Halftime Report

Only one more half stands between BYU and the win they were favored to collect coming into this afternoon. They have jumped out to a quick 31-26 lead against Arizona State.

BYU entered the match having won three straight and they’re just one half away from another. Will they make it four, or will Arizona State step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.

Who’s Playing

Arizona State Sun Devils @ BYU Cougars

Current Records: Arizona State 9-2, BYU 9-2

How To Watch

• When: Tuesday, December 31, 2024 at 4 p.m. ET
• Where: Marriott Center — Provo, Utah
• TV: ESPN2
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Ticket Cost: $55.00

What to Know

BYU is preparing for their first Big 12 matchup of the season on Tuesday. They and the Arizona State Sun Devils will face off at 4:00 p.m. ET at Marriott Center. The timing is sure in the Cougars’ favor as the team sits on 13 straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while the Sun Devils have been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.

BYU is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They put a hurting on Florida A&M to the tune of 103-57 last Friday. The Cougars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven contests by 19 points or more this season.

BYU relied on the efforts of Kanon Catchings, who went 8 for 12 en route to 21 points plus two steals, and Dallin Hall, who earned 14 points in addition to seven assists and five rebounds. That’s the most assists Hall has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Fousseyni Traore, who posted nine points plus six rebounds and five assists.

BYU was working as a unit and finished the game with 25 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Florida A&M only posted 12.

Meanwhile, Arizona State strolled past Massachusetts with points to spare last Saturday, taking the game 78-62.

Arizona State’s success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Basheer Jihad led the charge by going 8 for 12 en route to 20 points plus eight rebounds and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Quaintance, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 11 rebounds.

BYU’s victory bumped their record up to 9-2. As for Arizona State, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they’ve won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 9-2 record this season.

Tuesday’s game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: BYU has been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 36.9% of their threes per game. However, it’s not like Arizona State struggles in that department as they’ve nailed 38.5% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Going forward, BYU is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 9.5 points. This contest will be their 12th straight as the favorites (so far over this stretch they are 6-5 against the spread).

Odds

BYU is a big 9.5-point favorite against Arizona State, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Cougars as a 8.5-point favorite.

The over/under is 148.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

BYU won the only game these two teams have played in the last year.

• Nov 24, 2023 – BYU 77 vs. Arizona State 49