Final Four Bets, Lines, Odds: Cooper Flagg's Duke Blue Devils are East Region March Madness Favorites

Once again, we enter March Madness with one team that stands a level above the rest of the field. 

This time, it is not Danny Hurley’s Connecticut squad. It’s college basketball’s oft-villain and a premier blue blood Duke Blue Devils. Three projected NBA top 10 picks. The best record in college basketball. By far head coach Jon Scheyer’s best roster in his three seasons at the helm. 

Of course, the story for the Blue Devils surrounds the health of the freshman phenom Cooper Flagg. He suffered an ankle injury in Duke’s ACC Tournament opener against Georgia Tech and missed the rest of the week. He is expected to return for the Round of 64 matchup, but even then, the Blue Devils don’t need him. We saw them go on to win the conference championship without their star, taking down Louisville by double digits. 

That’s because Duke is the best team in the country. Flagg can sit the opening weekend and I wouldn’t be worried in the slightest about Duke losing. He’ll likely return, but that’s how confident I am in the Blue Devils succeeding this year.

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East Region Final Four Odds

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East Region Prediction: Duke Futures

Right after the bracket release, my first takeaway was how easy the path is to the Final Four for Duke. There’s no landmine for the Blue Devils early and their toughest opponent will obviously be Alabama – if the Tide are able to make another deep run – in the Elite Eight.

But just how good is Duke? The Blue Devils are inside the top five in both offensive (3) and defensive (4) efficiency, per Kenpom. They’re incredibly deep and can beat you in a multitude of ways.

Defensively, there’s an elite rim protector waiting in 7-foot-2 freshman Khaman Maluach. Flagg remains a driving defensive force as well, rounding out arguably the best frontcourt in college basketball. 

It’s not just the frontcourt though, either. Duke is No. 1 in average height and third in 2-point defense. The smallest player on this roster is 6-foot-5 Caleb Foster. That length on the perimeter leads to the opposition feeling uncomfortable, forcing them into low-quality looks late in the shot clock. 

Then when you look on the offensive end, this is an even more terrifying team. Between freshman star Kon Knueppel and the massive third-year leap taken by Tyrese Proctor, Duke has three elite shot creators and reliable scoring options. Save for Maluach, all four starters shoot 36.8% from 3. Freshman Isaiah Evans has become an elite shooter from 3 himself (team-best 43.9%), providing critical minutes off the bench.

Now take a look at the Blue Devils’ draw and it becomes extremely difficult to see any team giving Duke a run for its money. Maybe in the Elite Eight against Alabama, but even then, their defensive issues and run-and-gun 3-point barrage leaves room for doubt. We saw how Florida picked apart Alabama’s defense. Auburn had no troubles at full health, either. Even Missouri’s offense hung 110 points on the Tide. 

To put it simply, there is no team quite like Duke. Unless Flagg’s injury is way more severe than originally believed, I have a hard time seeing the Blue Devils stumble in March. This is the best of the best we’re watching here. 

East Region Pick

Pick: Duke to win the East Region (-120) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds