Texas vs Arizona State Game Information
| What: | College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl |
| When: | Wednesday, January 1, 2025 at 1:00 EST/10:00 PST |
| Where: | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (FieldTurf CORE), Atlanta, Georgia |
| Texas vs Arizona State Line: | Texas -13.5 |
| Total: | 51.5 |
| TV: | ESPN |
Texas vs Arizona State Preview
The first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) resumes this week with four Quarterfinal showdowns including this one at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between No. 4-seed Arizona State (11-2, 7-2 in Big 12) and No. 5-seed Texas (12-2, 7-1 in SEC) on Wednesday afternoon. The Sun Devils two Losses came to Texas Tech and Cincinnati while the Longhorns two setbacks were both to Georgia—in SEC Regular Season play (30-15) and in the SEC Championship Game (22-19)—who will be facing Notre Dame later in the day in another CFP Quarterfinal. Online sportsbook DraftKings currently has Texas at the shortest odds to win the CFP at +320 with Arizona State lined as the longest longshots at 70/1.
In their last 5 games, the Longhorns are 4-1, winning at Arkansas by 10 (20-10), beating Kentucky by 17 (31-14), rivals Texas A&M by 10 (17-7), losing that aforementioned SEC title tilt to Georgia by 3 in OT (22-19), and then beating Clemson by 14 in their CFP First Round game (38-24). In their last 5 games, Arizona State is a perfect 5-0, knocking off Central Florida by 4 (35-31), beating Kansas State by 10 (24-14), BYU by 5 (28-23), rivals Arizona by 42 in the last game of the Regular Season before defeating Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game by 26 (45-19).
Texas Does SEC Proud in its First-Ever CFP Appearance
Texas (8-6-0 ATS, 5-8-1 O/U) comes in the heavy Favorites here, despite the lower seeding and Neutral Site and the Longhorns have adapted very nicely to their first season in the SEC, defeating Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Texas A&M, defending FBS runners-up Michigan, and ACC champions Clemson last week to get to this point. Nice résumé. Texas (-500 Moneyline) has only lost to Georgia and the two teams could play a third time later this month in the 2025 College Football Championship Game here (again) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday, January 20 (ESPN, 7:30 EST/4:30 PST) which would seem like a Home game for the Bulldogs.
Texas has two QBs it can turn to in starter Quinn Ewers (2,867 Passing yards, 26 TD, 10 Interceptions) and Arch Manning (939 Passing yards), three decent RBs in Quintrevion Wisner (973 Rushing yards), Jaydon Blue 9710 Rushing yards), and Jerrick Gibson (377 Rushing yards), and three good receivers in TE Gunnar Helm (688 Receiving yards, 6 TD) and WRs Matthew Gooden (787 Receiving yards, 8 TD, 16.1 ypc) and Isaiah Bond (532 Receiving yards, 5 TD, 16.1 ypc). The Longhorns average 35.6 ppg (#20), 173.5 Rushing Yards Per Game (#48) and 275.4 Passing Yards Per Game (#17). The talented Texas defense is the big reason this team has had such a great season and allows only 13.3 ppg (#2) with only CFP No. 8-seed Ohio State—who plays No. 1-seed Oregon in another Quarterfinal later in the New Year’s Day day—giving up fewer Points Per Game.
Texas Betting Trends
- Texas is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games (both Losses to GEORGIA)
- The Under is 4-1-0 last 5 Texas games
- Texas is 23-4 SU in its last 27 games overall
- Texas went a perfect 4-0 on the Road in the Regular Season
- The Under is 7-2-1 in the last 10 Longhorns games
- The Longhorns are 3-5-0 ATS in their last 8 games overall
Arizona State Faces Biggest Test of the NCAAF Season
Arizona State (11-2-0 ATS, 8-4-1 O/U) has been one of the best schools against the betting number and also a very profitable Over team (66.7%) Winning the Big 12 in the Sun Devils (+380 Moneyline) first year playing in the conference is a remarkable feat, especially when Futures odds had Arizona State near the bottom of the conference. The Sun Devils average 34.5 ppg (#250) while allowing 21.3 ppg (#28) and the defense will have to shine in order to upset Texas on New Year’s Day.
The Sun Devils are led by QB Sam Leavitt (2,563 Passing yards, 24 TD, 5 Interceptions; 383 Rushing yards, 5 TD, 3.9 ypc), and stud RB Cam Skattebo (1,568 Rushing yards, 19 TD, 6.0 ypc) but star WR Jordyn Tyson (1,011 receiving yards) is out for the season now with an Injury so Skattebo (37 Receptions, 506 Receiving yards, 3 TD, 13.7 ypc), WR Xavier Gullory (320 Receiving yards, 5 TD, 16.8 ypc) and TE Chamon Metayer (290 Receiving yards, 5 TD, 10,0 ypc) will have to try to pick up the Receiving slack for the Sun Devils in his absence.
Arizona State Betting Trends
- Arizona State is 8-2 SU/ATS in its last 10 overall
- WR Jordyn Tyson had 10 of the team’s 25 Passing TD
- The Over is 5-1 in the Sun Devils last 5 6ames, 6-1-1 last 10
- In the last 11 ASU games, the winning team has also covered ATS
- ASU was only 3-9 SU last season in its last as a Pac-12 Conference member
- The Sun Devils faced Texas in the 2007 Holiday Bowl (TEX 52 ASU 34)
Texas vs Arizona State Prediction
The big question here is can Arizona State score on this talented Texas defense, especially without the services of its best WR. This will only be the second meeting between these two on the gridiron, with Texas beating ASU in the 2007 Holiday Bowl by 18 points (52-34), covering ATS as small 1.0 Favorites in a game that went Over the closing Total of 62 by 24 points. The Longhorns outgained the Sun Devils 474-327, who only had 22 yards Rushing. Here ASU will have to get the ground game going to soften up the Longhorns defense and keep the ball out of their hands or it could end up being a long day. This Texas vs Arizona State NCAAF pick will suggest shopping around for the Underdogs +14 (it is 13.5 everywhere and should tick up again by kickoff time), as this is actually a game the Sun Devils could pull off a big upset, but they will have to do everything right, hope mistake-prone Texas QB Ewers commits some TOs, and win the Field Position battle.
Texas has high expectations, and being the oddsmakers Favorites to win this first-ever CFP speaks volumes, but there are teams here who could knock off the Longhorns and all 8 still alive could win this new tournament which could expand to 14 or 16 teams in years to come. The format is enticing, but perhaps the way the teams are seeded right now could be improved. No disrespect, but Arizona State and Boise State probably didn’t play tough enough schedules to warrant First Round Byes. The thought behind this handicap is that the Sun Devils are a bit underrated and can at least keep it close with their spirit and guys like Leavitt and Skattebo (first player in FBS with 1,500 Rushing yards and 500 Receiving yards since 2016). The line makes more sense around 9 or 10 points (opened TEX -10.5).