UCLA Hosts Arizona State as 3.5-Point Favorites
When the Arizona State Sun Devils head into Los Angeles on Saturday night, they'll do so as underdogs.
SI Sportsbook has the UCLA Bruins as 3.5-point favorites over Arizona State, as the top two teams in the Pac-12 South will battle for sole possession of first place after five weeks of play.
The Sun Devils haven't won in the Rose Bowl since 2015, a stat head coach Herm Edwards and Co. will look to change when the two teams meet.
Much of the story lines follow Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a shoulder injury he sustained in UCLA's win over Stanford last weekend. Thompson-Robinson has been cleared to practice this week, essentially giving a green light for his status this week vs. Arizona State.
"I don’t know if you stop him (Thompson-Robinson)," said Edwards on how the team may approach stopping his rushing abilities.
"I think you try to contain him. Nobody is going to stop him. Great athletes, you’re not going to stop them. That word is kind of overused. You’re not going to stop the guy. You can try to contain him and hold him to a minimum. You have to understand your rush lanes."
Arizona State looks to welcome back vital pieces to the team from injury, with players such as running back DeaMonte Trayanum and defensive back Chase Lucas confirmed to be available for ASU this weekend.
The over/under for the game is 55.5, 10 points higher than the previous total for Arizona State's game against Colorado in Week 4. Sportsbooks obviously believe both offenses will be scoring points more often than not, as another #Pac12AfterDark classic appears to be shaping up.
Although the line is still subject to move throughout the week, the Bruins are favorites over Arizona State in what is sure to be a tough game given what's at stake.