The Arizona State Sun Devils and the Fresno State Bulldogs are set to put up a classic showdown between a high-scoring team and a stout defensive unit. Will the Sun Devils impose their usually high-flying attack? Or will the Bulldogs cripple their opponents’ offense to win the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl? Going into the Las Vegas Bowl the sportsbook favors Fresno State over Arizona State by 4.5-points, the same spread that it opened at earlier in the week.
Betting Preview for the Arizona State Sun Devils vs Fresno State Bulldogs NCAA Football Las Vegas Bowl Game on December 15 2018
Where: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas Nevada
When: Saturday, December 15, 2018, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Arizona State Sun Devils (+4.5) vs Fresno State Bulldogs (-4.5) – view all 2018 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
Betting on the Arizona State Sun Devils (7-5 Overall / 5-4 Conference)
The Sun Devils wish that their best receiving weapon this season will be on the ground in the upcoming Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl – but that won’t be the case, as wide receiver N’Keal Harry will skip the bowl game in order to prepare for next year’s NFL Draft. The good news for Arizona State is that it has a dependable run game to fall back on and give added offensive responsibility to. In fact, the Sun Devils have the most prolific running back in the Pac-12 in the form of Eno Benjamin. The sophomore running back finished the regular season tops in the conference with 1,524 passing yards. He also paced the Pac-12 in rushing touchdowns (15) and in average rushing yards per game with 127.0. As a team, the Sun Devils are averaging 30.8 points per game and 185.9 rushing yards per contest.
The Sun Devils, who defeated the Arizona Wildcats on the road on Nov. 25 to the tune of a 41-40 score, are 3-2 ATS in their last five games.
Betting on the Fresno State Bulldogs (11-2 Overall / 7-1 Conference)
Fresno State is headed to a collision with a high-scoring Arizona State unit, but that shouldn’t faze them. In fact, Arizona State must be wary of what the Bulldogs can do – defensively. For starters, the Bulldogs are second in the nation in scoring defense with just 13.8 points allowed per game. The last time they were on the field, the Bulldogs upset the 22nd-ranked Boise State in overtime in a 19-16 overtime win. The Bulldogs forced just one turnover, but they held the Broncos to a bad 6-of-18 third-down completions. The Bulldogs’ pass defense is pesky and hard and does an effective job of making quarterbacks miss. Fresno State opponents have converted just 51.7 percent of their passes – fifth lowest in the nation. With the Sun Devils set to miss their best wide receiver, the Bulldogs should have an easier time containing Arizona State’s passing attack.
The under is 5-0 in Fresno State’s last five games.
