Oregon Ducks at Arizona State Sun Devils
Wells Fargo Arena – Tempe, Arizona
Saturday, February 8, 2014, 5:00 pm Eastern, TV: Fox Sports 1
Opening Line: Arizona State -3 1/2
Current Line: Arizona State -3
Opening Total: 152
Current Total: 150 1/2
Opening Money Line: Arizona State -160 / Oregon +135
Current Money Line: Arizona State -160 / Oregon +135
The Oregon Ducks started off the season 13-0 but have gone 2-7 since then. Six of the Ducks’ seven losses were decided by single digits, including 3 losses by 2 points. Oregon lost at conference leader Arizona 67-65 Thursday night. The Ducks are 3-7 in the Pac 12 and in 10th place in the conference. Once considered a virtual lock to make the NCAA tournament Oregon is now on the bubble.
Oreon travels to the 17-6 Arizona State Sun Devils Saturday. Arizona State is 6-4 in the Pac 12 and part of a four way tie for third in the conference behind 9-1 Arizona and 6-3 UCLA. The Sun Devils have won 4 of the last 5 games including 86-82 in overtime over Oregon State Thursday night in Tempe.
Arizona State leads the series against Oregon 41-34. The Ducks have won 3 straight games in the series including 68-65 in Eugene in the only meeting last season. The two schools will meet against March 4 in Eugene.
Oregon is coached by Dana Altman. The Ducks have losses at Colorado, and at home to California, Stanford, at Oregon State, at Washington, UCLA and at Arizona. Oregon has key home wins over San Francisco, Pacific, Cal Poly, Illinois (in Portland), UC-Irvine, BYU and USC, over Georgetown in South Korea, plus road wins at Ole Miss, Utah and Washington State. The Ducks are 10-9-2 ATS and the total is 12-8 this season.
Oregon is outscoring teams 85-75 this season. The Ducks are #6 nationally in scoring, but #299 out of 351 teams in points allowed. Oregon is shooting 47.2% from the field and 38.2% from 3 point range. The Ducks are in the top 50 nationally in both categories. Oregon is #2 in free throw shooting nationally at 78.3% from the line. Duck opponents are shooting 44% from the field and 32.5% from 3 point range. Oregon averages 35.1 rebounds per game and opponents average 30.1. The Ducks average 15.1 assists, 12.3 turnovers, 8.4 steals and 3.2 blocks per game. Opponents average 12.8 assists, 14.5 turnovers, 5.9 steals and 4 blocks per game.
Ducks’ guard Joseph Young averages 18.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Forward Mike Moser averages 13 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1 block per game. Guard Jason Calliste averages 12.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Guard Damyean Dotson averages 10.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Guard Johnathan Loyd averages 7.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.Forward Richard Amardi averages 7.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1 steal a game. Forward Elgin Cook averages 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Dominic Artis and Waverly Austin will also get significant minutes. Guard A.J. Lapray (hip) and forward Brian Crow (ankle) are both out indefinitely.
Arizona State is coached by Herb Sendek. The Sun Devils have losses to Creighton and Miami-(FL) in a tournament in Fullerton, CA, Washington, at UCLA, at Arizona, and at Stanford. ASU has key wins over Miami-(OH), at UNLV, Bradley, Marquette, College of Charleston in Fullerton, at DePaul, Texas Tech, UC-Irvine, Washington State, at USC, Utah, Colorado, at California and Oregon State. The Sun Devils are 11-10 ATS and the total is 8-12 this season.
Arizona State is outscoring teams 77-68 this season. The Sun Devils are #50 nationally in scoring. ASU is shooting 46.6% from the field and 40% from 3 point range. The Sun Devils are #15 nationally in three point shooting. Arizona State makes 69% of their free throws. Sun Devil opponents are shooting 40.8% from the field and 31.9% from 3 point range. ASU averages 37 rebounds per game and gives up 34.4 to opponents. The Sun Devils are #310 nationally out of 351 teams in rebounds allowed. ASU averages 15.9 assists, 10.5 turnovers, 5.3 steals and 7.1 blocks per game. Opponents average 10.7 assists, 11.7 turnovers, 5.2 steals and 3.5 blocks per game.
Guard Jahii Carson averages 19.3 points, 4 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Guard Jermaine Marshall averages 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. Center Jordan Bachynski averages 11.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game. Forward Shaquielle McKissic averages 8.5 points, 5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Forward Jonathan Gilling averages 7.2 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Guard/forward Egor Koulechov averages 4 points and 3 rebounds per game.
Oregon is 24-8-2 ATS after a cover, 8-3-1 in road games, 7-3-1 against teams with winning home records, 6-18-2 in Pac 12 games, 2-9-1 overall, 1-7 after a straight up loss, and 1-7-1 against teams with winning records. The road team is 6-2 ATS in this series recently. The underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last seven in the series.
Arizona State is 14-6-1 ATS after failing to cover, 2-5 overall, against Pac 12 teams, and against teams with winning records. The under is 14-3 in this series recently and 6-0 in Tempe between the teams. The Sun Devils are 9-3-1 ATS against the Ducks recently.
Oregon has lost a lot of agonizingly close games in Pac 12 play. Five of ASU’s six losses were blowouts, but the Sun Devils are playing a lot better recently. I think the Sun Devils win a close game at home.
