Texas Tech Installed as Two-Touchdown Favorite to Host Arizona State

Overview

• The game is set for Saturday, Oct. 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock with FOX carrying the matchup and sportsbooks showing a consensus line near Texas Tech -15.5.
• Texas Tech is unbeaten at 5-0 and 2-0 in Big 12 play, riding an 11-game home winning streak and a seven-game Big 12 regular-season run that features a large post-halftime scoring edge.
• Quarterback Will Hammond, who made his first start in last season’s loss at Arizona State before tearing the ACL in his right knee, returned for the opener this season and his play is a focal point for Tech’s offense.
• Arizona State is 3-2 and inconsistent after a 55-19 loss to Baylor and an uninspiring win over Hawai'i, leaving questions about its ability to move the ball and stop takeaways against stronger opponents.
• The matchup has a peculiar recent history—each of the two prior Big 12 meetings was won by the home team and the loser subsequently claimed the conference title—so the result could affect Big 12 standings and College Football Playoff positioning.