Arizona State vs Stanford Odds, Pick for Friday

Conference play has finally arrived, and with it comes a glorious edition of Pac-12 after dark. The Arizona State Sun Devils are set to take on the Stanford Cardinal.

The Sun Devils come stumbling into this matchup as they have lost each of their last three games. However, we have seen them play both up and down to their competition through their first 11 contests, and we have a good idea of which version we'll see tonight.

As for the Cardinal, they have yet to show they can compete with the upper-echelon in college basketball. Their five victories have all come against teams above 170 in KenPom's rankings, while their five losses have come against teams 116 and lower.

Arizona State entered the season with some promise as it was slotted at No. 78 in KenPom's rankings, but through 10 games, the Sun Devils have dropped 40 spots. They have had more than their fair share of issues on the offensive end of the floor.

They come into this matchup 243rd in adjusted offensive efficiency and are 293rd in effective field goal percentage. In addition to the struggles from the field, Arizona State is also 350th from the free-throw line.

The one saving grace in this matchup could be the volume of shots the Sun Devils can put up. They are 79th in tempo, and Stanford plays even faster at 48th in tempo. If this game is a track meet, their volume could help them hang around even through cold stretches.

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We just touched a bit on what the Cardinal will bring to the table offensively, except they have shown far more offensive prowess thus far. We know they will play with tempo, but they are also not afraid to swing the ball around to create a high-percentage look.

Stanford is 27th in assists to field goals made ratio and 21st in 2-point percentage. Their ability to move the ball and utilize their size inside the arc has been very effective, and that area happens to be where Arizona State is most vulnerable.

The injury to Shawn Phillips has hurt the Sun Devils' ability to protect the rim, and it could prove detrimental against the size Stanford will attack with here.

The market opened a tad short here in terms of the total. Stanford will no doubt be the superior offensive club and be able to flex its size to create high-percentage looks all night long.

However, the tempo in this matchup is not being accurately accounted for, and that is what will give Arizona State the ability to hang around even if their struggles continue.

Take the over.

Pick: Over 143.5 (Play to 145)

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