The Arizona Wildcats have opened up as favorites to win perhaps the most highly anticipated Territorial Cup in over a decade.Â
Arizona (8-3) is a 1.5-point favorite to beat Arizona State (8-3) on Friday at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, according to Action Network. The over/under is 50.5 points.
It's the first time both Arizona and ASU have at least eight wins in a Territorial Cup since 2014, when the Wildcats won the Pac-12 South championship.
The last time Arizona played in Tempe, the Wildcats routed ASU, 59-23, the largest margin of victory for the Wildcats in Tempe. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita set Arizona's single-game passing record with 527 yards to go along with five touchdowns. Former Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan had 266 receiving yards on 11 catches.
The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats 49-7 in Tucson last season en route to the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff.Â
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Entering Friday's contest, Arizona has won four straight games against Colorado, Kansas, Cincinnati and most recently Baylor. ASU lost star quarterback Sam Leavitt to a season-ending foot injury in October. The Sun Devils have won the last three games since dual-threat quarterback Jeff Sims took over as the starter.Â
Fans and players try to get their hands on the Territorial Cup after Arizona State faced Arizona in a football matchup at Arizona Stadium on Nov. 25, 2022.
ASU has the third-most rushing yards in the Big 12 this season. The Sun Devils rushed for 355 yards and three touchdowns in their 42-17 win over Colorado on Saturday. ASU running back Raleek Brown had 22 carries for 255 yards against the Buffaloes. Â
The Wildcats and Sun Devils kick off at Mountain America Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. on Fox. It'll be the latest kickoff time for Arizona since the second game of the season against Weber State.Â
Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports

