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BYU vs. Duquesne: 2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks

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Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament game: BYU vs. Duquesne. And make sure to check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Optimizer to take down your pools!

2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks: #6 BYU vs. #11 Duquesne

BYU 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

The Cougars attempt a remarkable number of perimeter shots, with over 41 percent of their points coming from beyond the arc, second highest among DI teams. Their pacing is fast, but they take care of the ball and rebound a high percentage of misses, playing in transition well. Watching the BYU offense is like watching a well-oiled machine. The Big 12’s newest member ranks inside the top 10 in Shot Quality because it seems as if every shot the Cougars take is an open look. Despite the number of threes the Cougars take a game, when defenses offer different looks, they can easily adjust. Their near-proximity shooting is close to 70 percent, second highest in the nation, with some solid midrange shooting in addition.

Defensively, BYU’s size deters opponents from attempting shots near the rim, and the Cougars pace all tournament teams in limiting second-chance looks and potential points off of steals, or transition points. But when they face elevated competition, their defense doesn’t always step up, ranking outside the top 100 in defensive efficiency against top-100 opponents.

Point-center Aly Khalifa missed the entire second half against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament and would be a big loss for BYU, so monitor injury news on the 6-11 junior. The Cougars are pretty consistent for a team that takes so many perimeter shots, but they are not immune to an off shooting day. They are hyper-dependent on perimeter shooting, losing all eight games this year in which they shot below 31 percent from deep. If BYU faces an elite defense, it will be interesting to see how the Cougars adjust. Playing on neutral courts all tournament works against a team like BYU, which depends so much on shooting. Their metrics are promising, but it feels like this team is a paper tiger if we’re discussing teams with the potential to make a deep tournament run.

Duquesne 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

Despite a premature celebration on the court, Duquesne didn’t let their double-digit lead go. After starting 0-5 in conference, the Dukes are dancing for the first time in 47 years, winning eight straight games en route. For season-long metrics, it’s not great for Duquesne, but looking more recently, the Dukes own a top-15 defense, finishing the year 12-3 in that same time frame.

Don’t underestimate this defense, a unit that forces turnovers and tough shots to all opponents on all levels, highlighted by their sixth-ranked three-point percentage defense and top-40 ranked defensive near-proximity percentage. For a ceiling, Jimmy Clark, Dae Dae Grant and/or Kareem Rozier would have to step up their offensive game and take over for Duquesne to earn Cinderella status.

2024 NCAA Tournament Predictions: #6 BYU vs. #11 Duquesne

The Duquesne Dukes can defend, and the Atlantic 10 Tournament champions rode their defense to an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. After giving up 73 points in their first game against Saint Louis, Duquesne didn't give up over 60 throughout the rest of their tournament run. The Duquesne defense is no fluke. In fact, they've ranked seventh nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency over their last 10 games, per Bart Torvik.

The Dukes rank 59th in defensive effective field goal percentage, generate a bunch of turnovers and - most importantly - defend the perimeter well. Duquesne also ranks 55th in 3-point defense, which is massive against a BYU team that shoots threes at the second-highest rate in the country.

The problem is the Dukes aren't an overly great offensive team, ranking outside the top 200 in effective shooting percentage. They also get sloppy with the ball and don't rebound overly well. The Cougars don't turn teams over a ton, but they are exceptional on the glass on both ends. I think the Dukes can do enough on the defensive end to keep things interesting, but I don't think we're getting enough points here to warrant a wager on the A-10 champs. Instead, I'll go with the under, as I do think Duquesne can limit BYU's production from beyond the arc.

2024 NCAA Tournament Picks: #6 BYU vs. #11 Duquesne

Bet: Under 141.5 (-109 via BetRivers Sportsbook)

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2024 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks

Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament

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2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Pool Strategy & Picks

Below we provide strategy, advice, and picks to create the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket. And be sure to use our FREE bracket optimizer to build a winning men’s NCAA tournament bracket and take down your contest!

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