The Arizona State Sun Devils will look to avoid being the latest in a line of West Coast powerhouses to either lose or get a close call from rising Big West program UC Riverside on Thursday.
UC Riverside returns 7-foot-1 center Callum McRae, who had 9.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and a block per game during the 2019-20 season. After missing all of last season, he returned with 13 points and four rebounds in the team’s 66-53, season-opening loss to San Diego State, a half-point defeat against the spread.
Arizona State may not be at full strength for this game with four players due to health and safety protocols, including transfer Jay Heath, who was the top scorer for Boston College with 14.5 ppg last season. Without him, the Sun Devils shot 7 of 26 from 3-point range in their season opener against a Portland team with a new coach and five new starters from a season ago.
Last season UC Riverside defeated Washington by 15 points and took USC to overtime while also defeating Nebraska on the road by 19 points.
Arizona State’s 6-20 against the spread record since the start of the 2020-21 season is the worst cover percentage for any team that has played at least five Division I games the past two seasons. They’ll be the next power conference team to get a tough time from UC Riverside.
The play: UC Riverside, +11.