Duquesne vs BYU Predictions, Picks, and Odds: Cougars Face Tough Test in March Madness Opener

BYU's been one of the country's best squads all season, but they'll be facing a uniquely-motivated Duquesne team that could pose some bad matchup issues in March Madness' opening round.If that wasn’t storyline enough, Duquesne head coach Keith Dambrot added to this week’s intrigue by announcing he will retire after this season. Winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament was enough of a storybook ending, getting the Dukes into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977.

The concept is simple, and one that certainly fits modern basketball. The Cougars play at a helter-skelter pace — No. 2 in the Big 12, No. 85 in the country — that leads to layups and 3s. But if Duquesne can dictate the pace a bit — No. 251 in the country in tempo — then BYU’s open layups will be fewer, and those threes will fall victim to the Dukes' defense.

A slower game dictated by the underdog’s defense obviously skews the game toward the four-bucket underdog in general. The Dukes might not spring the upset to cap Dambrot’s career, but they should keep things interesting enough to garner your attention on the first day of March Madness. That line movement runs counter to the trend lines from these two teams in the last month. Up until Feb. 14, barttorvik considered BYU to be the No. 9 team in the country, one led by the No. 8 offense. In the last month, it has been the No. 48 team with the No. 21 most-efficient offense.

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