Expectations were low for Arizona State coming into last year. Picked to finish last in the Big 12, the Sun Devils' over/under on total wins for the year was set at 4.5 games. Fans who took the over clinched a nice payout just six weeks into the season.
Of course, Arizona State went on to win the conference and reach the College Football Playoff, obliterating all their preseason expectations at every step of the way. The vast majority of that team, including their entire coaching staff, comes back for the 2025 season.
Surely nobody is overlooking the Sun Devils this year, right?
It depends on how confident you are in a repeat of last year. DraftKings Sportsbook finally released their regular season win total odds for the Big 12 this year, and Arizona State finished with the highest over/under.
Arizona State: 8.5 wins
Kansas State: 8.5 wins
Texas Tech: 8.5 wins
Baylor: 7.5 wins
BYU: 7.5 wins
Iowa State: 7.5 wins
Kansas: 7.5 wins
Utah: 7.5 wins
Cincinnati: 6.5 wins
Colorado: 6.5 wins
Houston: 6.5 wins
TCU: 6.5 wins
Arizona: 5.5 wins
Oklahoma State: 5.5 wins
UCF: 5.5 wins
West Virginia: 5.5 wins
The Sun Devils' 8.5 over/under mark is the highest out of the Big 12, tied with Kansas State and Texas Tech, neither of whom hit that mark during the regular season last year. Arizona State, meanwhile, finished 10-2 at the conclusion of their regular season.
Even then, one of those two losses came on the road in Cincinnati in a game that quarterback Sam Leavitt missed with an injury. They lost that game by 10 points, and it was the only game all season in which the Sun Devils scored less than 23 points. Understandably so, many fans believed Arizona State would have won that game - thus making them 11-1 on the year - if Leavitt were healthy.
So the 8.5 number from DraftKings feels a bit low, given how much production from last year's team returns this year. That said, the fact that Arizona State has the highest over/under among their conference foes reflects an elevated amount of respect for them after last season's run.
Still, it won't be a surprise if that number moves up a bit before the season kicks off.