Cooper Flagg Injury Sends Duke’s Title Odds Tumbling
By Sascha Paruk in College Basketball
Published:
- Cooper Flagg suffered a serious ankle injury on Thursday against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament
- Flagg was seen in a wheelchair during the game
- Duke’s March Madness championship odds have faded after the injury
College basketball may have suffered a huge loss on Thursday morning. Duke Blue Devil wing Cooper Flagg, the current favorite in the Wooden Award odds, suffered a serious ankle injury during his team’s ACC quarterfinal game against Georgia Tech at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was limited to just two points in 15 minutes during a 78-70 victory for the #1 team in the nation.
What Happened to Cooper Flagg?
Flagg, a 6’9 freshman and the presumptive #1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft odds, rolled his ankle late in the first half. He had to be helped off the court and was taken to the locker room.
Later in the game, Flagg was spotted being pushed in a wheelchair down the corridors of the Spectrum Center.
The extent of Flagg’s injury is still unknown, but oddsmakers took notice and made corresponding adjustments. Duke, which had been the outright +328 favorite in the March Madness odds, was briefly off the board at most sportsbooks after Flagg left the court. When the Blue Devils resurfaced, they were no longer favored.
DraftKings currently lists Auburn as the +350 betting favorite to win the 2025 national championship, ahead of second-favorite Duke at +360.
20025 March Madness Title Odds
Odds as of 2:18 pm ET, March 13, at DraftKings. See the early March Madness betting promos to get a bonus for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
As of now, when the extent of Flagg’s injury is still unclear, Duke has only been bumped to the second-favorite at +360 (21.74% implied win probability) in the March Madness championship odds. It’s safe to assume that, if Flagg’s injury is revealed to be one that will keep him out of any portion of the NCAA Tournament, Duke’s odds will fade even further.
The #2 Auburn Tigers are the new chalk at +350. There remains a sizable gap between the top-two teams and the rest of the field. Houston and Florida are co-third-favorites at +700 (12.50% implied win probability).
Duke was a short -300 favorite to win the ACC Tournament before it commenced. The ACC Tournament futures remain off the board at DraftKings, FanDuel, ESPN Bet, Caesars, and BetMGM. They are unlikely to be re-posted until Flagg’s status for the remainder of the tournament is announced.
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Managing Editor
Sascha has been working in the sports-betting industry since 2014, and quickly paired his strong writing skills with a burgeoning knowledge of probability and statistics. He holds an undergraduate degree in linguistics and a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia.
