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Noah Waterman and Spencer Johnson of the Brigham Young Cougars celebrate after defeating the Kansas Jayhawks, and we offer our top Duquesne vs. BYU prediction based on the best March Madness odds.
Noah Waterman and Spencer Johnson of the Brigham Young Cougars celebrate after defeating the Kansas Jayhawks. Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images via AFP.

The NCAA Tournament begins on Thursday, and the first day of action features at least one potential blowout as we offer our top Duquesne vs. BYU prediction based on the best March Madness odds.

The No. 6 seed BYU Cougars possesses one of the most unpredictable offenses in college basketball, so we must adjust our strategy depending on their opponent.

Conversely, the No. 11 Duquesne Dukes aim to stage an upset despite entering Thursday's afternoon matchup as a near-double-digit underdog.

BYU's primary strength lies in its proficiency from beyond the arc. It boasts seven players who average at least one 3-pointer per game. Can those sharpshooters propel BYU to a significant victory, or can the Dukes stun the No. 6 seed and extend head coach Keith Dambrot's final season?

As part of our March Madness predictions, here is our best Duquesne vs. BYU prediction and college basketball picks (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Duquesne vs. BYU odds

Duquesne (11) vs. BYU (6) prediction: East Region 

BYU -14.5 alternate spread ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +200 via DraftKings

Let me be clear about one thing: if BYU's shots aren't falling, the Cougars could lose this game outright. But if they are? This one won't be close.

Mark Pope's group flew under the radar for much of this season in the loaded Big 12, but this team is lethal with an offense that ranks just outside of the top 10 nationally in adjusted efficiency. BYU features the second-highest 3-point attempt rate (50.7%) with an elite transition game, as well. That leads to snowballing results against teams without the horsepower to keep pace.

To that point, the Cougars are a stellar 13-1 outright / 10-4 against the spread when favored by at least nine points, outscoring those opponents by 26.6 points on average with 11 wins by double digits. Nine of those wins have come by at least 20 points, and only three of those 14 games saw BYU fail to win by 14-plus.

Duquesne is arguably the worst No. 11 seed in the field with an offense that would rank dead last in the Big 12 and a defense that struggles to deter open looks from deep. The Dukes will try to slow this game down, but if BYU's shot are falling, it won't matter in the slightest.

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Duquesne vs. BYU best odds

DraftKings (+200)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsbet365
BYU -14.5BYU -15.5BYU -10.5BYU -9.5BYU -14.5
+200+220+105-110+185

Only three of our best sportsbooks are offering an alternate spread on BYU larger than 10.5 points, and none are hanging a better price than DraftKings, which is dealing BYU -14.5 at +200 odds ahead of Thursday's matchup with Duquesne.

I'll gladly lay the extra five points to more than double my profit on a potential blowout win for the Cougars, who have been demolishing teams all season long as big favorites. Be sure to check out our best sportsbook promos to get the most out of this wager, and any others, with March Madness finally upon us.

Duquesne vs. BYU spread & Over/Under analysis

BYU opened as a 7.5-point favorite across our best sports betting sites, and that line was quickly bet up to 9.5 by Monday. We agree with that line movement, clearly, and would take it a step further in a game that profiles as a potential blowout.

The total opened as low as 140.5 but has settled between 142 and 142.5 in the days before Thursday's matchup. The Over might seem tempting with BYU's prolific offense, but Duquesne's slower tempo should at least give pause to those expecting a high-scoring affair.

Duquesne vs. BYU game info

  • When: Thursday, March 21
  • Tip-off: 12:40 p.m. ET
  • Where: CHI Health Center Omaha, Omaha, Neb.
  • How to watch: truTV

Duquesne-BYU prediction made Monday at 4:30 p.m. ET.

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March Madness betting odds pages

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