The final First Four contest pits the Arizona State Sun Devils (22-12) against the Nevada Wolfpack (22-10).
These 11-seeds will take the court on Wednesday night with a chance to take on the 6-seeded TCU Horned Frogs in the NCAA Tournament First Round. ASU and Nevada have played each other four times throughout history, with the series even at two wins apiece.
The midweek contest tips off at 9:10 p.m. EST inside UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Arizona State is a two-point favorite while the over/under total is 134 points.
What to Know – Nevada Wolfpack
The Wolfpack were one of the last teams into the Big Dance as an at-large bid after a fourth-place finish in the Mountain West Conference. Nevada tips off in the tournament for the tenth time in the school’s history. Head coach Steve Alford has now guided five separate institutions to tournament appearances.
Offensively, the Wolfpack finished fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 44.4% shooting from the field and tenth in attempts from beyond the arc. Nevada’s defense ranks fifth in the league, holding teams to 66.9 ppg, 41.9% shooting from three and 32.2% from three.
Jarod Lucas was the leader of the Wolfpack in scoring, averaging 17.3 ppg throughout the regular season.
Kenan Blackshear (14.4 ppg) and Will Baker (13.5 ppg) add additional scoring options for the Nevada offense.
Nevada wrapped up the regular season with a 19-11-1 record against the spread and 2-2 in games played at a neutral location. Recent trends point out that the Wolfpack are 8-3-1 ATS over their last 12 matchups against teams from the Pac-12.
What to Know – Arizona State Sun Devils
The Sun Devils return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 after a fifth-place finish in the Pac-12. Arizona State is making its 17th appearance in the Big Dance and third under eighth-year head coach Bobby Hurley.
Arizona State was sixth in the Pac-12 in scoring, averaging 70.3 ppg thanks to 41.3% shooting from the floor and 31.4% from deep. On defense, the Sun Devils were eighth in the conference, surrendering 67.7 ppg, 39.8% shooting from the field, and 33.6% from the 3-point line.
Leading scorers for the Sun Devils included a trio of players all able to step up and control the offense on a given night. Desmond Cambridge Jr. (13.7 ppg), Marcus Bagley (12.5 ppg), and DJ Horne (12.1 ppg) did a majority of the damage for the ASU offense.
Coming into the tournament, the Sun Devils are 15-19 ATS this season and 4-2 ATS on a neutral floor. The Sun Devils own an 8-1-1 record ATS in their last ten games versus Mountain West opponents.
The Pick is In
Wednesday’s matchup is going to be another tight contest like we saw between Pitt and Mississippi State. Turnovers have plagued the Sun Devils all season, and we see Alford and the Wolfpack taking advantage of that red flag. Nevada pulls out a close one and advances.
The Pick: Nevada Wolfpack +2
