Arizona State vs. Duke Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

Arizona State will be missing several key pieces.

Darian Mensah and Duke are favored against Arizona State on Wednesday. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The 2025 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl will feature an ACC-Big 12 matchup. Duke will face Arizona State as a 2.5-point favorite after beating No.19 Virginia in the ACC Championship. The Blue Devils didn’t make the cut for the College Football Playoffs, but will face a Sun Devils team that was competitive in the stacked Big 12.

Duke was an unlikely conference champ and only has eight wins on the year, but its offense is nothing to scoff at. Darian Mensah has helped the Blue Devils post an ACC-high 34.0 points per game during his stellar sophomore season. The Sun Devils are more built to stop the run than the pass, so this matchup could be a challenge for the underdogs.

Here’s our full betting breakdown ahead of kickoff.

Arizona State vs. Duke Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Arizona State: +4.5 (-115)
• Duke: -4.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Arizona State: +152
• Duke: -180

Total: 49.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Arizona State vs. Duke How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, December 31
• Game Time: 2:00 PM EST
• Venue: The Sun Bowl
• How to Watch (TV): CBS
• Arizona State: 8-4
• Duke: 8-5

Arizona State vs. Duke Key Players to Watch

Arizona State

Kanye Udoh: Sam Leavitt, Jordan Tyson and Raleek Brown won’t be playing in this game. Udoh is one of the top players who could step into a larger role on Sunday. Jeff Sims has struggled to impact games at a high level and Udoh has experience thriving as a true bell cow. He rushed for 105 yards and a score on 23 carries against Texas A&M earlier this season and went over the 100-yard mark seven times during his two seasons with Army.

Duke

Darian Mensah: Only four FBS players have thrown for more touchdowns (30) than Mensah this season. He’s tallied 3,646 passing yards and has completed 67.9 percent of his passes. Mensah hasn’t offered much as a runner, but few arms have been more productive this year. He can put up a solid stat line against an Arizona State defense that’s given up 2,708 passing yards.

Arizona State vs. Duke Prediction and Pick

Arizona State is 6-6 against the spread, while Duke is 6-6-1. Those marks are similar, but the Blue Devils will have their key players available while plenty of Sun Devils players are focused on the 2026 NFL Draft or the transfer portal.

Mensah will have star receiver Cooper Barkate and two running backs who eclipsed 10 rushing scores at his disposal. That will help the Blue Devils replicate their scoring from the regular season.

Bettors don’t know what to expect from Arizona State. Especially after it totaled just seven points its last time out in a game where Sims threw three picks and no touchdowns. The favorites can cover the spread with some room to spare here.

PICK: Duke -2.5 (-122 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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