The No. 6 BYU Cougars take on the No. 11 Duquesne Dukes in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. ET, and the game will air on TruTV.
2024 March Madness picks
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Duquesne best bet
BYU (23-10, 10-8 Big XII) has one of the most dynamic offenses in the nation. Led by guard Jaxson Robinson, the Cougars averaged 81.8 points per game this season, ranking 16th in the nation. They shot 58% from the two-point range, landing at eighth in the nation. Their signature wins came over Kansas, Baylor, and Iowa State, though they were bounced early from the Big XII tournament in a rough loss to Texas Tech.
BYU has not reached the tournament since 2021 and has not won a tournament game since 2011, but the new and improved Big XII members have the offensive juice to make a deeper tournament run than usual this season. They were also strong around the boards, grabbing 39.6 rebounds per game, ranking 13th in the nation.
Duquesne (24-11, 10-8 A10) is back in the tournament for the first time since 1977, and they may just be able to shock an early matchup here with their high-ranked defense. The Dukes landed at 28th in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom, and held opponents to 66.6 points per game this season, ranking 28th in the nation.
However, on the offensive side, the Dukes don’t look as promising. They scored just 70.1 points per game this season, landing outside the top 250 scoring offenses in the nation.
Betting lines
Thursday odds
Spread: BYU -9.5
Total: 141.5
Moneyline: BYU -425, Duquesne +330
Opening odds
Spread: BYU -9
Total: 142.5
Moneyline: BYU -470, Duquesne +360
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Best bet: BYU -9
Duquesne has a solid defense, but they won’t be able to score enough to keep up with BYU’s fast-paced, high-scoring offense. The Cougars should get plenty of second-chance shots with their rebounding numbers and will use their roster depth to spread the ball out and show why they rank second in the nation in assists per game.