College Basketball Predictions: Arizona State vs. Kansas State (Sunday)
Welcome back to another Sunday of college basketball picks and predictions. There are a ton of intriguing matchups on tap today, so let’s get into the top plays before the action tips off.
A Big East showdown featuring UConn vs. St. John’s headlines the picks. Plus, we check out predictions for Arizona State vs. Kansas State in the Big 12 and Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis in the AAC.
Note that all betting lines are accurate as of this writing, but shop around for the best odds. Enjoy these college basketball picks and predictions for Sunday, February 23rd’s game Arizona State vs. Kansas State.
- NCAA College Basketball Odds
- NCAA College Basketball Player Props
- NCAA College Basketball Picks & Predictions
- NCAA College Basketball Matchups
Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>
Sunday’s Best College Basketball Bets: Arizona State vs. Kansas State
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Arizona State vs. Kansas State (-6.5) | O/U 143.5 (-115/-105)
After starting 1-6 in the Big 12 and 7-11 overall, Kansas State has turned its season around. The Wildcats recently won six straight, including victories over Iowa State, Arizona, and Kansas in a four-game span. They're currently outside of the NCAA Tournament bubble but can make things interesting with a strong finish.
Over the past month, Kansas State has been playing like the 10th-best team in the sport, according to BartTorvik. That's despite losing the past two games. On that note, it's a good time to back the Wildcats coming off a tough road trip where they lost back-to-back games at BYU last Saturday and at Utah on Monday. The long layoff and returning home should help today.
Kansas State is 6-1 ATS at home in conference play, including five straight home covers coming into the weekend. The Wildcats are averaging 78 PPG over their last four home games and the offense can set the tone today. Their talented transfer group of Dug McDaniel, Coleman Hawkins and Brendan Hausen has been more reliable lately.
Arizona State, meanwhile, is 3-12 in conference play and has lost six straight games. It ranks 12th in the Big 12 in adjusted defensive efficiency and 13th in two-point defense in conference play. Those interior struggles can spell trouble when defending Kansas State's frontcourt duo of Hawkins and David N’Guessan. Plus, Arizona State ranks 312th nationally in defensive steal rate.
The Sun Devils also have multiple glaring offensive weaknesses. They rank 267th nationally in offensive turnover rate, 291st in offensive rebounding, 316th in offensive block rate and 330th in offensive steal rate. Arizona State won't be able to keep pace scoring-wise on the road with Kansas State in this matchup.
One of Arizona State's strengths offensively is its 35.8% three-point shooting. However, Kansas State defends the perimeter well - holding conference opponents to 31.8% from deep. The Wildcats force teams to score inside, which is not what ASU prefers to do.
Kansas State beat Arizona State on the road earlier this month, winning outright as a 3-point underdog. In that game, N’Guessan (22 points) and Hawkins (11 points, seven assists, six rebounds) set the tone and anchored the road win. Bank on the Wildcats to do it again at home for this rematch.
Pick: Kansas State -6.5 (-110)