The Madness has officially begun. Thursday’s Round 1 games did not disappoint, giving us upsets and comebacks as we would expect from March Madness.
It seems something was in the air in Pittsburgh, as we saw the 14-seed Oakland shock the world and knock off Kentucky. In addition, both 11-seeds come out on top in Oregon and NC State at PPG Paints Arena. Meanwhile, in Omaha, Neb., Duquesne (located in Pittsburgh) pulled off a surprising upset against BYU, controlling the game from start to finish.
Let’s take a look at how some of these teams will prepare for their Saturday Round of 32 matchups from the East Region.
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2024 NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Odds & Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
#7 Washington State vs. #2 Iowa State
The #7 vs. #10 matchup of Drake and Washington State may have been overlooked on a busy day, but it provided a great basketball game between two solid teams. Kyle Smith and the Cougars prevailed, continuing their successful season onto the Round of 32. This is a well-coached, disciplined team that will be a tough out.
They’ll take on the Big 12 champions Iowa State in Omaha on Saturday. This is going to be a big test for Iowa State. Washington State is a physical team that plays good defense, as they held Drake to 61 points on just 42% from the field. Isaac Jones is an absolute force in the front court and may be a matchup problem for Iowa State. He’s also joined by fellow First-Team All-Pac-12 teammate and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Myles Rice.
Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert will need to be at their best to knock off this physical Cougars team.
Bet: Iowa State -6.5 (-112)
#11 Duquesne vs. #3 Illinois (-10)
In the past, Cinderella teams that make it to the Round of 32 typically get blown out or manage to continue the magic, pulling off another upset. Can the Duquesne Dukes keep this one close against this high-powered Illinois offense? While their offense could use some improvement after shooting 46% from the field against BYU, their defense has been physical and inspiring.
Illinois has scored 85+ points in their last three games, but a glaring weakness has been their defense. In each of the past three games, they were either losing or up by one point at halftime. Duquesne will need to manage to hang around in the first half, with hopes of causing some panic for the Illini in the second half.
It’s essential they find good matchups on the defensive end, as Illinois’ Marcus Domask has been nearly matchup-proof all season. The 6-foot-6 Forward can work smaller defenders with a terrific post game, while taller defenders have trouble staying with him on the outside. Domask’s versatility opens up the door for Terrance Shannon Jr. to get the open shots he’s looking for with a good matchup. The Dukes will need to play hard from the opening tip or else things could get ugly.
Bet: Illinois -10 (-112)
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