Duquesne vs. BYU Prediction: Can Dae Dae Grant, Dukes' Magical Run Continue in Round of 64?
Duquesne vs. BYU Prediction: Can Dae Dae Grant, Dukes' Magical Run Continue in Round of 64?
Duquesne very quietly enters this NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation. They are currently on an eight game winning streak dating back to their last loss on February 23rd, and have tallied wins over VCU twice, 24th ranked Dayton, George Mason, and St. Bonaventure. Duquesne plays a very different and contrasting style of basketball when compared to BYU.
Duquesne vs. BYU DATE, TIME, WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
- Game Time: 12:40 pm ET
- Where to Watch: CBS
Duquesne vs. BYU Prediction
The Dukes play extremely slow and like to impose their will on the defensive end. They are one of the slower teams in the tournament as they are averaging 17.7 seconds per Possession which is 203rd in the country. They are pretty much the definition of an average offensive team, as nearly all of their offensive metrics sit in the middle in the pack nationally, but where they shine is on defense. Dae Dae Grant and the Dukes are ranked 29th in overall adjusted defensive efficiency, 60th in defensive effective field goal percentage, 46th in defensive TO%, and 53rd in defensive three-point percentage.
That last nugget about being a solid team at defending the three will be extremely important during this matchup against BYU as the cougars take and make more threes than nearly every team in the country this season. BYU gets 41.1% of their overall point distribution from three-pointers this season which is second in the nation. If Duquesne can neutralize BYU’s ability to knock down shots from the outside, they will have a legitimate shot to win this game as BYU is in the bottom 25 in the country in overall points from two point buckets and free throws.
BYU has also stumbled a bit in the second half of the season when big 12 play rolled round as they started the season with the record of 12-1 with their lone loss coming to Utah (who didn’t make the tournament) and then finished the season going 11-9 in their final 20 games for an overall record of 23-10.
Overall, this is a tough stylistic matchup for BYU, who wants to run run run any chance they get and now have to face a res hot Duquesne team who wants to play and is comfortable at a glorified snails pace. I see this being a much tougher game for BYU than most people expect with Duquesne having a legitimate shot at an upset.
With that being said, I am rolling with Duquesne +10 at -120 for 1.5U as one of my most confident college basketball plays of the day on this early slate of Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament.
Duquesne vs. BYU Pick
1.5U Duquesne +10 -120 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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Article Author
Joey has spent the last 6+ years betting on sports with a focus on basketball and baseball. Basketball is his main focus, and not many people know more about mid-major basketball than him. Whether you need advice on a Saturday night primetime game or a Tuesday night back-alley SWAC/MEAC game, Joey is your man.