Arizona and Arizona State will square off for the Territorial Cup the night after Thanksgiving, meeting for the 91st team since their rivalry started in 1899. There is no older rivalry trophy in all of college football, and the teams have played annually since 1946. Arizona leads the series, 48-40, with 1 tie. Last year, Arizona State thumped Arizona by the score of 52 to 37. Don’t forget to check for more college football odds by clicking here.
Arizona vs Arizona State Week 13 Free Betting Pick & TV Info
When: Friday, November 25, 2016, 9:30pm ET
Where: Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
TV: ESPN
Radio: Arizona / Arizona StateLive Stream: WatchESPNNCAA Odds: TBA
Why should you bet on Arizona?
The Wildcats will bring seven offensive starters, including tailback Nick Wilson and quarterback Anu Solomon, who had terrific seasons in 2014 but struggled some last year. Solomon twice had to sit out with concussion-related issues, but Khalil Tate and Brandon Dawkins were not able to cement their hold on the position in his absence. Wilson missed a lot of time with injury last season. Three senior wideouts give Solomon some possession targets who can help move the chains up and down the field. The Wildcats are finally going away from their 3-3- 5 defense to a more conventional scheme, and they have some big questions in the back seven, but DaVonte Neal is set to return at cornerback and give the secondary some leadership.
Why should you put your money on the Sun Devils?
Arizona State looked like two different teams last season. They won five games by at least 14 points and lost four games by similar margins. A lot of the year saw a top-30 team in the Sun Devils, but there were five awful games. The defense had one of the slimmest rotations in the NCAA, and they spent a lot of time out on the field because of the three-and- outs that their quick-strike offense would pile up when things didn’t quite go right. They’ve lost their better quarterback, four starting offensive line, and four starting defensive backs, and it’s not clear that the recruiting has done much to fill those holes. Even so, they should have enough offense to hang with Arizona.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
I like Arizona to turn the tables on last year and ride a rejuvenated Solomon and Wilson to a win. I’m predicting a 31-27 Wildcat win.
