College Football ATS Picks - Arizona State at Texas Tech Game Preview

Arizona State is 1-1 on the year, holding on against lowly New México State in its opener before losing to San Diego State by 10 points at home last weekend. Texas Tech cruised to victory in its first game against Eastern Washington but this will be a bigger test.

The Red Raiders are favored and if the Sun Devils lose again the hot seat will become boiling for Graham entering Pac-12 conference play.

This matchup in Week 3 of the regular season will take place on Saturday, September 16, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at Jones AT&T Stadium.

College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Arizona State +7.5
Texas Tech -7.5
Over/Under 76

Odds Analysis

The Red Raiders are solid favorites at home to take care of business, and the bettors like them as nearly 84 percent of the action is on Texas Tech to cover. The scoring total is obscenely high at 76 points as these are two of the worst defenses in the nation. The “over” is the more popular choice even though the total is so high.

Texas Tech is a -280 favorite on the moneyline, while the Sun Devils are +230 to pull off the upset. The Red Raiders are the more common choice on the moneyline as well.

Player to Watch

Nic Shimonek -- The Texas Tech quarterback only has one career start under his belt, but it was a beauty. Shimonek completed 26-of-30 passes for 384 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opening 56-10 win over Eastern Washington.

The Red Raiders have long been able to plug in quarterbacks and continue to roll up the points, and Shimonek seems to be the next example of that. The Sun Devils’ secondary is poor, and he could be in line for another strong game.

Shimonek’s main target in the opener was Derrick Willies, who caught four passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. Both players should be able to put up big numbers once again in this one.

Key Stat

450.5. That’s the number of yards per game the Sun Devils are allowing this year, and the scary thing is that it has come against a pair of small-conference foes. Arizona State is giving up 235.5 yards per game through the air, which isn’t bad, but 215.0 on the ground.

San Diego State Rashaad Penny diced them up last time out. The running back had 18 carries for 216 yards and a touchdown, added a 99-yard kickoff return score and caught four passes for 38 yards and another score.

Penny is a talented player, but if Arizona State can’t slow down the Aztecs it could be a very long evening against Texas Tech.

Free ATS Pick

Arizona State seems to be in a freefall. It has a talented running back in Kalen Ballage and some other skill talent, but the defense is a mess and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team fracture with Graham on such thin ice.

Texas Tech isn’t a dominant team but gets this one at home. If it can get ahead early, the Sun Devils may panic. This one could turn into a blowout based on where these programs are at this time. Choose the Red Raiders to cover, but the “under” is the more sensible call since this scoring total is so high. While Texas Tech should score at will, Arizona State likely won’t be able to keep up.

College Football Odds: Texas Tech 41, Arizona State 28

BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!