Rhode Island vs Arizona State Odds, Lines and Spread

• Arizona State Sun Devils open season on Wednesday evening against Rhode Island Rams at the Empire Classic as 8.5-point favorites
• The Rams have stepped in to face ASU after the Baylor Bears withdrew from tournament due to COVID-19
• See odds, line and picks for the game within the story below

The Arizona State Sun Devils will face an unfamiliar foe when they open their college basketball season on Wednesday favored by 8.5 points against the Rhode Island Rams. ASU was originally scheduled to take on Baylor in the first day of tournament action at this week’s Empire Classic, but with head coach Scott Drew testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday, the second-ranked Bears have withdrawn from the four-team tournament.

That turn of events has opened the door for the Rams to join the Empire Classic tournament field, and open their season schedule on Wednesday night with their first-ever meeting with Arizona State at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

#18 Arizona State vs Rhode Island Odds

Odds taken from FanDuel on Nov. 25th

Sun Devils Return With High Expectations

Pegged at No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll, the Sun Devils return to action amid high expectations. ASU is coming off a third straight 20-win campaign, a third-place finish in the Pac-12 standings, and what likely would have been a third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

#1 for a reason.

Remy Martin named to the @NaismithTrophy Men’s Player of the Year Watch List 👨‍🍳👀 pic.twitter.com/pfjN3AET5U

— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) November 19, 2020

The Sun Devils did struggle down the stretch, falling short in their bid for the Pac-12 title, losing three of four contests before the season was prematurely halted in early March. However, ASU has a steady history of strong performances during the month of November, going 16-2 SU since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, including a 2-1 SU record against nationally ranked opponents.

Preseason All-American PG Remy Martin returns for his senior year after leading the squad last season with 19.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The addition of recruits Josh Christopher and Marcus Bagley has also positioned ASU to improve offensively after ranking outside of the top 100 in points scored per game last season.

Rams Seize Opportunity as Underdogs

For the Rams, Wednesday’s contest represents the start of an excellent opportunity for this squad to gain valuable experience against nationally ranked opponents. Originally scheduled to play Stephen F. Austin and Towson on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by weekend dates with South Florida and San Francisco over the weekend, the move to the Empire Classic has certainly shaken things up.

Per source, #URI will replace Baylor in the 2K Empire Classic at Mohegan Sun.#Rams schedule changes:
– No. 18 Arizona State, Wednesday, 7 pm (ESPN)
– No. 3 Villanova/Boston College, Thursday, 7 pm/9:30 pm (ESPN)
– South Florida, Saturday, TBD
– San Francisco, Sunday, TBD

— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) November 23, 2020

Instead of facing SFA and Towson, who sit at No. 149 and No. 202 respectively in the Kenpom ratings, the Rams will now follow up Wednesday’s date with ASU, which sits at No. 23, with a date with either No. 4 Villanova or No. 86 Boston College.

Does URI Have Enough to Compete?

The Rams have seen a major turnover in personnel during the offseason, with just two starters from last season returning. Senior guard Fatts Russell is once again expected to lead the attack after averaging a team-leading 18.8 points per game, and is joined by forward Jermaine Harris, who returns for his junior year.

However, second-year head coach David Cox was forced to go the transfer route to fill out the lineup, bringing in guards Jalen Carey and Malik Martin from Syracuse and Charlotte, respectively. In addition, big-man twins Makhi and Makhel Mitchell join the club after spending last season at Maryland.

Fatts Russell vs Remy Martin is going to make for some incredible basketball tomorrow night. URI arguably on the biggest stage on opening night for college hoops — primetime game on ESPN against a Top 25 squad. Uphill battle, but interested to see how good Rhody can be.

— A10 Talk (@A10Talk) November 24, 2020

While those moves have left the Rams well positioned to build on last season’s steady 21-win performance and third-place finish in the Atlantic-10 conference standings, it should come as no surprise if this team needs some time to gel as a unit. That leaves the Sun Devils well positioned to open their schedule with a SU win for the eighth time in 10 years, and build on their very impressive 14-3 ATS run in November action.

The Pick: Arizona State -8.5 (-110)