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Las Vegas Bowl 2021: Odds, Daily Fantasy Tips for Wisconsin vs. ASU
December 29, 2021
The Wisconsin Badgers and Arizona State Sun Devils both found success on the ground, but only one of the Las Vegas Bowl participants will have their feature back available Thursday night.
Wisconsin comes into Allegiant Stadium with freshman Braelon Allen prepared to wreak havoc on the Arizona State defense.
The Pac-12 side needs to revamp its ground approach around quarterback Jayden Daniels since top rushers Rachaad White and DeaMonte Trayanum opted out of the Las Vegas Bowl.
Arizona State is also dealing with some absences on defense, so that could make life easier for Graham Mertz and the Wisconsin passing unit.
The Badgers have more stars available than the Sun Devils, and that could be the easy difference-maker in the Big Ten-versus-Pac-12 clash.
Las Vegas Bowl Info
Date: Thursday, December 30
Start Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app
Game Odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Wisconsin (-6)
Over/Under: 41
Money Line: Wisconsin (-220; bet $220 to win $100); Arizona State (+180; bet $100 to win $180)
Daily Fantasy Tips
Put More Faith in Wisconsin's Offense
Wisconsin is primed for more success Thursday night because its offense is in better shape and its matchups got easier over the last month.
The Badgers should build their offensive attack around running back Braelon Allen, who had 1,109 yards and 12 touchdowns in his freshman season.
The young running back will test the Arizona State rushing defense that gives up 129.0 yards per contest.
Arizona State's defensive spine is weaker without linebacker Darien Butler, who was one of three key players to opt out on that side of the ball. Defensive backs Chase Lucas and Jack Jones also will not play in Las Vegas.
The weakened secondary opens up the possibility for Graham Mertz to sling the ball more than he typically does.
The sophomore quarterback had nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions in the regular season. He attempted over 25 passes in three games.
Allen will see the highest volume inside the Wisconsin offense, but Mertz could be worth the risk in daily fantasy football contests because of the mismatch that popped up with the Arizona State opt-outs.
Rely On Jayden Daniels in ASU Offense
Jayden Daniels is the most trustworthy player inside the Arizona State offense in its current state.
Like Mertz, Daniels did not have overwhelmingly impressive passing totals with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions, but he should be asked to do more Thursday.
Arizona State lost 1,400 yards worth of rushing production through the opt-outs of Rachaad White and DeaMonte Trayanum.
Daniels and Daniyel Ngata face a tough matchup on the ground against a Wisconsin defense that allows 65.2 yards per game.
Wisconsin should have an increased focus on Daniels, and he has to prove that he is capable of beating an opponent by himself.
Daniels should do some damage on the ground since he ran for 670 yards and six scores, but he needs to air the ball out as well.
The expected increase in yardage across the board makes Daniels one of the more intriguing daily fantasy options on Thursday's slate.
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