felt this way against a WSU-type team, I'd say they'd be okay. But, they are playing a decent team in the Dennis Erickson-led Sun Devils. The spread is currently at -5.5 points, Arizona favored. I would buy the .5 point and make ASU a +6 pick.
TWO STAR PLAY ON THE ASU SUN DEVILS
In the last five years of this game, all five have gone under the present posted totals of 56. I won't fight that trend. No recommendation on the totals, but a lean to the under in this contest.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment