BYU is about to start its 30th run in the NCAA Tournament and this year they are coming in a six-seed from the Big 12. As new members of the conference this season, this team was not picked to finish anywhere near where they did. They were projected to finish 13th and they surpassed all expectations and finished fifth.
The Cougars drew a matchup with Duquesne who was one of the last teams to get their automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning their conference tournament. However, this is not a team that should be slept on. They are on a hot streak and looking to create chaos.
The Dukes are on an eight-game winning streak, but they are also going up against a hot team. Granted, yes, BYU had a really tough loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament, but this team went on a run later in the season to get where they are now. If their three-point shot is hitting, the Cougars are one of the most unstoppable teams in March Madness. However, they live by the three and die by the three, which one will it be in this first game?
How to watch BYU vs. Duquesne in the NCAA Tournament Round 1
Date: Thursday, March 21
Time: 12:40 p.m. ET
Channel: truTV
Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live I fuboTV
Announcers: Tom McCarthy, Deb Antonelli, Avery Johnson, and AJ Ross
BYU vs. Duquesne NCAA Tournament Round 1 odds
BYU is coming in as a heavy favorite in this one as a 9.5-point favorite. This is no surprise as the Cougars are coming in as a higher seed, but I do think rest time is coming into play here. I figured with how Duquesne has been playing, it would be a closer spread, but I think the quick turnaround for the Dukes will be in play here.
BYU vs. Duquesne NCAA Tournament Round 1 prediction
This is a tough game to try and predict because as I mentioned earlier, when the Cougars are on, they are unstoppable, but which team is going to show up? Will the team that was lethal from behind the arc against UCF show up, or the team that was cold all day from three against Texas Tech?
I hate to say it, but BYU is on upset alert here in the first round. However, I am not going to go with the upset. I think with the extra time to rest and recover, BYU will come out and look like the team that beat UCF. Duquesne has to turn around fast from their last game while BYU has had almost a week off to prepare. I'm going with BYU winning this one.