Duquesne vs BYU Odds, Predictions and Picks (March 21)

• The 11-seed Duquesne Dukes play the 6-seed BYU Cougars in the Round of 64 on Thursday
• Duquesne won the A10 Tournament as a 6-seed to make March Madness
• Read below for Duquesne vs BYU odds, predictions, and picks for the Round of 64 on March 21

After winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament, the Duquesne Dukes (24-11) clinched their first March Madness birth since 1977. They received the 11-seed in the East Region and will take on the BYU Cougars (23-10) in the Round of 64.  The winner of this matchup will play the winner of #14 Morehead State vs #3 Illinois in the next round of the March Madness bracket.

This will be one of the first games played in the 2024 NCAA Tournament with tip-off scheduled for 12:40 pm ET on Thursday, March 21. The game will take place at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, NE.

Duquesne vs BYU Odds

The college basketball odds have the BYU Cougars as 9.5-point favorites over the Dukes. With moneyline odds of -470, the sportsbooks are giving BYU an 82.46% implied win probability to advance to the Round of 32. The O/U in this first round matchup is set at 142.5.

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Duquesne vs BYU Line Movement

This matchup has seen one of the biggest line moves since the odds were released after Selection Sunday. BYU opened as 7.5-point favorites and has been bet up to nearly double-digits. Bettors like this BYU team, which played competitively in its first season in the Big 12, but this line movement is likely due to those wanting to fade the Dukes.

Duquesne was a middle-of-the-pack A10 team and needed to win its conference tournament to even make the March Madness field. If they did not win four games in five days, the Dukes would be spending their 48th consecutive season watching this tournament from their couches.

The total did not see as dramatic of a move. The O/U opened at 141.5 and has since moved up one point.

Duquesne Betting Trends

Duquesne’s winning streak goes back to even before the A10 Tournament. The Dukes have won eight games in a row and have been victorious in ten of their last 11. They also went 9-2 against the spread during that stretch.

Duquesne finally punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a 57-51 win over VCU in the A10 title game.

The Dukes have been winning these games thanks to their defense. Duquesne is ranked 29th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency and has allowed just one of its last eight opponents to get to 70 points. They are also ranked 28th in scoring defense as the Dukes allow just 66 points per game. Going along with their defense, Duquesne does a good job forcing turnovers. The Dukes force over 13 turnovers per game which leads to additional possessions for their offense. This stellar defense made Duquesne the second-best under team in the country this season, going 24-9-1 to the under.

Duquesne is led by two Senior guards, Dae Dae Grant and Jimmy Clark. Both guards average over 30 minutes of playing time and lead the team in scoring. Grant averages 16.7 points per game, while Clark averages 15.1. Both heated up during the A10 Tournament, and they will need that to continue if they want to beat BYU and advance to the Round of 32.

BYU Betting Trends

Despite being the 6-seed, BYU has the fifth-best Final Four odds in the East region. The Cougars went 20-13 against the spread this season and have covered in two of their last three games.

The Cougars beat UFC (87-73) in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament before falling to Texas Tech (81-67). Their best wins of the season include Iowa State (87-72 home), Kansas (76-68 away), and Baylor (78-71 home).

This BYU team is almost the polar opposite of Duquesne. They score quickly, and they score often. The Cougars average over 81 points per game and are ranked eleventh in adjusted offensive efficiency. BYU loves to shoot the three, and they make the second-most threes per game in the country. The Cougars also rank in the top ten when it comes to two-point percentage, so even though they are known for the three-ball, they can score in multiple ways.

If the shots are falling for BYU, this game could get out of hand quickly.

Duquesne vs BYU Prediction

This game will come down to how BYU’s offense plays against Duquesne’s defense. The Dukes are hot, but their miracle run will end in Omaha. They have a pesky defense that could cause BYU fits, but the Cougars also have experience against Houston and Iowa State, the country’s #1 and #2 defenses.  BYU split the series with Iowa State and played close with Houston before losing.

Even if BYU’s offense gets hot, 142.5 seems like too many points in a game that features this Duquesne team. They are the second-best under team this season, and the total has gone under in nine of its last eleven games. Teams are often a little tight to start the tournament, and it is an early tip, so BYU might come out a little sluggish. They should find their rhythm later in the game and score plenty, but the game total should stay under 142.5 points.

DUQ vs BYU picks:

• BYU -9.5 (-108)
• Under 142.5 (-108)