How to bet: UNLV Rebels at Arizona State Sun Devils
The Arizona State Sun Devils were 40-plus point favorites heading into their Week 1 game against Southern Utah.
ASU easily won the contest, 41-14. It was the 25th time the Sun Devils had hit over 40 points scored on opening day, and the first time doing so since 2016. Arizona State also held true to their average of 14.4 points allowed to opposing teams in their season openers.
If you're a Sun Devils supporter, the 41-14 box score doesn't look too shabby.
Yet, from a betting perspective, the Sun Devils failed to cover the spread in their first of 12 games this season against an FCS school that had recently played a game five days prior.
Thirteen penalties for over 100 yards didn't aid the cause. The earlier-than-anticipated exits of quarterback Jayden Daniels and defensive lineman Tyler Johnson didn't help, either.
Now, Arizona State re-shifts its focus to UNLV, a program that notoriously upset ASU in their first meeting in 2008. Rising up to No. 23 in the latest AP poll, the Sun Devils have to like their chances against a Rebels team that lost to FCS program Eastern Washington in Week 1.
However, how should bettors like the Sun Devils?
The new implementation of sports gambling in Arizona will have a lot of eyes (and even more cash) on ASU's second home game of the year on Saturday. If you're new to the sports betting scene, take a look at our guide for beginners that explains all the terms and also answers a few questions.
Note: The odds posted are at the time published of the article. Odds may change up until game time, and may reflect differently in different sportsbooks
How to bet: UNLV at Arizona State
As a wise man once said, "good teams win, great teams cover."
If that holds true, Arizona State has yet to find its great form, failing to cover both the spread and over/under of 56, falling just one point short in that aspect.
Will UNLV's game see a different fate?
As of now, DraftKings sportsbook has the Sun Devils as 33.5-point favorites with an over/under of 53.
Arizona State's offense looks to again replicate their six-touchdown performance on the ground, with perhaps a little help from the aerial attack. Daniels' injury appeared to be minor (if nothing but cramps) that saw him jog back to the sideline within minutes of exiting into the tunnel.
The injury sustained to running back DeaMonte Trayanum also shouldn't sideline him for Saturday's game, reloading Arizona State's two-headed monster in the backfield.
Covering the Spread
It appears ASU's offense will again be up to the task of scoring points, yet how will their defense fare?
UNLV undoubtedly will provide some step up in competition, yet the Rebels were only able to score 20 points in regulation against EWU before heading to overtime.
With 14 points allowed to Southern Utah and 20 points (before overtime) scored last week for UNLV, we'll take a cautious approach and assume UNLV will score somewhere around 17 points.
With that assumption, you're asking Arizona State to score over 50 points to cover that spread, something the Sun Devils have done only once in their previous 25 games (70-7 in case you have forgot, which we know you haven't).
At this moment in time, it feels like a lot to ask the Sun Devils to cover the spread. It would take a near shutout for that to be a possibility.
ASU -33.5? No.
Will the Over or Under Hit?
An over/under of 53 appears to be a bit more in the ballpark of favorability. Truthfully, Arizona State could have scored on its final possession, but chose to run out the clock instead last Saturday, missing the over of 56 by only one point.
Take into account Arizona State's two botched extra points, and the Sun Devils missed a few chances to hit the over against Southern Utah.
As previously stated, we know ASU's offense should show up to play. How about UNLV?
The Rebels announced quarterback Doug Brumfield as the starter heading into Sun Devil Stadium this week. Brumfield sparked UNLV's comeback against Eastern Washington, completing 5 of 12 passes for 117 yards and one interception to go with 27 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
It's also notable that Rebels running back Charles Williams rushed for over 172 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries last week, showing UNLV knows how to move the ball in one fashion at least.
An over/under of 53 gives each team 26.5 points to hit, something we know the Sun Devils should hit possibly by halftime if all cylinders are firing. UNLV, with a mobile quarterback that doesn't have an updated full game's worth of film and a strong running back, should provide more of an offensive presence than Southern Utah.
This boils down to how Arizona State will game-plan knowing Brumfield is under center for UNLV. Despite losing, the Rebels looked like a much different (and improved) team with their quarterback change after halftime.
Assuming the Rebels will, at worst, match Southern Utah's point total (14), that puts Arizona State at a point total of 39 to hit the magical number of 53. Of course, that number could give or take for either team, but we're confident in either ASU coming close to that 40-point mark or the Rebels putting more points on the board.
It looks to be a tough call, but the over looks just a tad more appealing this week.
O/U 53? Over.
Other Lines to Monitor
Here's some extra lines for Saturday's game to monitor if you're interested in more:
1st Quarter Spread: ASU -7.5, O/U 13
1st Half Spread: ASU -20.5, O/U 30.5
1st Quarter Moneyline: UNLV +650, ASU -1000
Donnie Druin is a Deputy Editor with AllSunDevils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin, and AllSunDevils @AllSunDevils. Like and follow AllSunDevils on Facebook, and for more ASU news visit https://www.si.com/college/arizonastate/