Arizona State vs. Texas Tech: Prediction, Preview, Betting Odds
Week 4 of the college football season is here. Arizona State plays Texas Tech, and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview, and betting odds ahead of the matchup.
GAME INFO
Saturday, Sept. 21; 2:30 p.m. (CT); Jones AT&T Stadium; Lubbock, TX
TV: FS1
Records: Arizona State (3-0); Texas Tech (2-1)
Last Week: Arizona State 31, Texas State 28; Texas Tech 66, North Texas 21
Series History: Series tied, 2-2-0
Last Meeting: Texas Tech 52, Arizona State 45 (2017)
Fun Fact: There were fireworks — and lots of them — the last time these two teams shared the field. In a game that combined for 97 total points, Texas Tech quarterback Nic Shimonek threw for 543 yards and six touchdowns to outlast Arizona State in a 52-45 barnburner.
Texas Tech vs. Arizona State Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: Texas Tech (-2.5)
Over/Under: 60.5
Key Players
Texas Tech Red Raiders
QB Behren Morton
After a disappointing two-interception performance against Washington State, Behren Morton turned things around against North Texas, going 15-of-19 for 273 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for another score on the ground. He’ll need to build off that performance going forward if Texas Tech is going to get to the heights that they hoped in the preseason.
LB Ben Roberts
After his incredible freshman season (105 tackles), Ben Roberts is second on the team with 17 tackles and leads the Red Raiders with two forced fumbles. As the competition starts to ramp up, Roberts will need to get more and more involved in the playmaking. The Red Raiders are allowing 36.3 points per game right now, and that’s just not going to cut it.
Arizona State Sun Devils
RB Cam Skattebo
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo is one of the most versatile players in all of college football, and in three games this season, he’s made the plays necessary to put his team in the win column. Skattebo has 68 carries for 373 yards and three touchdowns on the year, and seven catches for 73 yards receiving as well. If Skattebo can have success on the ground, it’ll be tough for Texas Tech to get the Sun Devils offense off the field.
LB Keyshaun Elliott
Heading into the fourth game of the season, Keyshaun Elliott ranks second on the Arizona State defense with 24 tackles and is coming off a 12-tackle performance against Texas State. Elliott also has one sack and one interception on the year and has been a pivotal playmaker for a unit looking for playmakers outside of the secondary. Against Tahj Brooks and Behren Morton, Elliott will be a busy man on Saturday.
KEY STORYLINES
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Can Texas Tech get the defensive issues figured out? It appears that the Red Raiders are going to be able to score point when they need to, but can they stop anyone? Giving up over 36 points per game is not a recipe for success in the Big 12, and with how well Arizona State has been able to capatilize on offense over the first three games, this will be a bigger test for TTU than previously thought.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Can Sam Leavitt carry the offense when Skattebo? At some point, Cam Skattebo is going to be limited offensively, and last week against Texas State, he had just 62 yards. However, Sam Leavitt showed that he could keep drives alive and get ASU into position to score against a good TXST team. Can he do it again, and this time in front of a Big 12 crowd?
PREDICTION: Texas Tech 31, Arizona State 30
I fully expect this game to come down to the wire. Arizona State comes into this game with a ton of confidence, while Texas Tech just put nearly 70 points on the board after a disappointing showing at Washington State.
It’s a toss-up game for me, but I like the experience of Behren Morton and Tahj Brooks playing in front of a home crowd. It could go either way, but with TTU in Lubbock, I’ll take the Red Raiders in a close one.
