Arizona Wildcats vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Odds, Analysis, Betting Pick

The 17th-ranked Arizona Wildcats (20-6) will go for their sixth straight win over the 25th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (19-6) on Thursday when they square off in a pick'em Pac-12 matchup.

The Sun Devils will host their intrastate rivals while riding a three-game winning streak, but they have not beaten them since 2015, earning an 81-78 upset victory at home as eight-point underdogs.

Point spread: This game opened as a pick'em; the total is at 163.5, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College basketball betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 77.6-71.7, Sun Devils (College basketball picks on every game)

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds info, picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.

Why the Wildcats can cover the spread

The Wildcats have gone 3-1-1 against the spread during their current five-game series winning streak, according to the OddsShark College Basketball Database. They won 73-60 at Tempe last March 4 as 8.5-point road favorites and ended a two-game losing streak overall with an impressive 81-67 victory against the USC Trojans last Saturday as 6.5-point home chalk.

In the win over the Trojans, freshman Deandre Ayton totaled 18 points and seven rebounds, scoring in double figures for the 24th time in 26 games.

Why the Sun Devils can cover the spread

Even though Arizona State lost the first meeting this season 84-78 at Tucson on December 30, the betting result was a push on the six-point spread in favor of Arizona. The Sun Devils were ranked third in the country at the time and suffered their first loss following an impressive 12-0 start, so this is a great revenge spot for them.

Arizona State's leading scorer, senior guard Tra Holder, will also be motivated considering he has not beaten the Wildcats since his freshman year. Holder scored a game-high 31 points in the first meeting, making 15-of-16 free throws in the loss.

Smart betting pick

These teams last met in the conference opener for both of them, and each figures to make the NCAA tournament regardless of how they finish. That said, the Sun Devils do not want to fall to .500 in the Pac-12 at 7-7 with another loss here. Arizona has a two-game lead in the conference over the Trojans and UCLA Bruins, so they can afford a loss much more than Arizona State. Take the Sun Devils to end their series skid.

College basketball betting trends

Arizona is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games.

The total has gone over in four of Arizona's last six games.

Arizona State is 3-8-2 ATS in its last 13 games.

All college basketball odds and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.