Northern Colorado Bears vs Arizona State Sun Devils Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Week 1

Northern Colorado just scored 117 points in its opener. Arizona State won its first game too, but in a much tighter, grind-it-out style in Tempe.

The Matchup

Northern Colorado walks into Desert Financial Arena at 1-0 after the loudest opener of any team on this slate, a 117-64 win over Colorado College. Jeremiah Hammond led the Bears with 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting and 3 made threes. Chiante' Tramble added 13 points and 3 assists, and Hunter Caldwell scored 12 while making 4 of his 6 three-point attempts. The Bears shot it from everywhere and never let the game slow down.

Arizona State is 1-0 as well, beating East Tennessee State 75-65 at home. Paulius Murauskas was the Sun Devils' best player, scoring 21 points with 9 rebounds. Joel Foxwell added 15 points and 5 assists, and Dillan Shaw scored 13 with 6 rebounds. Arizona State has the better athletes and the home court, and it will expect to control this game physically.

The team numbers favor the visitors more than the jerseys suggest. Northern Colorado averaged 82.5 points per game last season while allowing 76.5, then scored 117 in its opener. Arizona State averaged 76.3 and allowed 78.3 last season, giving up more than it scored across a full year, and its opener was a ten-point home win. The talent gap favors the Sun Devils. The scoring profile favors the Bears, and the number only cares about the margin.

Key Factors

The first factor is Northern Colorado's shooting depth. Hammond, Tramble and Caldwell combined for 42 points in the opener, and Caldwell's 4 threes off the bench show how many lineups the Bears can score with. Arizona State allowed 65 points to East Tennessee State, a respectable showing, but it has not yet seen a team that spreads the floor and shoots it like this one.

The second factor is Arizona State's frontcourt. Murauskas grabbed 9 rebounds to go with his 21 points, and if the Sun Devils dominate the glass and turn this into a physical, half-court game, Northern Colorado's shooters will see fewer clean looks and shorter possessions. Home court matters here too: the Bears have to sustain their shooting in a road building against Big 12 athletes.

The counterpoint is the quality of Northern Colorado's opener. Colorado College is not a Division I test, and 117 points against that defense may say more about the opponent than the Bears. If Arizona State's length bothers the perimeter early and the road shots stop falling, this can become the comfortable home win the number expects. The cover case is that Northern Colorado's scoring is a season-long trait, not a one-night event, and a team that scores like this is hard to beat by sixteen.

Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.