Duquesne Dukes vs. Dayton Flyers December 28 Betting Preview

Dayton will open Atlantic 10 conference play Wednesday night against a team it usually tortures. The Flyers have a 60-25 record all-time against Duquesne. However, the Dukes have shown this season that they won’t be pushed around easily.

Duquesne is off to a 10-3 start and is second in the Atlantic 10 as conference play opens. While the Dukes haven’t played the toughest schedule, they have put up good performances against strong non-conference foes. The Flyers are 15-3 at home all-time against Duquesne and will look to continue that streak.

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Duquesne Finding Way Back To Respectability

Dukes coach Keith Dambrot seemed to have Duquesne back to respectability after a 2019-20 season where the pandemic cut short the program’s first 20-win season in over a decade. However, the Dukes were hampered by injuries and transfers that limited Duquesne to a 15-39 record over the next two seasons. .

However, the Dukes are off to a 10-3 start this season after reinventing its offense behind transfers. Duquesne’s leading scorer, Dae Dae Grant, transferred from Miami (Ohio) and is averaging 17.9 points per game. Jerome Clark III was brought in the program from a Florida Junior College and is averaging 11.3 points per game. 

Duquesne, which is 7-6 against the spread, has been a solid offensive team. The Dukes have seen the total go over in seven of their 13 games. Duquesne has shot 36.9 percent from the three-point line, which ranks 67th nationally. The Dukes are 110th in the country in scoring, putting up 76.5 points per game.

The Dukes can be vulnerable on defense as they allow opponents to shoot 35.9 percent from the three-point line and 43.6 percent from the field against them.

Dayton Returns From An Extended Break

The Flyers took a nice break around the holiday. After 8-5 Dayton won its previous three games, including an 88-46 destruction of Alcorn State, the Flyers took an eight-day break from game action. Dayton would like to start conference play-off by making a statement.

The Flyers are comfortable doing things at their own pace. Dayton is 14th nationally in points allowed per game at 58.9. Opponents only shoot 37.1 percent against the Flyers, which ranks 13th nationally. As a result, Dayton’s offensive numbers aren’t particularly impressive. 

The Flyers only shoot 28.8 percent from the perimeter and score 66.8 points per game. DaRon Holmes III leads Dayton’s offense by scoring 17.7 points per game and making 56.7 percent of his shots from the field.

Duquesne vs. Dayton Odds

The Flyers are 8.5 point favorites to win this game. While Duquesne has shown big improvement from last season to this season, the Dukes have yet to pick up a notable win. Beating the Flyers on the road would be one of those results. 

The challenge for Duquesne will be getting its offense moving in a difficult environment. The over/under at this game is set at 130.5 points. Dayton should be able to keep this game under the total and will likely open Atlantic 10 play with a win.