Arizona State vs Creighton Picks and Odds (Dec. 14)

• Creighton is a 7.5-point favorite over Arizona State on Tuesday
• Arizona State is 3-6-1 ATS
• Read below for analysis and a betting prediction

Creighton (8-2) is a 7.5-point home favorite over Arizona State in a nonconference game Tuesday at 8 pm ET on FS1. The Bluejays enter after their best victory of the season, 83-71 over then-No. 24 BYU on Saturday in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Arizona State (4-6) is ranked No. 179 in the NCAA NET rankings, in large part because it only 1-4 in games against Quad 1/2 teams and 2-6 facing Quads 1/2/3.

Arizona State vs Creighton Odds

Odds from FanDuel on Dec. 13.

Creighton played BYU in the neutral-site Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. last week to make up for the game that was originally to be played in the 2020 Crossover Classic there last season but was canceled because of Covid issues in the Creighton program. The teams plan to meet on a neutral floor in Las Vegas next season.

Hawk Flying High

NCAA Division II All-American Ryan Hawkins had not had much trouble adjusting to the higher level of play in Division I after transferring from Northwest Missouri State to Creighton, which needed an immediate infusion after losing all five of its starters from 2020-21.

Hawkins, a mobile 6’7 wing with three-point range, leads the Bluejays in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (6.5) and is shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three-point range. He played on two Division II national championship teams at Northwest Missouri State and was the MVP of the 2021 tourney.

Hawkins enters after scoring a season-high 25 points and eight rebounds against BYU. He made four threes, and his last-minute dunk put a punctuation mark on the Bluejays’ first victory over a ranked team since they beat No. 5 Villanova 86-70 at home last Feb. 13.

True freshman point guard 6’0 Ryan Nembhard, brother of Gonzaga point Andrew Nembhard, is averaging 13.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Second-year freshman center 7’1 Ryan Kalkbrenner (12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds) and senior guard 6’2 Alex O’Connell (11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds) also are double-figures in an offense that plays at a deliberate tempo.

HAWKEYE!!!!@RyanHawkins8 #GoJays pic.twitter.com/tMO8y6fTU7

— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) December 11, 2021

Hawkins’ offensive ability is nothing new. He averaged 22 points and eight rebounds over his last two seasons at Northwest Missouri State, which is 110 miles south of Omaha.

Sun Devils Regroup

Arizona State has bounced back from one of the low points in the Bobby Hurley regime with victories at Oregon and at home against Grand Canyon in its last two games, wins that came on the heels of a 51-29 home loss to Washington State in the Pac-12 opener for both on Dec. 1.

The Sun Devils had lost five in a row before stopping Oregon 69-67 in Eugene on Dec. 5 against a high-degree-of-difficulty schedule that featured Baylor, Syracuse, San Diego State and Loyola. The Washington State game was another matter, as the Sun Devils’ offense devolved into a series of one-on-one possessions and long distance attempts that resulted in their fewest points since 1946.

Arizona State’s numbers need improving. The Sun Devils are shooting 39.3 percent from the field, 322nd of the 350 team in the Division I charts, and are shooting 29.4 percent from three-point range. They have a minus-2.9 rebound margin and a minus-3.1 scoring margin.

Illinois State transfer guard 6’1 DJ Horne leads the scoring in scoring at 13.2 points per game and sixth-year senior 6’8 Kimani Lawrence is averaging 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds. Transfer guards Marreon Jackson, Jay Heath and Luther Muhammad have not found their niche in the small-ball lineup, and none is shooting as high as 35 percent from the floor.

The Sun Devils have missed forward 6’9 Marcus Bagley, who provides an inside presence but has played only three games because of a knee injury.

By the Numbers

Creighton is No. 61 in KenPom in adjusted efficiency margin, 52nd on offense. Arizona State is 101st in adjusted efficiency, 65th on defense. The Bluejays’ are 57 in the NCAA net rankings, and the victory over BYU was their only win in games against Quad 1/2 teams

Creighton is 4-6 ATS and has covered only two of its last six. This looks like a a trap game for the young Bluejays, who after their emotional win against BYU play No. 9 Villanova in the Big East opener Friday.

The pick: Arizona State +7.5 (-110)