Just as it was predicted at the start of March Madness, Duke continues to push through as the No. 1 seed and favourite to win the national championship. Now, they are getting ready to face Houston in the Final Four, and just two games away from this year’s NCAA title.
The rest of the semifinal brackets are completed by Florida, who come close as second favourites, and Auburn, the least expected to take home the trophy. The Blue Devils are yet to be challenged, as they’ve won their four matches so far by an average margin of 23.5 points.
“Duke was our most-bet team coming into the tournament by a good margin, and patrons have continued to back them at a high rate given their performances,” said Adrian Horton, who directs North American sports trading at ESPN BET. “In terms of liability, it’s Duke all the way.”
Another director for college basketball odds shared the same view. “At this juncture, we are strong supporters of anyone capable of achieving the upset against this formidable Duke team,” said Patrick Berbert, who oversees trading for Caesars Sportsbook. “We are in great standing with all the other teams remaining.”
Duke’s performances have caught the eye of ESPN icon Stephen A. Smith, who can’t deny that they are favourites for the crown. “I’m looking at Duke right now,” he said. “They’re just head and shoulders above everybody else right now. They’re a juggernaut. They can beat you any way you ask them to.”
“You wanna get physical? Fine. You wanna be up-tempo? Fine. You wanna slow it down? Fine. And we got a cat that’s a freshman that may be the best player in the country,” Stephen said about Cooper Flagg, who continues to exceed expectations in his rookie season in college.
During their last post-game interview, the 18-year-old thanked his coaching staff for their success. “I mean, obviously, it’s a big honor and a blessing,” he expressed. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the guys sitting next to me here and the rest of the guys in the locker room, so I have to give all the credit to them.”
