Duquesne (11) vs. BYU (6) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
The Cougars opened as 9.5-point favourites to win on the college basketball odds, with the total set at 142.5.
Duquesne vs. BYU NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
The winner of this game will face either No. 3 Illinois or No. 14 Morehead State, with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.
This will be the sixth tournament appearance for Duquesne and the first since a first round loss in 1977. The Dukes are 4-5 all-time in the tournament, going as far as the Final Four in 1940. They’ve bowed out in the first round in their last two tournament appearances, with their last win coming in the regional third-place game in 1969. Duquesne is +50,000 to win the tournament, +10,000 to reach the Final Four, +4000 to reach the Elite Eight and +900 to reach the Sweet 16.
BYU was a tournament staple in the 1980’s and early 2000’s, making 30 appearances in the Big Dance since 1950. They have a 15-33 all-time record, making it as far as the Elite Eight in 1950, 1951 and 1981. The Cougars were bounced by UCLA in the first round in their last tournament appearance in 2021. BYU is +6600 to win the tournament, +1600 to reach the Final Four, +450 to reach the Elite Eight and +150 to reach the Sweet 16.
If you’re hoping for an upset you could be in luck as there’s an argument to be made 11-seeds are even more dangerous than the popular 12 versus 5-seed upset. No. 11 seeds were just 1-3 in 2023, but they were an outstanding 3-1 in 2022 and they are 11-17 over the last six years. And keep in mind, 11-seeds have won at least one game in every tournament since 2005.
Duquesne Dukes (11)
Duquesne is a bit of an anomaly as they finished sixth in the Atlantic 10 with a 10-8 record, but they ended the year on an eight-game heater to win the conference tournament and secure an automatic bid to the Dance. They have a 24-11 record overall, but it’s hard to trust a team in the NCAA Tournament that has a losing road record.
Dae Dae Grant (16.7 ppg) and Jimmy Clark III (15.1 ppg) are the only Dukes players averaging more than eight points per game. It’s clearly the defensive side of the ball where this team shines as they limited VCU to just 51 points in the Atlantic 10 tournament championship game. Duquesne is a top-40 team in opponent points per game (66.0), but there is real concern about whether the offence can hold up its end of the bargain.
BYU Cougars (6)
BYU had a 23-10 record overall and a 10-8 record in their debut season in the Big 12 to finish fifth in the conference. Road issues were an huge problem for the Cougars as they went 3-7 outside of Provo compared to 16-2 on home court. They have a well-rounded offence with seven players averaging at least nine points per game, but none over 14. Jaxson Robinson (13.8 ppg) leads the team in scoring, followed by Fousseyni Traore (10.9 ppg), Trevin Knell (10.9 ppg) and Spencer Johnson (10.3 ppg).
BYU is a top-20 scoring team in the nation, averaging 81.8 ppg, but they sit outside the top-100 in terms of opponent points, allowing 69.9 ppg. This team lives and dies by the three and while that strategy doesn’t bode well for a deep tournament run, it’s likely enough to get the job done against Duquesne.
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