BYU vs. Duquesne Betting Prediction, Best Bets, and Odds

• Duquesne received a #11 seed after winning the A-10

• BYU received a #6 seed but lost in the Big 12 quarterfinal 

• The Dukes haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament in 47 years

BYU will face Duquesne in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. BYU is the favorite in the contest, but their recent tournament history could be better. 

The Cougars haven’t advanced from the first round since 2011, and they’re facing a hungry Duquesne team. The Dukes will make their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 47 years, thanks to their victory over VCU in the A-10 Championship game. 

The Cougars live and die by the three-point shot, making predicting their outcomes difficult. If BYU makes their shots, they will cruise to the second round. Yet, the Dukes play hard in the backcourt and won’t make anything easy for the Cougars. 

The opening tip on Thursday is scheduled for 12:40 PM ET. Here, we will break down the game and give our best bets for Duquesne vs. BYU. 

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Duquesne vs. BYU Prediction and Odds 

Duquesne Dukes

Duqeusne’s 47-year tournament drought was snapped thanks to a Cinderella run in the A-10 Tournament. The Dukes finished in the middle of the pack in the conference but pulled off one of the best tournament performances of the season. 

The A-10 has performed well in the NCAA Tournament. In 2022, Richmond upset Iowa, and Duquesne had the same goal against BYU on Thursday. The Dukes rely heavily on their defense to win games, as it was one of the best in the conference all season. 

Even though the Dukes went just 10-8 in the A-10, they seem to have found their groove at the perfect time. VCU had no answer for the Dukes’ defense, but we’re concerned about their shot-making ability if BYU gets hot from the field. 

The Dukes are 86th in the KenPom Ratings, with two guards who can score. Jimmy Clark III averages 15.3 points per game with 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Dae Dae Grant is the other balanced guard for Duqesne, averaging just under 17 points per game with 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Even though these two guards are great scorers, Duquesne will be competitive because of their defense, which is in the top 40 points allowed per game. 

BYU Cougars

Even though BYU doesn’t have history on its side, it has a great chance to win its first tournament game since 2011. The Cougars finished the season 22-9 with a 10-8 record in the Big 12. 

The Big 12 was loaded, but BYU was a team nobody wanted to face because of its depth. Seven players averaged over nine points per game, but there weren’t many stars. 

However, the lack of stars has helped the Cougars play excellent team basketball. Mark Pope has been dominant in his fifth season at the helm. BYU has won 20+ games in four of his past five seasons. 

The Cougars are 16th overall in the KenPom Ratings, with the country's 11th-ranked offense and 48th-ranked defense. Jaxson Robinson is the player to watch, averaging 13.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. 

Duquesne vs. BYU Pick

• PICK: BYU -9.5 (-115) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Even though Duquesne’s defense is strong, they haven’t played well against the best teams in the country. The Dukes are 2-3 against Quad 1 opponents and have a significant disadvantage on offense in this contest. 

The Cougars have talented ballhandlers who can bring the ball up the court and run the offense. Duquesne’s defense looked better than it did against VCU because the Rams didn’t have a solid point guard. 

Lay the points with the Cougars on Thursday. 

How to Watch Duquesne vs. BYU

• When: Thursday, March 21st @ 12:40 PM ET

• Where: CHI Health Center Omaha, Omaha, NE

• TV: truTV

• Streaming: March Madness App

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