Posted on 1/17/2008 7:00:44 PM

NCAA Basketball Betting – Arizona State at California

By Charles Jay

BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds: CALIFORNiA -4.5, Total 131

The surprising Arizona State Sun Devils (13-2 SU, 7-4 ATS) make their first Pac-10 road trip of the season on Thursday night when they travel to Berkley to take on the Cal Golden Bears (11-4 SU, 8-4 ATS) at the Haas Pavilion. Tipoff time is 10:30 PM ET.

In the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds, the Golden Bears are a 4.5-point home favorite. The total is 131 points, and in the BetUS money line, California is -240, with Arizona State at +200.

Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends and stats relative to this matchup:

* ASU has won two of its last 16 road games SU

* ASU has played 10 of its last 12 road games UNDER the total

* CAL has covered four of its last six games

* CAL has won 10 of its last 12 home games SU

* CAL has won 10 of the last 14 meetings SU

* CAL has won eight of the last 12 meetings SU as the home team

* ASU has covered five of the last six meetings as the visitor

* CAL has held the shooting edge in six of the last nine meetings

* ASU averages a +14.3 point differential

* ASU is shooting 49.5% FG's

* ASU is averaging 7.5 steals per game

* ASU shoots 75.8% from the free throw line

* ASU allows 56.7 points per game (6th in the nation)

* CAL is averaging 35.1 rebounds per game

* CAL scores 79.1 points per game

* CAL has a 74.7% free throw percentage

Arizona State has done a truly remarkable job for second-year coach Herb Sendek. The Sun Devils pulled an upset of the Xavier Musketeers on December 15, routing them by 22 points, and have thus far torn through their Pac-10 schedule, registering wins over Oregon (62-54), Oregon State (72-53) and Arizona (64-59). Arizona State has been very proficient at slowing the pace down and keeping teams in the 50's, as their per-game average of 56.7 points against ranks sixth in the country. And it has even been reduced after the non-conference schedule as completed, which is a good sign.

However, this is a tough assignment. ASU has three freshmen starting, and these players must go to Berkley, in their first conference road game, and manage to control the tempo, on both ends of the floor, against a California squad that was able to crank things up in its conference opener against a USC team that was far too dependent on OJ Mayo for its offense.

Considering that Arizona State has won just two of its last 16 road games, and was beaten by 15 points at Nebraska in its only road game of note, this would seem a heavy task. But thus far, Sendek's freshmen have been rock solid. In Lincoln, they were playing a Husker team that was just better at the slowdown than they were. And Sendek has already figured out how to keep the pace "regular" against the Bears, as he did so last year in a 42-41 win. Cal is the team without a lot of signature wins on its record, so this appears achievable.

We'll grab the points with Arizona State, the 4.5-point underdog in the BetUS college basketball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: ARIZONA STATE

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(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com does more than play the "sun devil's advocate." He currently is a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)