WASHINGTON ST COUGARS @ DUQUESNE DUKES

A first-time matchup

Tuesday marks the first meeting between Washington State and Duquesne, giving both coaching staffs a new opponent to prepare for.

Washington State’s scoring tandem

Lazarek Houston has averaged 17.0 points through two games, while Jaylen Harrell averages 15.5 points on 65% shooting; their production will be central to Washington State’s effort to get its first win.

Berman has been efficient early

Yoav Berman scored 22 in Duquesne’s latest win and has made 72.2% of his field-goal attempts through two games; Washington State must also account for his all-around contributions.

Duquesne’s second-half response

After falling behind Central State late, the Dukes held the Marauders scoreless for five minutes during a 14-0 run, showing how quickly they can change a game with stops.

Availability details remain unclear

The available Duquesne preview lists no injury or availability updates, so no confirmed absence is reported.

Pick Ideas

Angles drawn from the matchup analysis above and refreshed as the news changes. They are a separate read from the LineCrush pick for this matchup, so the two can land on different sides.

Duquesne to win

Duquesne is the home favorite, with listed moneylines around -230 to -245; the moneyline is lower variance than laying points but limits potential return.

Lean under 148.5

With the total at 148.5 and some books closer to 147.5, a small under lean is preferable to a strong position given early-season volatility.