Arizona State Will Give Texas A&M A Much Bigger Challenge Than The Odds Indicate

The Texas A&M Aggies head into their Week 2 matchup against the Arizona State Sun Devils as heavy favorites. Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko walks onto the field during a time-out in the first quarter against the Missouri State Bears | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connecthave started the 2026 season with a commanding start after dominating the Missouri State Bears with a shutout 50-0 victory in the season opener. , to nobody's surprise, didn't have much of a struggle against the Bears, as Texas A&M accumulated over 500 yards of offense, averaging close to six yards per play, and scored six touchdowns, while Missouri State gained just 67 yards of offense and averaged under two yards per play.continue to be heavy favorites as they head into their second game of the season, which should be a step up in competition, taking on the Arizona State Sun Devils. Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed runs the ball during the first quarter against the Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Sun Devils are by no means a walk in the park, with head coach Kenny Dillingham leading Arizona State to a 19-8 record over the last two years with a Big 12 championship and a trip to the College Football Playoff. However, when the Sun Devils head to College Station, the Aggies will be the overwhelming odds-on favorite to win the SEC vs. Big 12 showdown. Texas A&M heads into the matchup as a 14.5-point favorite over Arizona State, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. While the Aggies host the Sun Devils as a two-possession favorite, Arizona State should not be underestimated at all. The Sun Devils won their first game of the season also in dominant fashion, thrashing the Morgan State Bears in a lopsided 70-7 affair. The Sun Devils' new starting quarterback, Cutter Boley, was impressive in his debut, setting a record for the most passing yards by an Arizona State quarterback in a debut. Boley ended his day with 387 passing yards, completing 21 of his 27 pass attempts, along with six touchdowns and no interceptions. Arizona State's offense ended its first game of the season by closing in on eye-popping 700 yards of total offense, 432 through the air and 249 on the ground, while averaging 9.6 yards per play. And the Sun Devils also found plenty of success limiting Morgan State's offense to 188 total yards and under four yards per play. The Aggies will undoubtedly be heading into Saturday's game with an overwhelming sense of confidence after their Week 1 performance, and the betting odds reflect exactly that; however, Texas A&M should not look past the Sun Devils, who will put up much more of a fight. Ylver Deleon-Rios is an aspiring sports writer with an English major in Journalism and Media minor. His experience in sports journalism includes writing for The Daily Texan, where he has worked on the soccer and softball beats. A native Houstonian, he roots for the Astros and the Rockets while also rooting for the Dallas Cowboys.