Northern Arizona (0-0) vs Arizona State (0-0)
August 30, 2025 at 10:00 PM EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: Arizona State -28.5 — Over/Under: 52.5
In this article we will formulate a Northern Arizona vs Arizona State prediction for this College Football game on Saturday, August 30th at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this week 1 matchup.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Betting Preview
The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks went 8-5 (6-2) and they finished tied for third in the Big Sky standings with Idaho. Northern Arizona did play one FBS team last year, which was a 22-10 loss at Arizona. The Lumberjacks defeated Lincoln, Utah Tech, Sacramento State, Idaho State, Weber State, Cal Poly, Northern Colorado, and Eastern Washington, while they lost to Arizona, Incarnate Word, Idaho, and Montana. Northern Arizona did qualify for the FCS playoffs, where they lost to Abilene Christian by a score of 24-0.
This season, Northern Arizona returns Ty Pennington at quarterback, which is huge for this NAU team. The Lumberjacks also return their top receiver and top two running backs from 2024, so this team should be very good offensively. The offensive line should also be solid, but they are replacing two starters. On defense, NAU will be led by their linebackers, but the defensive line is also going to be very good. The secondary has some question marks, as they lost three of the four positions, but the front seven will hopefully make up for it.
Arizona State Sun Devils Betting Preview
The Arizona State Sun Devils were 11-3 (7-2) in 2024 and they finished tied for first in the Big 12 standings with BYU, Iowa State, and Colorado. Arizona State had a fantastic 2024 season, but fell just short in the CFP. The Sun Devils got wins against Wyoming, Mississippi State, Texas State, Kansas, Utah, Oklahoma State, UCF, Kansas State, BYU, and Arizona, while they lost to Texas Tech and Cincinnati. Arizona State did beat Iowa State in the Big 12 Title game by a score of 45-19, but they lost to Texas in the Peach Bowl by a score of 39-31 in overtime. ASU scored 32.9 points per game last year, which was ranked 30th in the country, while they allowed 22.6 points against per game, which was 37th.
This season, Arizona State will have to replace Skattebo at running back, which is a huge loss, but they do have the backup and brought in Udoh from Army. ASU will return Leavitt at quarterback, who is a dual threat weapon that had an excellent 2024. The passing game should be very solid, as they have multiple receivers with plenty of experience and past success. The offensive line also has experience and should be very good, but the offense is going to have to get creative to replace Skattebo. On defense, Arizona State had a very good 2024 season and they return a ton of key pieces, so they should be even better this season.
Why Northern Arizona will cover against Arizona State
- Arizona State has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five August home games against non-AP-ranked teams.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Arizona State’s last seven home games against non-FBS teams have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Arizona State ranked T13th among FBS teams for average point differential in second quarters last season (+5.6).
- Arizona State ranked T14th among FBS teams for interceptions last season (16).
Northern Arizona vs Arizona State Prediction
Arizona State comes into this matchup with plenty of expectations after last season’s run to the College Football Playoff, but Northern Arizona should be one of the top FCS programs this year. Both of these teams have plenty of talent and experience, so this should be a very high quality game on both sides. I think it is totally possible for Arizona State to come out a little flat in this game, while Northern Arizona is going to treat this opportunity like a playoff game. Take the Lumberjacks and the points.