Herm Edwards has a new challenge at Arizona State. The Sun Devils have been competitive ever since he was hired in 2017, showing potential as an under-the-radar threat in the Pac-12. Now, with Edwards set for his fourth season in Tempe, the bar has been raised. And managing lofty expectations will be one of the top priorities in camp as the Sun Devils enter 2021 with legit title hopes.

While Oregon is the slight favorite at most top sportsbooks to win the Pac-12 Championship at +250 odds, Arizona sports betting fans should note Arizona State isn’t far behind. The Sun Devils are fourth on the betting board at +450 at DraftKings , trailing only the Ducks, Washington (+300) and USC (+360).

Not bad for a team that was +1800 at sports betting sites to take the title last year before the pandemic wiped out most of the season, leaving the Sun Devils with just four games and a 2-2 record to carry into the long offseason.

Arizona State Football Odds For 2021 Season

College football odds current as of publication; check out our DraftKings sportsbook review

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The Case For Arizona State

With an experienced starting quarterback and tons of returning talent, the Sun Devils might just be a smart bet on college football futures markets to capture their first outright conference title since 1996.

The Sun Devils finished strong in 2020 with a ridiculous 70-7 blowout win over rival Arizona and a 46-33 victory over Oregon State in the finale. While they opened the season with a pair of losses, it was only by a combined eight points. Arizona State gave a tough USC team all it could handle in a 28-27 loss and fell to UCLA, 25-18.

Arizona State’s defense has so far carried the team under Edwards, but the offense looks ready to start making headlines with a ton of returning talent. That includes quarterback Jayden Daniels, who passed for 701 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 223 yards and an additional four scores in 2020.

Daniels has great mobility and impressive decision-making in the pocket, with 22 passing touchdowns to just three interceptions over his first two seasons in the desert. He’ll also have plenty of help on the ground with running back Rachaad White returning after averaging 105 yards-per-game and 10 yards-per-carry in 2020. There’s plenty of depth behind White in the backfield, as well as four returning starters on the offensive line, so the Sun Devils will definitely be a problem for opponents in the trenches.

Arizona State returns nearly its entire two-deep on defense, including all 11 starters from last season. That continuity is unheard of these days, even if part of it is circumstantial due to the extra year of eligibility. And a great defense will go a long ways in the Pac-12, especially matched with an offense that has potential to create a lot of explosive plays.

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USC is the biggest threat to the Sun Devils in the South Division, and that's reflected in their odds at college football betting sites and betting apps. But the Sun Devils have a great chance to beat the Trojans after back-to-back losses by just six combined points. Arizona State gets USC at home on Nov. 6 and doesn’t play top-ranked Oregon in the regular season.

With tons of depth and experience on both sides of the ball, a favorable college football schedule, and plenty of buzz for what is by far Edwards’ best Sun Devils team on paper, Arizona State continues to look like a strong bet to live up to the hype and win the Pac-12 at +450 odds .