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Arizona State (5-1) at Cincinnati (4-2)
Date: Saturday, October 19
Time: Noon ET
TV: ESPN+
I still can’t get over the fact that this is a Big 12 matchup. I get that it’s 2024, and this is the norm. But how?
Bewilderment aside, the clash of seemingly lower-tier teams is actually a good one.
With only three losses between the two teams and both rosters filled with electric talent, it seems like a disservice to have this game on ESPN+ and not on network TV. Oh well. Find a stream of it somewhere, buckle up and get ready for what’s sure to be one of the better games of the weekend.
The pick — Cincinnati -3.5 (-105, BetMGM)
The main reason for this handicap is twofold: fading Arizona State off a big home win over a ranked team, and fading Arizona State on a trip out east.
The Sun Devils have certainly been one of the more underrated teams in the country. With a 5-1 record and one of America’s top young coaches in Kenny Dillingham, ASU deserves more media attention.
Arizona State now leaves the warm comfort of the desert for its first game not in Arizona or Texas this season. With the game-time temperature expected to be a cool 55 degrees in Cincinnati, it’ll be interesting to see how the Sun Devils perform when they’re out of their comfort zone.
Teams traveling across the country have had some abysmal results. According to Bet the Board’s Brad Powers, schools with cross-country road trips (two time zones or more) are 14-27 straight up and 17-24 against the spread.
ASU is coming off a huge, field-storming 27-19 win over then-No. 16 Utah last Saturday. While the Sun Devils faced veteran quarterback Cam Rising, it was only Rising’s third game of the season and his first in over a month. Now Arizona State has to get ready for a 9 a.m. PT kickoff in Ohio.
The Sun Devils will have their hands full against a Cincinnati offense that ranks 12th in the nation in passing success rate. Led by quarterback Brendan Sorsby, the Big 12’s third-leading passer with 1,722 yards, the Bearcats’ passing offense has evolved into a force more powerful than the impact of Skyline Chili on a first-time eater’s stomach.
Because of the letdown spot, travel and a top-notch Cincinnati offense, Arizona State will struggle this Saturday in an early kickoff road game, and Cincinnati will thrive at home.
Season record: 14-11, +2.91 units