Big 12 football championship betting odds, predictions: Arizona State Sun Devils early favorites
Three months after being picked to finish last in the Big 12, the Arizona State Sun Devils will play for the Big 12 championship on Saturday.
And they're favored to win.
In the early betting odds, the Sun Devils are 2.5-point favorites over Iowa State. Both teams enter the game with identical 10-2 records and very similar resumes.
Arizona State has won five consecutive games, including upsets of then-No. 16 Kansas State and then-No. 14 BYU.
Iowa State has won three straight, capped by a 29-21 victory over Kansas State on Saturday. The Cyclones' best win, arguably, was their week two 20-19 victory at Iowa. The Hawkeyes went on to finish 6-1 at home, with their lone loss to Iowa State.
Both teams are led by dual-threat quarterbacks who had impressive seasons — Iowa State's Rocco Becht and Arizona State's Sam Leavitt. Becht threw for 3,021 yards and 20 TDs, and ran for 272 yards and 7 touchdowns. Leavitt, who missed the Cincinnati game with a rib injury, threw for 2,444 yards and 21 TDs, and ran for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns.
With Leavitt's favorite target, sophomore WR Jordyn Tyson, out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, the Sun Devils will likely lean even more on Heisman Trophy candidate Cam Skattebo. The senior do-everything running back is second in the nation in all-purposes yards per game with 169.64. He's ASU's second-leading receiver with 35 catches for 468 yards.
The Big 12 football championship game is Saturday, Dec. 7 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game is scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m. MST. The winner will earn an automatic berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff, which comes with a $4 million check, plus $3 million to cover expenses.
Here are the early betting odds and point spread for Arizona State's matchup with Iowa State:
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Arizona State vs. Iowa State Betting Odds, Point Spread
Moneyline: Arizona State -128, Iowa State +106
Spread: Arizona State -2.5 (-108)
Over/Under: 50.5
Kickoff time: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. MST
Our Prediction: Arizona State 31, Iowa State 30
TV Channel: ABC
Live Stream: Stream Arizona State-Iowa State live on fuboTV (Start your free trial)
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Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.