March Madness is officially here! The 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let's take a look at the early odds, preview, and predictions 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 Bracket & Betting Guide
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2024 NCAA Tournament Odds, Preview & Predictions: BYU vs. Duquesne
Here are odds and team previews for each of the two squads in this opening-round matchup of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
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.
Check out all of our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket & Betting Coverage >>
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
EAST REGION
- UCONN v Stetson (1v16)
- Iowa St. v South Dakota St. (2v15)
- Illinois v Morehead St. (3v14)
- Auburn v Yale (4v13)
- San Diego St. v UAB (5v12)
- BYU v Duquesne (6v11)
- Washington St. v Drake (7v10)
- Florida Atlantic v Northwestern (8v9)
MIDWEST REGION
- Montana St/Grambling St PLAY IN
- Virginia/Colorado St. PLAY IN
- Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s (2v15)
- Creighton vs. Akron (3v14)
- Kansas vs. Samford (4v13)
- Gonzaga vs. McNeese (5v12)
- South Carolina vs. Oregon (6v11)
- Utah St. vs. TCU (8v9)
SOUTH REGION
- Boise St./Colorado PLAY IN
- Houston vs. Longwood (1v16)
- Marquette vs. Western Kentucky (2v15)
- Kentucky vs. Oakland (3v14)
- Duke vs. Vermont (4v13)
- Wisconsin vs. James Madison (5v12)
- Texas Tech vs. NC State (6v11)
- Nebraska vs. Texas A&M (8v9)
WEST REGION
- Howard/Wagner PLAY IN
- Arizona vs. Long Beach St. (2v15)
- Baylor vs. Colgate (3v14)
- Alabama vs. Charleston (4v13)
- Saint Mary’s vs. Grand Canyon (5v12)
- Clemson vs. New Mexico (6v11)
- Dayton vs. Nevada (7v10)
- Mississippi St. vs. Michigan St. (8v9)
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!
- NCAA Tournament Bracket Cheat Sheet, Strategy & Picks
- 3 NCAA Tournament Sleeper Pool Picks
- NCAA Tournament: First Four Odds & Picks
- Perfect NCAA Tournament Bracket Picks: Small Pools
- Perfect NCAA Tournament Bracket Picks: Medium Pools
- Perfect NCAA Tournament Bracket Picks: Large Pools
