Baylor vs. Arizona State Prediction and Odds: Expect a High Scoring Affair

The defending national champion Baylor Bears are set to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first round of the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantic in the Bahamas. Whoever comes out on top will face the winner between Syracuse and VCU on Thursday.

Baylor enters the game with a perfect 4-0 record on the year, but it has yet to face a formidable opponent. The Bears latest win came against a weak Stanford team that they flew past by a final score of 86-48.

Arizona State sits at 2-2, with its losses coming to San Diego State and UC Riverside. The latter came via a heart breaking full court buzzer beater. Despite the .500 start, the Sun Devils can make a statement with a win tonight over the Bears.

Here are the odds for the game, courtesy of WynnBET.

Baylor vs. Arizona State Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

• Baylor: -12 (-110)
• Arizona State: +12 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Baylor: -700
• Arizona State: +500

Total:

• 139 (Over -110/Under -110)

Baylor vs. Arizona State Prediction and Pick

I don't think we've seen a true indication of how good Arizona State truly is. The Sun Devils are too talented to continue to rank as low as they currently do in offensive statistics, so I expect some positive regression from them in the coming weeks. Will it be enough to hang with the Bears tonight? It's hard to tell.

For that reason, I'm going to be looking at the total instead and I'll be playing OVER 139.

Baylor is averaging the fifth most shots per game this season and the 55th most possessions per game. Arizona State also plays at a higher than average pace, averaging 62.3 shots per game. The Sun Devils may need to play even faster tonight in order to keep up with Baylor's pace.

One thing that can kill an OVER bet is turnovers. Holding on to the ball and then not even getting a shot off is a sure way to not see a lot of points scored. Thankfully, both teams rank in the top 50% of the country in turnovers.

I think we're going to see a high scoring affair tonight.

Pick: OVER 139