Game Information
#24 Saint Louis Billikens (17-1) at Duquesne Dukes (10-8)
Time: 6pm CT Tuesday
How to watch: FanDuel Sports Network Extra, ESPN+
DraftKings Odds
Spread: SLU -9.5
Total: 165.5
KenPom Projection
SLU 88, Duquesne 77
#24 Billikens Back In Action
The #24 Saint Louis University Billikens look to keep their spot in the AP poll when they play a road matchup tonight against the Duquesne Dukes.
SLU entered the poll yesterday for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
Billikens Are Elite
The Billikens continue to win in large part because they are elite both offensively and defensively. Their national ranks:
4th in 2-point field goal percentage (61.4%)
15th in 3-point field goal percentage (38.8%)
34th in free throw shooting (76.9%)
3rd in 2-point field goal percentage defense (42.3%)
6th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.0%)
The Bills’ impressive numbers have them looking great in the metrics as well, as they start the day #22 in the NET rankings
Dukes Not Good Defensively
Duquesne is coming off a 74-63 win at Fordham last time out. That was a rare cover for the Dukes, as they are just 6-10 against the spread this season - including 2-8 ATS at home.
SLU should be able to feast offensively tonight against a Duquesne team that ranks dead last in the Atlantic 10 allowing 77.7 points per game.
My Pick
Duquesne likes to play fast (41st in the country in tempo), but I think that’s a bad idea against an explosive SLU team that prefers an up-tempo game with lots of possessions.
The Billikens are excellent in so many aspects of the game that they can typically counter the main strength of their opponents, and that appears to be the case once again tonight. Duquesne ranks 26th in the country in 2-point field goal percentage at 58.8%, but as referenced above, SLU ranks 3rd in the nation in defending 2’s.
Duquesne has been a nemesis of SLU in the past, but I think this year’s version of the Dukes presents an ideal matchup for Josh Schertz’s team. Look for another double-digit victory for the #24 Billikens.
Pick: SLU -9.5 at -110 on DraftKings
Eric Sontag hosts Domesticated Gamblers every Wednesday night on the STL Sports Central YouTube channel. Follow him on X @GamblingDads, and click here for his daily picks on all of our St. Louis area sports teams. Get Eric's picks for all sports by following him in the Action Network app with the username "esontag". Disclaimer