Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Stanford Cardinal
Wednesday, 3/7/12, 9:00 PM EST, TV: Fox Sports Net
Opening Point Spread: Stanford -10
Current Betting Line: Stanford -9.5
Opening Total: 124
Current Total: 124
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Arizona State knew it was in for a rough season when starting the year as one of just nine teams without a senior on its roster. The Sun Devils managed to push their record to 10-20 with back-to-back wins over the USC Trojans and Arizona Wildcats. “It gives us a lot of momentum going into next week,” commented junior guard Carrick Felix, who is second on the team in averaging 10.6 points per game. Offensively, the squad posted its highest point total of the year in walking away with an 87-80 win over the Wildcats last time out. Arizona State is 2-9 ATS in all tournament games the last two-plus seasons.
The Sun Devils do a great job in taking care of the basketball, averaging just 12.05 turnovers per game over the last two seasons. Arizona State received a shot in the arm the final seven games with the return of Trent Lockett, who battled in ankle injury for most of the year, as he leads the team in scoring 13.3 points per game. Executing opportunities at the charity stripe could be key in a close game, as the team shot 91.7 percent versus Arizona, but still manages to convert just 67 percent of its foul shots over the course of the season.
Stanford certainly knows it may face a revenge-minded foe in the second round if it can get past tonight’s opponent, coming off a 75-70 win over the California Golden Bears as one-point home underdogs last time out. “This is the first time I felt we really took a step,” commented Cardinals head coach Johnny Dawkins. “Now I think they realize how good we can be.” The program holds a 42-30 edge in the all-time series, including wins in 23 of the last 29 contests dating back to 1998. Stanford is 10-10 ATS as a favorite this season.
The Cardinal have tallied a 12-13 all-time record in conference tournament competition, suffering an early exit last year in dropping a 69-67 contest to the Oregon State Beavers. Stanford is looking for its first victory in this event since beating tonight’s opponent by nine points two years ago in the quarterfinals. It’s all about scoring 70 or more points for this squad, as it has posted a perfect 14-0 record this season when doing so.
Bettors will likely back the Sun Devils due to their 3-1-1 ATS mark over the last five games, while the Cardinal are 1-6 ATS after a spread victory.
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