San Francisco vs Arizona State Picks and Odds (Dec. 19)

• The Arizona Sun Devils aim for a fourth straight win when they host the San Francisco Dons on Sunday evening
• The Sun Devils have claimed outright wins in two straight as betting underdogs
• Read on for all the odds and trends ahead of Sunday evening’s clash at Desert Financial Arena

The Arizona State Sun Devils vie for a fourth straight win when they host the San Francisco Dons on Sunday evening. Tip off is set for 6:00pm ET at Desert Financial Arena.

San Francisco Dons vs Arizona State Sun Devils Odds

*Odds at Fanduel as of December 18, 2021.

Dons vs Sun Devils Betting Trends

Sunday night’s matchup marks the first meeting between these two teams since December 2019. The Sun Devils have won and covered in each of their past three dates with San Francisco, capped by a narrow 71-67 victory as 1-point road favorites two years ago. ASU has also dominated in its past two home dates with the Dons, claiming victory by an average margin of 28.5 points. The Sun Devils have posted ATS wins in their past three overall, snapping a dismal 1-6-1 ATS run to start this season. Things have not worked out so well for sports bettors loyal to the Dons. While San Francisco has steadily padded the win column during an impressive 10-1 SU start, they have consistently fallen short at the sportsbooks, covering in just three of those contests.

San Francisco Dons Outlook

The Dons return to action on the heels of their first loss of the season, a narrow 49-48 loss to Grand Canyon on Saturday. USF’s 10-1 start comes in stark contrast to last season, which they closed out on a dismal 1-8 SU run. The Dons’ strong performance has vaulted them to No. 32 in the overall Kenpom ratings, and has earned them growing support as a candidate to crack the AP Top 25 rankings.

FINAL: Grand Canyon ends San Francisco’s undefeated run 49-48. About as entertaining as a game in the 40s could be, I guess. Dons just couldn’t connect on their threes and it did them in. They’re now 10-1 on the season and this will count as a neutral loss in Phoenix.

— Will Maupin (@willmaupin) December 19, 2021

While stingy defensive play has been key to USF’s early-season success, the Dons have work to do to overcome some recent slow starts. San Francisco has mustered an average of just 21.5 points before recess over their past two outings. That marks major step back after averaging 37.5 first-half points in their previous four contests.

Jamaree Bouyea is having a monster senior year for 10-0 San Francisco. Hitting ridiculous pullups from all over, using his slippery handle and explosive change of gears to score inside the arc, and making tons of plays defensively. Definitely going to get NBA looks. pic.twitter.com/jVAvFhpx9J

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) December 10, 2021

Jamaree Bouyea has led the Dons attack. The senior guard leads the team in scoring with 20.0 points per game, and has also tallied a team-best 3.6 assists per game. Yauhen Massalski has also been a consistent contributor. The senior big man from Minsk, Belarus contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday’s loss to Grand Canyon, and has now recorded double-doubles in three of his past four outings.

Arizona State Sun Devils Outlook

Losers in six of their first eight outings, the Sun Devils have since turned things around. The club overcame a six-point halftime deficit to eke out a narrow 58-57 win over Creighton as lengthy 7.5-point road underdogs on Tuesday night. That marked the team’s second outright win as betting underdogs during their current win streak, which began with a thrilling 69-67 overtime victory over Oregon as 9-point road underdogs back on December 5.

Final stats from ASU’s 58-57 win at Creighton. pic.twitter.com/jpTpBVMHNs

— SunDevilSource.com (@SunDevilSource) December 15, 2021

A revitalized defence has been key to the Sun Devils’ reversal of fortune. ASU has surrendered just 59.3 points per game over their past four after allowing an average of 81 points over their three previous contests. Their improved defensive performance is reflected in their rating at Kenpom, where they sit at No. 54 in adjusted defensive efficiency.

ASU Men’s Basketball: The Sun Devils posted their lowest scoring total in a game since 1945 in their PAC-12 opener against Washington State, losing 51-29.

Reporter @sidelinesammy recaps what went wrong for the Sun Devils. pic.twitter.com/MAQdzdJUiA

— Cronkite Sports (@CronkiteSports) December 2, 2021

However, the Sun Devils have struggled to produce consistent offence. The team has reached the 70-point mark just once in their past eight games. That run includes a brutal 51-29 loss to Washington State on December 1, which was greeted with boos from the hometown fans, and marked their worst offensive performance since 1946.

Pac-12 3FG% leaders entering today:

DJ Horne (Arizona St.): 41.4%
Michael Flowers (Washington St.): 39.7%
David Jenkins Jr. (Utah): 39.4%
Kerr Kriisa (Arizona): 34.6%

— College Basketball Reference (@collegebb_ref) December 17, 2021

One bright spot on the Sun Devils offense has been DJ Horne. The sophomore guard led the team with 12 points in this week’s win over the Bluejays. Horne has also tallied 20 or more points in two of his past seven contests, including a season-high 23-point performance in the team’s recent win over the Ducks.

The Pick: UNDER 130.5 (-110)